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Almudena Arpón de Mendívil y Aldama, partner at law firm Gómez-Acebo & Pombo in Madrid, Spain, is the first female president of the International Bar Association in two decades.
Ms Arpón de Mendívil becomes only the second woman in the IBA’s 76-year history to be named as its president.
Prior to becoming IBA president, Ms Arpón de Mendívil served as its vice-president from 2021–22 and has been on its management board since 2009.
As president, she plans to focus on five key themes, the IBA noted in a statement: highlighting the impact of the legal profession in society; approaching gender equality in the legal sector with a frontal and transversal view; placing the legal sector as a relevant player in the ESG agenda; analysing and anticipating human rights protection in the digital environment; and preparing the legal profession for the future, especially young lawyers.
Speaking about her new role, Ms Arpón de Mendívil said: “I take on this responsibility with great excitement and firm commitment. My aspiration as president of the IBA is to steadily elevate the association to the next level.
“Our profession, through a global association as the IBA, has a great opportunity as well as the responsibility of assuming a leading role in upholding the rule of law, democracy, and human rights across the world and thus having a positive impact in society.”
