The net zero challenge and road to COP28: Candid conversations with legal counsel

Lara Douvartzidis is an Australian qualified lawyer working in the Legal Policy and Research Unit at the IBA. As a Project Lawyer in the LPRU, she leads projects in environment, climate and business and human rights law and is the Delegate Lead for UNFCCC and COP engagement. She is also an Associate Fellow with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law. Prior to joining the IBA she practiced in Sydney as a solicitor and Pro Bono coordinator at Johnson Winter & Slattery and at Australia’s Public Interest Advocacy Centre. During her time in private practice, she advised and acted for corporate and pro bono clients with expertise in environment and planning law, dispute resolution and class actions, ESG and modern slavery law obligations and transitional issues faced by clients in these emerging areas. She is passionate about strategic climate litigation trends, First Nations justice, just transitions, and ESG related risk management and compliance. She served as the Associate to the Honourable Chief Justice Kourakis of the Supreme Court of South Australia. She holds an Advanced Masters in European and International Human Rights Law (Ad. LLM) from Leiden University in The Netherlands and a double degree in Law (LLB) and Environmental Policy and Management (BEnvs) from the University of Adelaide, South Australia. She was listed as an Australasian Rising Star in 2021, a Finalist in the Australian Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards for Planning, Native Title and Environment Law in 2021, and a Finalist in the Women in Law Awards for Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in 2020 and 2021. Lara co-chairs the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights Business and Human Rights sub-committee with Dr Natalia Szablewska. Together they assist businesses and civil society in improving the implementation of human rights principles and meaningfully contribute to the development of modern slavery laws in Australia.

UK qualified employment lawyer and IAPP Certified Data Privacy Professional (Europe) with over 17 years’ experience (10 years in private practice, before joining Accenture in 2016). Has worked in the UK, Germany, Middle East and South Africa. Currently leads Employment Law across Growth Markets for Accenture. As part of role, also works as an investigator within Accenture’s Conduct Counts Matters team, addressing conduct related matters in the workplace across EMEA and is part of a team focused on strategic employment law initiatives, including Accenture’s COVID response and the Future of Work. Partners with Accenture’s HR organisations on Employee Experience. Passionate Inclusion & Diversity and ESG Advocate: speaking on external panels in the MEA region, Inclusion & Diversity Lead for Accenture’s Corporate Functions in Middle East and part of Global Legal I&D Committee at Accenture, identifying and implementing ways to increase diversity within the business globally. Elected Board director for the Association of Corporate Counsel’s MENA Chapter, Co-chairing Employment Law and ESG working groups. Winner of LexisNexis Legal Counsel of the Year Middle East 2022. Fluent in English, working knowledge of German and currently learning Arabic.

Layla El-Wafi is Senior Legal Counsel at Standard Chartered Bank based in the Dubai International Financial Centre’s Middle East Legal Team. Layla advises on a range of transactions in the MENA/GCC region including the setting up of new branches, sustainable finance, outsourcing and commercial contracts. Layla participates on various country governance management and risk forums and has served as a Global D&I Champion and UAE SDG Champion. Layla also advises on environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration and compliance issues including matters related to sustainability, climate risk, data privacy, D&I and human rights in business. The Bank’s Middle East Legal team has won the IFLR Middle East Awards for Best ESG In-House and Best Net Zero Transition Team consecutively in the last 2 years recognizing the ESG contributions of the ME Legal team. Before joining the bank Layla previously worked with international law firm Addleshaw Goddard in London and Muscat, Oman. Prior to her legal career she worked with various international development and human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Women for Women International and UNICEF in London, NYC, Baghdad, and Tripoli. Layla is bi-lingual (Arabic) is actively engaged in community service, mentoring and sharing her passion for yoga and spoken word art.