Jon Grouf has been elected chair of the Legal Practice Division of the International Bar Association (IBA) for a two-year term. Grouf also sits on the IBA’s Management Board and Executive Committee. The IBA, which currently has a global membership of more than 80,000 individual lawyers, is divided into two divisions – the Legal Practice Division (LPD) and the Public and Professional Interest Division. The LPD is the financial engine of the IBA, bringing in almost all of its income. It is responsible for nearly all of the IBA’s legal practice committees and sections – including Agricultural Law; Antitrust; Corporate Law; Criminal Law; Dispute Resolution; Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law; Financial Services; Human Resources; Insolvency; Intellectual Property, Communications and Technology; International Sales, Trade, Franchising and Product Law; Law and Individual Rights; Leisure Industries; Maritime and Aviation Law; Public Law; Real Estate; and Taxation Sections. The Public and Professional Interest Division is responsible for the IBA’s Bar Issues Commission, the Human Rights Institute and the Section on Public and Professional Interest.

Grouf practices in the area of corporate and commercial law, representing publicly and privately owned domestic and foreign clients in asset and stock acquisitions and sales, corporate governance, employment and shareholders agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, distribution and agency agreements. His practice areas also include estate and trust planning and administration; income and transfer tax structuring for inbound and outbound investments; family succession; compliance, including voluntary disclosures; and pre-immigration and expatriation planning. Such work includes the representation of clients before federal and state tax authorities to resolve domestic and international tax controversies. Grouf also advises clients in real estate acquisitions, financing, leasing and tax-free exchange of office buildings, shopping centres and other real estate holdings.

Grouf's work has a strong cross-border element, with a focus on U.S. and foreign, corporate, tax, trust and commercial law. His clients consist principally of high-net-worth individuals (domestic and non-U.S.) and financial institutions. Grouf is a frequent lecturer and author of articles on these subjects.

Originally published on 13 February 2019 on the Duane Morris website