Publications for European Regional Forum
IBA European Regional Forum Northern Region Retreat in Vilnius: a gathering of insight, energy and connection
In October, members of the Forum’s Northern Region convened in the heart of Vilnius, Lithuania, for a regional retreat that blended rich professional content with the warmth of reconnecting in person. Set against the backdrop of Vilnius’ vibrant Old Town and hosted with immense care by Lithuanian colleagues – Ruta Karpiciute from ELLEX Valiunas and Dziuginta Balciune from WIDEN – the retreat offered participants both inspiration and space to reflect on shared goals for the year ahead.
Released on Dec 11, 2025
The IBA Annual Conference 2025: my experience as a European Regional Forum scholar
Roberto Cima's report of the IBA Annual Conference 2025 gives an insightful look into the event from his perspective as an European Regional Forum scholar. Looking to engage with the legal profession at a global level, Cima attended a variety of talks and networked with professionals from around the world, allowing him to connect his experience as an international student to his role as a lawyer today.
Released on Dec 11, 2025
Deepfakes – can the AI Act protect Europe?
At the IBA Annual Conference in Toronto, experts in AI policy, synthetic media and digital forensics examined a straightforward but uncomfortable question: ‘Deepfakes – can the AI Act protect Europe?’ The short answer is: not yet, and not on its own.
Released on Dec 11, 2025
Rebuilding Ukraine – opportunities for lawyers and their clients
A thought-provoking session titled ‘Rebuilding Ukraine – opportunities for lawyers and their clients’ took place at the recent IBA Annual Conference in Toronto. Lasting over an hour, the session explored how the international legal community can play a pivotal role in shaping Ukraine’s legal system and supporting its sustainable post-war recovery.
Released on Dec 11, 2025
How to score in football’s World Cup host countries
An engaging and dynamic panel took place at this year’s Annual Conference, titled ‘How to score in football’s World Cup host countries’. The session was organised jointly by all six IBA regional fora: African, Arab, Asia Pacific, European, Latin American and North American. This produced a rare and enriching collaboration among the Association’s global divisions.
Released on Dec 11, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Aniko Keller
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Diversity and Inclusion Group Vice Chair, Aniko Keller
Released on Oct 21, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Zoya Todorova
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Mental Wellbeing Group Chair, Zoya Todorova.
Released on Sep 25, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Safak Herdem
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Turkey, Safak Herdem
Released on Sep 9, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Francois Barre
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Councill Member for France, Francois Barre.
Released on Aug 4, 2025
A seminar in Milan on shaping the future of venture capital: the IBA White Paper on pan-European model clauses for Series A investments
On 21 May 2025, Milan became the focal point for the European venture capital community as Portolano Cavallo, led by Antonia Verna, hosted a landmark seminar dedicated to the presentation of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Lean Documents Project and its accompanying White Paper. This article provides a summary of the seminar.
Released on Jul 22, 2025
IBA European Fashion and Luxury Law Conference 2025: London edition sets the stage for industry innovation
The International Bar Association’s (IBA) European Regional Forum brought the global fashion and luxury law community together in London for the 2025 edition of its highly anticipated European Fashion and Luxury Law Conference. Held on 15–16 May at the iconic OXO2 venue, the event drew over 100 attendees, including leading legal professionals, in-house counsel and industry experts, all eager to explore the latest legal and commercial trends shaping the fashion and luxury sectors. This article provides an overview of the conference.
Released on Jul 22, 2025
The 22nd IBA Annual International Mergers & Acquisitions Conference: a European perspective
Unlike the 13th IBA European Corporate and Private Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Conference held in Paris in February, the IBA’s M&A conference held in June in New York attracts more lawyers from the Americas. Bringing together leading dealmakers, lawyers and leaders from across the globe, this is a landmark event that provides an opportunity to engage with lawyers from South, Latin and North America. This article provides an overview of the conference from a European perspective.
Released on Jul 22, 2025
Highlights from the 11th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference, 11–13 June, Boston
From 11–13 June, leading legal experts in life sciences and healthcare convened at the Ritz-Carlton, Boston, for the 11th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference. The event, co-hosted by the IBA Intellectual Property and Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Committees, brought together regulators, corporate counsel, private practitioners and academics to address the most pressing developments at the intersection of law, innovation and global health. This articles considers the key themes and panel highlights of the conference.
Released on Jul 22, 2025
Back to the future: a recap of the 9th IBA Global Entrepreneurship Conference
In celebration of ten years of global entrepreneurship, over 200 delegates gathered in Milan for the 9th IBA Global Entrepreneurship Conference, from 18–20 May 2025, to reflect on what we can learn from the past ten years and how we can use these lessons to prepare for the challenges of the next decade. This article recaps the subjects discussed at the conference.
Released on Jul 22, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Dziuginta Balciune
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Lithuania, Dziuginta Balciune.
Released on Jul 20, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Lana Vukmirović Mišić
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Vice Chair for South East Regional Group, Lana Vukmirović Mišić.
Released on Jul 14, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Lilli Parbo
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Finland, Lilli Parbo.
Released on Jun 3, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Alessandro Barzaghi
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Italy, Alessandro Barzaghi.
Released on May 28, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Julie Book
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for England, Julie Book.
Released on May 15, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Annalise Papa
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Treasurer, Annalise Papa.
Released on May 12, 2025
Getting to know the ERF – Caterina Iodice
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for England, Caterina Iodice.
Released on Apr 28, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Petros Fragkiskos
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Greece, Petros Fragkiskos.
Released on Apr 28, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Birgitta Van Itterbeek
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Belgium, Birgitta Van Itterbeek.
Released on Apr 27, 2025
IBA Real Estate Section’s 15th Real Estate Investments Conference, London, 4–6 June 2025
The back-and-forth on trade tariffs stirs up financial markets and deepens recession fears around the world. But what does a looming trade war mean for real estate? At this year’s real estate investment conference in London, Jennet Siebrits, who heads Global Commercial Real Estate Services’ (CBRE) UK market research team, shares her insights into what might be ahead of us. It is a long-standing tradition for the real estate investment conference to start with a macro-economic and geo-political outlook. The conference, organised by the IBA Real Estate Section and supported by the European Regional Forum (ERF), is being held for the 15th time in London this year.
Released on Apr 23, 2025
Report from the IBA Automotive and Mobility Services Conference
We were happy to see 110 participants in Munich on 27 March, in the unique location of Upside East for a day of discussions concerning the very challenging times that the automotive industry is now facing. Attendees had a chance to ease into the conference at the welcome cocktail which took place the evening before and it was good to see many familiar faces showing that the conference is becoming a familiar item on the IBA calendar.
Released on Apr 23, 2025
The IBA ERF’s ‘Big Retreat’ 2025 from an officer’s perspective
This year brought a slight change in how we approached our Big Retreat. The Officers’ Retreat and the Council Members’ Retreat were joined into a single event which took place in Budapest at the start of March 2025. Our Senior Vice Chair, Viktória Szilágyi from Lakatos Köves and Partners, carried out the work as this year’s gracious host and needed to accommodate such a large crowd with a full schedule. She certainly lived up to it!
Released on Apr 23, 2025
Reflections on the IBA European Regional Forum Retreat in Budapest
Arriving in Budapest, I was excited to join my first IBA European Regional Forum (ERF) retreat as a council member. Bringing together over 50 officers, council members and Advisory Board members, this was a great (and slightly daunting!) opportunity to immerse myself in the ERF and find out more about their current and upcoming projects.
Released on Apr 23, 2025
IBA 5th European Automotive and Mobility Services Conference, Munich – a family meeting of the IBA’s automotive community
The 5th European Automotive and Mobility Services Conference, held on 26–27 March 2025, at Upside East in Munich, Germany, brought together industry leaders, experts and stakeholders to address the pressing challenges and opportunities within the automotive and mobility services sector. The conference provided a platform for in-depth discussions on supply chain issues, the transition to electric vehicles, the role of artificial intelligence and the evolving regulatory frameworks impacting the automotive industry.
Released on Apr 23, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF – Martin Provaznik
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Communications Group Chair, Martin Provaznik.
Released on Apr 21, 2025
Getting to Know the ERF- Tomás Pessanha
Get to know the European Regional Forum’s Council Member for Portugal, Tomás Pessanha.
Released on Apr 14, 2025