Special Spotlight: Abhilaash Subramaniam
🎯 Special Spotlight: IPBA through the eyes of a Scholar
Fresh from this year’s Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Annual Meeting and Conference, we caught up with Abhilaash Subramaniam, a young lawyer with a passion for building bridges across borders and one of the 2025 IPBA Scholars. From memorable conversations to practical tips for future scholarship applicants, here’s his take on the experience attending the conference in Chicago.
What is your current role, or what are you working on?
I run a boutique practice as a sole proprietor that is focused on Tax Law and ESG/Environmental law, doing both litigation and advisory work in these areas. Stemming from my practice (particularly tax litigation, which often involves judicial review challenges against the Inland Revenue, Customs and even the Government), I also regularly undertake administrative law challenges against enforcement and administrative authorities.
Out of the office, I am an elected Council member on the Malaysian Bar Council, where I chair the ESG Committee and am the Deputy Chair of the Tax and Customs Law Committee of the Bar.
What was the most surprising or memorable moment at the IPBA annual conference in Chicago this year?
I was fortunate to receive the 2025 IPBA Young Lawyer Scholarship and as part of that, the IPBA Conference organisers arranged special visits, to both a District Court and State Court in Chicago, in which all scholars got to observe judicial proceedings and have direct discussions with the Judges (some of whom were appointed by the President of the United States).
The beauty of the IPBA is that outside of the sessions, unique social and cultural events of the host country are held for participants. As part of IPBA Chicago, we got to attend a baseball game at the historic Wrigley Field (yes, it is the chewing gum company), between the LA Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs, two of the most iconic teams in American baseball. The final night of the conference also featured a live concert by a full-piece Chicago Blues Band, with a dance floor. Chicago is generally regarded as the home of blues music, a precursor to rock and roll.
Your tips on how to make the most out of the IPBA annual conference.
The IPBA is a phenomenal opportunity (particularly for young lawyers) to learn to network and gain a greater appreciation of how laws are practised in other countries. With the legal landscape getting more competitive and ‘soft skills’ becoming an even more integral part of practice, the IPBA provides great exposure for learning both about the law and how to gain new connections. To make the most out of it, attend as many sessions and ask as many questions as you can to seasoned and senior practitioners from all around the world. Even more important is to attend all networking and social events that are organised outside the sessions. Remember every lawyer there is looking to make connections as much as you are, and you should not be hesitant to introduce yourself!
Why do you think you were chosen as an IPBA scholar? Any tips for future applicants?
The IPBA Young Lawyer Scholarship is awarded based upon a number of criteria, including work done in a relevant practice area as well as contributions made to the legal profession of a country. A further consideration is how one may be able to promote the IPBA back in their home jurisdiction. Whilst I cannot say for certain why I was chosen, I believe my active involvement in my practice area (particularly the undertaking of pro-bono/public interest matters outside of fee-paying work and training for members of the Bar both on the subject of Tax and ESG) all contributed.
The best tip I can provide to future applicants is to get active in your practice area beyond just the work you do in the office. Actively contribute to committees of the Bar that centre around your practice area, use your legal skills to undertake public interest work and use your legal knowledge to upskill other members of the Bar.
Your favourite eatery or meal in Chicago (bonus points if it’s off the beaten track!)
Sadly, we did not get much of a chance to try many eateries around town as practically every meal was at the conference. However, I had a chance to visit a historic local tavern, known as the ‘Billy Goat’ for a drink. There is an age-old belief in Chicago, that a curse was placed on the Chicago Cubs baseball team by the owner of the tavern (as he and his pet goat were ejected from a baseball game by the owner of the Cubs), resulting in the Cubs not winning a Word Series for 71 years. The tavern is now an icon of Chicago.