Conference programme

Exploring parental, civil, criminal, and social liability for the acts for offspring. How far does parental responsibility extend? We will discuss bullying, acts of violence, online radicalisation, honour killings and more.

This session will explore the consequences and implications of an attack on the judiciary with regard to direct investments and free trade agreements.

Maritime industry is being regulated in compact against climate change, but how does climate change effect the existing legal concepts (e.g. force majeure) or the possibility to get insurance coverage. This session will explore this. 

The panel would explore the various misconducts against corporate know-how, such as external/cyber attacks, data theft by employees or industrial espionage, and the best practices for every criminal counsel when facing such cases.

As the use of AI in the preparation and conduct of litigation expands, the need to identify gaps in foundational skills and the emergence of new ones has taken on greater importance. Who better than judges to provide their unique perspective on the needs of the future of litigation and advocacy and the role AI will increasingly play. This session will explore how educational institutions and the practising profession can respond to the rapidly evolving landscape to fill existing gaps and, importantly, train lawyers in the new skill sets that will be required. 

Panellists will review the latest developments in the renegotiation of CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement - USMCA), consider the implications of these negotiations, and reflect on any lessons learned from recent agreements.

The panel will explore the evolving landscape of financing structures for mega construction projects. With rising costs, shifting regulations, and growing sustainability requirements, financing models are becoming more innovative and diverse. This session will cover traditional funding methods as well as emerging trends, such as green financing, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and project-specific bonds. Panelists will also address the challenges in securing financing for large-scale projects, the implications of different financing models on risk allocation, and the impact of evolving market conditions on capital availability.

With major international law firm mergers dominating the headlines, questions continue to arise in both the business and regulatory space. What are the benefits of integration vs alliance? How do firms address regulatory issues where one jurisdiction permits alternative business structures and others don't? Are there regional or international trends emerging? This panel will explore "what to think of when thinking of a law firm merger" in light of these challenges. 

Deal certainty is paramount to buyers and sellers in M&A transactions, although each party’s interest in preserving a deal may nonetheless diverge in the context of locking up a deal in the face of a competing bid.
 
This session will explore the extent to which buyers can lock-up a transaction in various geographies, and the obligations and limitations on a target board as fiduciaries under applicable law. 
We will explore how parties seek to lock-up transactions and compare what is market for lock-up related terms around the globe, including go-shop provisions, voting and support agreements, match rights, fiduciary out provisions and termination fees.

In this session, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities private companies and entrepreneurs face as they launch businesses in a country that is not their homeland, and expand internationally amidst increasing geopolitical complexities. In a context of global order shifts, companies and entrepreneurs must navigate rising tensions between major powers, evolving trade policies, nationalistic policies, and the implications of economic sanctions. Panellists will discuss how businesses can adapt to these changes, from restructuring supply chains to managing risks tied to political instability. Attendees will gain insights into the strategies companies may employ to safeguard their global ambitions in uncertain times.

Key discussion points will include:

• The growing importance of understanding regulatory environments and compliance standards in foreign markets;
• the role of government relations;
• risk assessment in an uncertain environment;
• the importance of building resilient operations across multiple regions;
• the future of globalisation, considering how trends like de-globalisation and regionalisation may impact private companies' expansion strategies.

Government and public lawyers are usually subject to the same ethical rules as private practitioners. However, government and public lawyers face conflicting duties, and their obligations as lawyers can clash with their obligations as civil servants. So, there are some unique challenges for government and public lawyers who must navigate their professional obligations, national laws and public sector codes. 

The global trend toward including psychosocial risks in EHS laws reflects a growing awareness of the importance of mental health in the workplace. By learning from high-profile cases and adopting proactive risk management strategies, organisations can create safer and healthier work environments for all employees.

This panel will discuss considerations for inbound investments into Canadian resource companies, challenges associated with Canada’s foreign affiliate dumping regime, repatriation strategies and Canada’s unique flow-through share financing regime for early stage capital.

This very dynamic and well-attended session enables you to select from a menu of hot topics in the IP, communications, media and technology sectors and participate in roundtable discussions.

Topics of current interest are selected to stimulate a lively debate. Moderators on each table introduce the table topic, and the participants do the rest. Background knowledge or experience within areas for discussion is not required. Our menu will include hot and 'late breaking' topics in the areas of intellectual property law, internet law and mobile technologies, privacy and data protection, technology contracting and dispute resolution, arts law, media and space law.

Discussion is usually around the interface of law, business, technology and culture, with a global focus. Many topics for discussion are often the subject of considerable public and media interest. In participating in the table topics you will gain a deeper insight into these areas and be able to add your own comments.

The format is interactive networking. The session will provide you with a great opportunity to meet many other lawyers and to discuss topics of mutual interest with them: don't forget your business cards, ecards and contact details to share. We welcome new participants in these discussions.

Rotations

We will start with a brief introduction and have 3 rotations of 45 minutes each, with a break of 5 minutes between each rotation for people to wrap up discussions.

Session Co-Chairs: Eileen O’Gorman, Elisa Henry

The following topics will be discussed during the session, with the help of the respective moderators identified for each topic:

Topic 1:

The battle of IP

Which IP right - trademark, patent, copyright or design - gives you the best licensing play?

Table moderators: Camille Aubin, Sebastien Heim, Kelley Loo

Topic 2:

Look-alike products: are brand owners making a comeback?

This topic will cover some recent cases in several jurisdictions, including the recent UK cases of Thatcher’s v Aldi, Marks & Spencer v Aldi, and the Australian case of Hampden v Aldi, where brand owners have successfully used IP rights to stop look-alike and dupe products.

Table moderators: Hanna Tilus, Andrew Lustigman, Rebecca Dunn

Topic 3:

Geopolitical tensions and IP: from sanctions to technology transfer controls

A discussion on how trade restrictions, sanctions, and national security concerns impact IP strategy, licensing, and cross-border enforcement worldwide.

Table moderators: Sarah Drukarch, Jeffrey L Costellia

Topic 4:

Litigation funds in IP-contentious landscapes

High stakes patent litigation is particularly expensive, even when compared to other types of IP litigation. These cases rely heavily on expert evidence, which adds significant expense to legal fees. This is particularly true in the Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions, where recent data suggests that one-third of patent litigations are funded through third-party financing. Third-party financing will likely become more popular for patent litigation in Europe as well, given the expense of litigating UPC cases and the potential for jackpots arising out of pan-European damages assessments. It is increasingly popular for certain types of copyrights cases and could be of interest in class-action suits.

The experienced moderators will explore the status and prevalence of IP litigation financing in different jurisdictions, drawing on the experience of the participants who will share their experiences and insights. We will address ethical issues for lawyers, the impact financing can have on discovery, and whether it can affect valuations of patents by the courts, the impact it can have on determining who the true party with an interest in the litigation is, witness bias issues and regulatory frameworks, potential for abuse, among many other issues.

Table moderators: Francesca Ferrero, Bob Sotiriadis, Eduardo Arana Ramirez

Topic 5:

Jurisdiction without borders - cross-border IP litigation. Examining the long arm of European courts - the Electrolux effect

In this topic we will discuss the evolving reach of European courts in cross-border disputes, with a focus on recent long-arm jurisdiction rulings such as the Electrolux case and their implications for global litigants.

Table moderators: Özge Atılgan Karakulak, Ping Gu

Topic 6:

The future of lawyering: AI, innovation, and being human

The future of the legal profession isn’t just about AI, it’s about everything changing around it. From the rise of legal automation to shifting client demands, new service models, regulatory reforms, and the increasing importance of lawyer well-being, lawyering is being redefined from every angle.

This roundtable seeks to bring together lawyers across practice areas to discuss how we adapt to new tools, but also how we rethink our role as trusted advisors, ethical actors, and strategic thinkers in a constantly evolving world. What skills will tomorrow’s lawyers need? How do we deliver value in new ways? And how do we stay true to the core of our profession—even as everything around us changes?

Table moderators: Paulina Silva, Stefan Weidert

Topic 7:

Weaponising AI: legal challenges in defence and human rights protection

As defence sectors increasingly adopt artificial intelligence for surveillance, autonomous systems, and combat operations, legal frameworks are struggling to keep pace. This panel examines the critical legal questions surrounding the weaponisation of AI, including compliance with international humanitarian law, state responsibility for autonomous actions, and the protection of fundamental human rights during armed conflict. Legal experts will discuss the accountability in AI-enabled warfare, the challenges of enforcing human oversight, and the urgent need for frameworks and treaties to regulate emerging military technologies.

Table moderators: Doil Son, Nazar Chernyavsky

Topic 8:

Training and using gen-AI Models: intersections between the AI Act, intellectual property rights, and personal data protection

This table will discuss how the AI Act mandates transparency in AI systems, the potential for AI to be used in creating counterfeit products, and the risks of personal data breaches associated with AI technologies. The session aims to provide insights into the legal and regulatory challenges posed by these issues and offer strategies for mitigating associated risks.

Table moderators: Raphael Dana, Alexandra Neri, Simone Lahorgue Nunes, Marlene Schreiber

Topic 9:

Two-in-one: unlocking AI compliance through existing laws

In this roundtable, we'll explore internal compliance policies which regulate the use of AI. We will discuss how non-AI-specific laws, like data protection, cybersecurity, or medical device legislation can be leveraged to address AI Act compliance and broader AI use issues. By identifying synergies between existing risk assessments (e.g., DPIAs, cybersecurity, or medical device evaluations) and AI Act requirements, we'll demonstrate how to streamline compliance and deliver business value.

Table moderators: Yuval Horn, Elisabeth Vestin, Hannah Mugler

Topic 10:
EU Data Act – user rights to machine data

The EU Data Act marks a paradigm shift in how data from connected products and machines is handled. Starting in September 2025, all data generated during the use of a connected product, whether personal or non-personal, will belong to the user. OEMs will no longer have unrestricted access to this data. Instead, they must obtain explicit permission from users, typically in the form of a data-sharing agreement. This is not another data protection law. The Data Act aims to unlock the value of machine-generated data as a non-rivalrous asset, promoting innovation, competition, and the development of new business models. It is particularly aimed at the B2B-sector.

Topics for discussion: 

• How can OEMs adapt to the new legal landscape? 
• What new business models could emerge under the Data Act? 
• How can users exercise their new rights to access data? 
• Cloud switching made easy – what are the new rules?

Table moderators: Martin Schirmbacher, Marc Hilber

Topic 11:
AI-generated content labelling

This panel will discuss AI-generated content labelling, focusing on the regulatory approaches taken by China, the EU, and the US. It will foster a broader discussion on how other jurisdictions might address this issue, providing insights into the legal and regulatory challenges and offering strategies for mitigating associated risks.

Table moderators: Florencia Rosati, Erik Valgaeren, Sharon R. Klein 

Topic 12:
Platform vs sovereign states: who’s the boss for communications infrastructure?

PENDING DESCRIPTION

Table moderators: Pascal Dutru, Christopher Millard, Kensuke Inoue

Topic 13:

What works best? Different approaches to regulating digital platforms across the globe

This roundtable will discuss the different approaches to regulating digital platforms that have been taken in different jurisdictions around the world.  Topics will focus on whether sector specific regulation such as the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is necessary and whether it has the intended effects, or whether other laws, such as existing competition and consumer protection laws, are adequate to address market failures or consumer harms. Another area for debate will be whether regulatory focus should be on areas such as AI or the protection of minors, and how digital platforms regulation, if required at all, may be future proofed to address rapidly evolving technologies.

Table moderators: Innocenzo Genna, Violetta Kunze, Angela Flannery

Topic 14:
Mission: impossible – regulating truth without censorship

The topic will explore the legal tools used by countries use to regulate truth-telling in the media as well as the line to be drawn between demanding reliable and responsible reporting of the news and imposing censorship.

Table moderators: Gaurav G. Arora, Robert Balin, Dr. Anna Beke-Martos, Rajesh Sreenivasan

Topic 15:
The use of AI in art authentication and art appraisals

This table will discuss copyright protection of art created with AI.

Table moderators: Amelia Brankov, Massimo Sterpi

Topic 16:
IP rights in space / The use of AI in space / Militarisation of space 

PENDING DESCRIPTION

Table moderators: Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante, Luca Iaboni, Paul Monaghan
 

The annual hot topics discussion of the International Commerce, Trade, Franchising and Product Law Section, where we will discuss all the latest and ongoing issues in the world of international commerce, trade, and product law, in a roundtable format,

Topic 1:

Navigating the shifting landscape: global trends and enforcement in economic sanctions and export controls

This session will explore the rapidly evolving regulatory environment surrounding economic sanctions and export controls, with a focus on the growing complexity of multilateral regimes, divergent national approaches, and heightened enforcement activity. Key topics will include the extraterritorial reach of U.S. and EU sanctions, the impact of geopolitical conflicts, emerging technologies, and corporate compliance strategies to mitigate legal and reputational risk in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

Table moderators: Sophie Gabillot, Christophe Rapin,

Topic 2:

Trump tariffs and new trade deals

Exploring new trade deals like EU–Mercosur and UK-USA

Table moderators: Horacio A Lopez-Portillo, Riccardo Giorgio Cajola, Dalton James Albrecht

Topic 3:

Navigating the impact of the tariff war on commercial contracts

The “tariff war”, whereby tariffs are imposed by the US on different countries and whereby some countries have also imposed tariffs on the US, brings uncertainty to commercial contracts especially as the tariffs are changing by the day. It would be interesting to discuss the impact hereof on the supply chain, including how the changing tariff burden should be allocated in new contracts (e.g. via “unforeseen circumstances or change in law” clauses, via “MAE clauses”, “force majeure” etc.) and how to deal with the changing tariff burden in already existing contracts.

Table moderators: Giovanna Giacchero, Andrara Tiru, Martin Abadi

Topic 4:

Agentic AI transforming the practice of law

Agentic AI refers to advanced systems capable of autonomously performing tasks, making decisions, and interacting with environments beyond their initial programming. As businesses integrate agentic AI into product strategies and navigate new EU AI law requirements, understanding its practical uses is crucial. In the legal sector, agentic AI can automate document review, legal research, contract analysis, and predictive analytics, allowing lawyers to focus on higher-value work. However, its adoption raises challenges and ethical considerations. This roundtable aims to provide insights, share experiences, and offer practical guidance for effectively integrating agentic AI into legal workflows, highlighting its transformative potential.

Table moderators: Talha Salaria, Peter Wagner, Dietmar Huemer

Topic 5:

Best practices for handling customer data and cybersecurity measures in franchise and distribution systems

All franchise and distribution systems must prioritise the secure handling of customer data. This roundtable will examine protocols to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, including secure storage, encrypted transmission, and regular security updates. We will discuss routine audits to identify vulnerabilities and review compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR. The session will also address cybersecurity measures such as defending against malware, phishing, and ransomware, implementing multi-factor authentication, and maintaining regular data backups. Finally, we will explore the importance of a robust incident response plan to effectively manage and mitigate potential data breaches or security incidents.

Table moderators: Dagmar Waldzus, Arthur L. Pressman

Topic 6:

Managing brand reputational risk arising from political or social controversy

Brands today face heightened risks from political and social controversies due to increased connectivity and rapid information sharing. This roundtable will focus on strategies for managing and mitigating these challenges, emphasising the importance of protecting brand reputation. Participants will examine real-world case studies, exchange best practices, and discuss proactive steps to address potential issues before they escalate. The session will also cover how to respond effectively when controversies arise, ensuring clear communication and maintaining stakeholder trust. By sharing insights and practical approaches, the roundtable aims to equip brands with the tools needed to navigate complex social and political landscapes.

Table moderators: Silvia Bortolotti, Alan R Greenfield

Topic 7:

Will the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause remain in effect amid US efforts to dismantle it?

The US has advocated for the removal of the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) clause in certain trade agreements. Recent free trade agreements indicate that MFN treatment is no longer automatically extended to other nations but is instead limited to the specific terms of each agreement. What does this shift mean for the future of global trade rules?

Table moderators: Martin Ibarra, Rene Medrado

Topic 8:

The future of cross-border e-commerce trade regulations

With the De Minimis scheme ending between the EU and the US in July 2024, and escalating regulatory scrutiny on Chinese shipments, the US introduced a major change on May 14, 2025: shipments valued at 800 USD or less from China and Hong Kong are now subject to a 54% tariff, with a fixed charge of 100 USD remaining in place — what are the implications for global parcel trade? At present, parcels account for approximately 20% of global trade, with shipments from China to the US alone valued at US 66 billion USD per year. How will these regulatory changes impact international e-commerce?

Table moderators: Yves Melin, Emilio Arteaga

Topic 9:

Challenges of product recalls and crisis management in global markets

Managing product recalls in an international context involves complex legal, logistical, and reputational challenges. This round table will focus on best practices and legal considerations for global recall strategies.

Key discussion points will include:

• cross-border coordination - harmonising recall procedures across jurisdictions with differing rules and timelines;

• legal Obligations and notification requirements - understanding mandatory reporting to authorities and consumers in various markets;

• risk mitigation and liability exposure - balancing transparency with limiting legal exposure and reputational damage;

• consumer communication and trust rebuilding - strategies for effective communication during recalls to maintain brand reputation.

Table moderators: Daniele Ferretti, Edona Vila

There is an erosion of LGBTQIA+ rights and equality in both law and practice around the world. A global wave of discriminatory anti-LQBTQIA+ laws and policies have targeted and persecuted LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities, from criminalising LGBTQIA+ persons; to restricting freedom of assembly and association; to hindering access to healthcare and education. As a result, LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face disproportionate risks of violence, stigma, and discrimination based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This session will explore the historical and political context of the increasing criminalisation, examine the rise of populist governments attacking LGBTQIA+ persons, and call on the international community to resist the attacks against recent advances in LGBTQIA+ equality worldwide. 

An open meeting of the Forum for Government and Public Lawyers Committee where committee members and those interested in joining the committee, are invited to learn more about the extensive activities of the committee, provide feedback and collaborate about new ideas and initiatives 

This session will explore the divestment and acquisition of oil and gas assest in the industry, including the key challenges and opportunities faced by oil and gas lawyers.

How are counsel advising businesses to ensure compliance with an ever-changing context, with antitrust laws constantly evolving, with regulatory and/or political changes affecting antitrust enforcement in different jurisdictions, as well as the increase in the introduction and sophistication of different technologies, creation and management of documents (including ephemeral communications platforms), and legal privilege issues.

An overview of global governance approaches to the regulation of cultured meat.