Philip Roberts, an exceptional young Associate at Barnard, has been selected as the first candidate to participate in the International Commercial Law Alliance's (ICLA) new International Lawyer Exchange Program. The program is designed to promote cross-cultural knowledge-sharing and professional development among young lawyers. This is an exciting development for ICLA, as the alliance seeks to capitalise on the trend of law firms forming alliances and sharing knowledge with colleagues in other jurisdictions, while addressing other factors, including the emergence of new markets, the increasing complexity of the legal environment and the changing nature of the legal profession.

The International Lawyer Exchange Program offers young lawyers like Philip an exclusive opportunity to gain knowledge, experience and a fresh perspective of fellow ICLA members' practices within their jurisdictions. This exchange program is a new initiative by ICLA and will provide great value to the respective professionals' careers who partake in it in the future. As the economic landscape changes rapidly in this age of globalization, law firms must adapt and form alliances with firms in other jurisdictions to provide seamless legal services to clients operating in different jurisdictions, and ICLA is at the forefront of promoting this trend.

Philip's academic began started at the University of Pretoria, where he obtained his BCom Law and LLB degrees. He furthered his knowledge and skillset in Sports Law and Sports Management by completing certificates at the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town. After joining Barnard as a Candidate Attorney in 2018, Philip was appointed as a Junior Associate in 2020 and was also admitted as an attorney the same year. With his expertise in Contractual Disputes, General Litigation, Insolvency Law, Land Claims, and Sports Law, Philip is on assignment in London, collaborating with the law firm iLaw to broaden his legal expertise and bring new insights back to his team at Barnard.