Conference programme

We intend to explore the impacts of the foreign ownership of farmland from an economic, social and environmental perspective.

We will address the cross-border challenges faced in regulating and monitoring these transactions, and the benefits and risks associated with foreign investment in farmland.

A section-wide session organised by the Human Resources Section looking at the global trends in employment law and human resources (HR) practice.

What’s good for people, is good for the planet and for profits! 

This catchy phrase illustrates the growing impact health and safety aspects have on businesses and on society as a whole. As the impact expands, the responsibilities grow too – and, as a further consequence, the liabilities and criminal ramifications become more challenging. The session will focus on these interconnections, charting the course for management practices on how to avoid and minimise risks.

In furtherance of launching the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Toolkit for law firms at the IBA Annual Conference in Paris 2023, we will explore how the situation looks one year after and whether the implementation of D&I strategy has brought any impact on business of the law firms that started/elaborated on this topic.

More global connectivity is needed to support the compute power revolution resulting from the wide use of gen AI, cloud computing, etc. This session will look at how such global connectivity could be improved through the deployment of new technologies (LEO, fiber, 6G etc.) and limiting legal/regulatory restrictions (data flows, digital cooperation, etc.) 

This panel will explore the evolution of online viral sensations to employed product and sales professionals. The panel will also consider the sophisticated IP strategies now required of such professionals. It will also explore what regulations, if any, apply to social media stars. The panel will include an influencer to provide their spin on issues facing their now extablished profession.

As a lawyer practicing international mergers and acquisitions (M&A), you benefit from a broad network of colleagues in the same practice in other countries. This session will be a great way to meet many new M&A contacts, build your network and learn from the experience of your peers. The session will involve ten current tables and topics, with a moderator knowledgeable on the topic. All session participants will be able to speak and ask questions, as well as exchange contacts.

Building, construction and infrastructure disputes have a long history of utilising arbitration and the courts to determine disputes. The vast application of this topic can range from disruption to homeowners and builders, to huge monetary impacts on developers and infrastructure contracts. Problems with delivering on contracts, breaches of terms and the halting of projects have been endemic features of the construction industry in many jurisdictions. 

Recently, dispute boards have featured in some jurisdictions with a focus on dispute management. Dispute resolution clauses in contracts tend to now include a tiered approach to dispute management. How does negotiation and mediation assist in the management of these disputes and changing the culture? Let’s talk about these options to bring the construction contracts in on time and within budget. The use of independent mediators throughout the entire construction project: is it a solution to appoint mediators at the commencement of the project to be available every time there is an issue until completion of the works?
 

The proliferation of online sales and e-marketplaces has expanded the direct-to-consumer market capabilities for manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers and third-party sellers. This expanded online sales capability also includes sales of products direct to consumers across national boundaries. In this new world, alternative dispute resolution of consumer disputes may be mandated by the underlying contract or other relationship between the consumer and the seller. In this session, we delve deep on the key issues that arise in handling consumer product disputes through mandatory and non-mandatory alternative dispute resolution regimes around the world.

This session will explore:

•    Impact of current economic environment on private fund terms, structures and financing (private equity funds, real estate funds and credit funds);
•    Consolidation of asset managers in recent times – what does that mean for LPs and the industry at large?
•    Recent trends on financial, governance and other fund terms;
•    Trends in sustainable investing; 
•    And retailisation and new opportunities.

The panel will discuss the definition of indigenous cultural property and consider relevant national regulations, international laws and conventions, and their applicability/application in international disputes.

The panel will cover issues such as: how to recognise LGBTQI+ family units in the context of refugee status, migration and family reunification; the challenges involved in placement and housing of LGBTQI+ refugees and migrants; how to achieve positive integration outcomes for LGBTQI+ refugees in the resettlement country; and LGBTQI+ specific healthcare issues in the migration context, including mental health issues.

This session will consider the recommendations of the IBA’s Impact Project into the positive role of the legal profession in society, the President’s 2023-2028 Legal Agenda, work of relevant stakeholders and other research undertaken as part of the IBA’s Lawyers as Gatekeepers Project.  
 
The lead committees and LRPU will facilitate an open discussion with practitioners, regulators and representatives from external stakeholders, which have been critical of the profession’s role in facilitating a variety of unethical, illicit and criminal activity.  
 
The session represents an attempt to effect genuine shifts in attitudes, and map out constructive ways forward in terms of reform, improving the image and impact of the profession.  

Over the last decade, the curtailment of funding for justice systems around the world has had serious consequences for the administration of justice. Many jurisdictions have witnessed a degrading in the courts estate; administrative systems have struggled to cope with demand; recruitment and retention within many areas of the justice system is adversely affected due to funding concerns; and publicly funded legal systems have been subject to repercussive cuts. 

These effects compromise access to justice and diminish respect for the justice system as a whole. Rather than justice being seen as a valuable commodity worthy of investment, it is too often seen as an unwelcome cost which should be subject to imposed decline. This has concerning repercussions for both the state and its citizens, creating real impediments to the rule of law and meaningful access to justice. 

The scope of legal aid systems across the world varies. As legal aid is a crucial vehicle by which the fundamental protection of human rights may be guaranteed, and the availability of legal aid is inextricably linked to access to justice, it is the responsibility of governments to guarantee that legal aid systems ensure that this protection is practical and effective, including the provision of adequate funding. This session will explore, through a number of case studies, the consequences of failing to invest in a country’s justice system and the response of the legal profession in safeguarding access to justice and the rule of law.