Anne Frank, Van Gogh and Scopic

STONE bridges crossing miles of canals, seventeenth and eighteenth century gabled houses lining the waterways and numerous art museums filling the winding streets. No, this is not Venice, but Amsterdam. Built on ninety islands with 400 bridges across 62 miles of canal, Amsterdam well-deserves its title of Venice of the North. Voted one of the top four most attractive European business locations, it has become home to more than 1,400 foreign companies in the Greater Amsterdam area alone. It is also hosting the International Bar Association (IBA) conference 2000.

This biennial event, taking place on September 17-22 at the Amsterdam RAI, is expected to attract more than 3,000 lawyers and other professionals from around the world. With more than 140 working sessions dealing with current issues in business law, legal practice and energy and natural resource law, it is a must for legal professionals everywhere. The list of topics under the spotlight during the conference would more than fill this page. As a taster, delegates can choose from sessions on land transport, aviation law, antitrust and trade law, arbitration and ADR, banking law, insolvency and creditors' rights, international litigation, technology and e-commerce law, business crime and media law, among many, many others.

It is a truly international event, with regional and special interest groups also offering dedicated sessions, including the African Steering Group, the Arab Regional Forum, the Barristers'/Advocates' Forum and the Women's Interest Group. If there is any space left in your diary, there are also four showcase programmes covering conflict of interest, corruption, human rights and the future of the legal profession.

But what can a maritime lawyer expect to see there? Within the business law programme there is a maritime and transport law section, chaired by Christian Breitzke of Hamburg, Germany, offering four marine-related sessions. With Dutch ports at the centre of the international salvage scene, speakers and experts in the first session will be reporting on recent developments in connection with the law of salvage in light of the International Convention on Salvage 1989, the Standard Form of Lloyd's Salvage Agreement 1995, the Scopic Clause and related codes of practice. Later in the programme there is also an excursion to a Dutch salvage company. Session two looks at the new challenges and opportunities from global navigation satellite systems.

Session three will compare the latest development associated with the 1999 International Convention on Arrest of Ships with the 1952 International Convention relating to Arrest of Seagoing Ships, along with a review of the rules of jurisdictions where ships are frequently arrested.

Giving an international flavour to the maritime section, speakers at the fourth session will give a comparison of maritime law in European countries, along with an update of maritime laws in the various jurisdictions. This session will also look at the current developments in maritime law from the European, Asian and American perspectives.

As with so many conferences today, guests of delegates are not only welcomed, but special programmes are devised for their interest. IBA guests can attend a number of cultural presentations, including a look at the role the Netherlands plays in researching and coping with flooding and global water supply and quality. Guests can also enjoy a varied social programme, including welcome parties, a sailing regatta, the IBA Golf tournament for the Holmstrom Trophy, and the closing party at the New Metropolis Science and Technology Centre.

So how much will it cost, and where can you find out more?

Registrations for the conference can be accepted at the London office of the IBA up till September 8, 2000. After this date, delegates wishing to attend must register on arrival at the conference. Before September 8, the price for IBA members is £670, £750 for non-members and £190 for guests. After September 8, prices rise to £720 for IBA members, £800 for non-members. The cost for guests does not change.

For more information and on-line registration visit www.ibanet.org Conference delegates can also use the conference discussion forum as www.ibanet.org/amsterdam/discussionforum.

Alternatively, contact the International Bar Association, 271 Regent Street, London W1R 7PA, UK Tel. +44 207 629 1206 Fax. +44 207 409 0456 E-mail: mem...@int-bar.org