This aviation roundtable is being led by industry experts and will cover global trends in aviation (including upheavals, black swans and the Russia fallout), repercussions to the industry and developments in finance and leasing laws.

Taxpayer visibility is becoming more transparent as it is easier for authorities to obtain as well as combine data about the interaction between multiple parties, be it within a corporate group or among third parties, by new technologies, including AI and larger storage volumes. This panel will discuss and analyze the role the legal profession plays in this tech supported game and the extent to which the meaning and scope of legal privilege has evolved.

Our hot topics round tables are designed to be interactive and will host a series of tables where we will discuss ‘late breaking’ topics in the areas of international commerce, trade, franchising and product law. The topics are selected to be of current interest and likely to stimulate discussion and debate. Moderators at each table introduce and briefly discuss the table topic and then participants weigh in with their views.

Furthermore, the panel will tackle how Saudi lawyers are trained and the legal profession is regulated including through the Saudi Bar Association, and the route to becoming a lawyer in the KSA. We’ll thus also cover the key legal players in KSA and in the region. The panel will then turn to discussing the various sources of legislation in the Saudi legal system, including Shariah and the influence of civil and common laws, as well as how the Saudi judiciary actually works. At last, there will be a lot to say about the 2012 Enforcement and Arbitration Laws and the rising Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA).

Tracing digital assets can be challenging to the insolvency and credit enforcement practitioner. In cross-border situations, asset tracing is even more challenging because each jurisdiction has its own source of laws, information and tools that must be understood by the insolvency practitioner or representative. UNCITRAL Working Group V has started a project which may provide recommendations and the European Union is considering developing an instrument regarding asset tracing.

Product liability in the 21st century - EU, US and elsewhere: Potential impacts on product liability due to the changes of the legal framework.

The session provides a perspective on a number of normative and policy issues pertaining to product liability, in particular, but not limited to, 

•    achievement of the current product liability system’s stated goal of restituting injured parties;
•    incentivisation to produce safe products;
•    raising the level of product safety;
•    balancing the need for improved product safety and the need for new products;
•    dealing with the cost of litigation, in particular, costs associated with mass torts; and
•    last, but not least, limiting the side effects of enormous judgments in isolated cases.

The session will also take a look at efforts to better regulate the often conflicting or at least competing objectives of the manufacturers on one hand and the safety expectations of the injured parties.

This session will be a comparative study in recent legal developments and advancement in the rights of transgendered people across the Americas.

The objective of the session is to discuss how multinational electronic platforms such as Uber and AirBnB are being held liable or not liable for similar actions in different jurisdictions. The panel will try to answer the question about the existence of a single or multiple principles guiding lawmakers and courts around the globe in regard with accountability of electronic platforms for their wrongdoings.

A panel discussion on the opportunities and pitfalls faced by a buyer in making an offer in a pre-pack sale. This session will cover practical aspects to be considered by the buyer, such as valuation, pricing, employees and insolvency procedural issues depending on the jurisdiction.

The session will look at how these issues can arise, including supply chain issues, fraudulent disclosure and climate control.

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS sessions marked as such are part of the IBA Annual Conference 2022 sustainability focus on Tuesday and Thursday, grouping sessions discussing different aspects of ESG and sustainability across the different legal fields.

What role does pro bono play in African countries in providing free legal services to the poor and underserved? Are law firms the dominant providers of pro bono legal services, or are they trailing behind the services provided by state-sponsored and non-governmental mechanisms; and if so, what are the reasons?

Two of the global fundamental rights are privacy and freedom of expression. The ability of the law to keep pace with technological developments is being challenged. Years ago, an invasion of privacy that appeared in print in a local area could be more easily contained and remedied than today, when a violation of one’s privacy can go “viral” and circulate for years on the Internet.

An open meeting of the Closely Held and Growing Business Enterprises Committee held to discuss matters of interest and future activities.

New asset classes, like crypto currencies and non-fungible tokens, have been created. Can old law apply to such new asset classes? This panel will explain how tax laws of the brick-and-mortar time are being applied to transactions in the blockchain and crypto world and, where available, which new laws or guidelines have been enacted to address the ever-changing universe of the internet, soon potentially a meta-verse.

An open meeting of the Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee held to discuss matters of interest and future activities.

The IBA has engaged on a project with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) to produce unique research of the principle through a comparative analysis of how the non-punishment principle is applied in law and practice across different jurisdictions. The session will look at how the principle is applied across different jurisdictions, and will discuss recommendations to improve the legislative provision and practical implementation, including through due diligence laws imposed on corporates. It will also reference a pilot program to train lawyers and law enforcement personnel on the principle of non-punishment and ancillary matters and the creation of a dedicated online platform on the IBA/BIICL websites which will contain which will host videos, podcasts and web links to interviews with experts and practitioners from NGOs, international organisations and multi-stakeholder initiatives accessible to the public, as well as to legal professionals.

SustainabilityFocusRecent years have seen a record number of severe hurricanes and cyclones, firestorms, and other catastrophic events tied to climate change. This session will gather leading insurance professionals to discuss the implications of climate change and increasing catastrophes on insurance industry.

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS sessions marked as such are part of the IBA Annual Conference 2022 sustainability focus on Tuesday and Thursday, grouping sessions discussing different aspects of ESG and sustainability across the different legal fields.

The following questions that are worth addressing in a Red Flag DD on a real estate transaction will be addressed in an interactive way:

• Are there any restrictions for foreign companies to buy commercial properties in your jurisdiction?
• In which ways has ESG had an influence on real estate transactions in your jurisdiction? (Inspiration: Green Washing, EU-Taxonomy, W&I)
• Which are the most attractive ways to finance commercial real estate investments? Does ESG have an impact on the this?
• Which are the most significant caveats at real estate share deals/asset deals in your jurisdiction? (Tax, others?)
• Has the COVID pandemic had an impact on the real estate market in your jurisdiction? (force majeure clauses, increased risk of tenant bankruptcies/restructuring or other clauses to watch for in the DD-process)
• How much of lawyer’s work is substituted by artificial intelligence ?
• How will we work when we will be again completely free to move around (travelling as before, home office, others?)