Conference programme

The panel will explore the unique aspects of financing mining transactions in various jurisdictions, including lenders’ due diligence, collateral requirements, and other appropriate contractual protections in loan agreements.

This panel will discuss Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disputes and the role that the burden of proof plays in these disputes.

This panel will discuss various trade agreements such as European Union- United Kingdom (Trade & Cooperation Agreement), ⁠Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Mercosur, ⁠bilateral treaties, as well as the impact on business immigration policies, employer sponsorship and mobility provisions, challenges and opportunities for businesses, and future trends in trade and immigration law.

This panel will discuss alternative means of settling disputes with tax authorities, whether before the issuance of an assessment or via non-judicial proceedings including International Compliance Assurance Programme (ICAP), Mutual Agreement Procedures (MAP) and various treaty arbitration procedures.

Emerging GenAI applications present promising uses for both financial institutions and their legal advisers. The panel will explore the most promising use cases for transactional, regulatory compliance, and credit risk work. The panel will also explore the risks inherent in GenAI, the do’s and dont’s, data related policy issues, and risk guardrails that are necessary. 

A discussion of the legal issues relating to concepts of nonbinary identity as viewed through the eyes of indigenous cultures around the world.

Biodiversity and nature-related risks are increasingly recognised as material risks and opportunities for companies and their directors alike. Moreover, global and regional legal frameworks to disclose biodiversity-related risks are emerging and nature-related litigation is on the rise in many jurisdictions. This session explores these trends, and how lawyers can help clients stay ahead of the regulatory curve.

A discussion on the global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights involving business activity.

This panel will offer an in-depth examination and review of cannabis legalisation across North America.

This panel will explore one of the most complex and contentious issues in climate litigation: establishing a causal link between specific greenhouse gas emissions and the damages caused by climate change. As courts grapple with holding corporations, governments, and other entities accountable for environmental harm, proving direct causation remains a major legal hurdle. The discussion will be about how courts worldwide are addressing this challenge, the role of scientific evidence in tracing emissions to concrete impacts, and the potential evolution of legal standards in this field. Experts in environmental law, climate science, and international litigation will contribute insights to this pressing global issue.

This session will examine the Credit Suisse case study.

This session will look at the intersection of intellectual property (IP) rights, contractual obligations and creative talent management.

This session will discuss the different aspects of leadership and what skills are needed in a leadership position.

This panel will cover insurances coverages related to the aviation industry,  including financial leases, war risks, etc.  

In an increasingly globalised legal profession, the appetite for dual-qualification has never been greater. This session will explore issues like employability, market perspectives and challenges from the viewpoint of law firms, lawyers and legal educators. 

This session will be about issues around judicial appointments. 

Legal actions and threatened legal actions are increasingly used against journalists and media organisations to attempt to silence their reporting and stop their work. SLAPPs (‘Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation’) are typically brought by powerful individuals or corporations with the intention of harassing, intimidating, and financially or psychologically exhausting opponents via improper use of the legal system, and evading scrutiny in the public interest. They are often framed as defamation cases brought by wealthy individuals against investigative journalists, writers and publishers. SLAPPs undermine freedom of speech and the rule of law.

This expert panel will examine the growing global trends in the use of SLAPPs, and efforts to tackle them (including anti-SLAPP laws in the USA, Canada and Europe).

This panel, comprising of practitioners and experts, will delve into the multifaceted and often controversial role of expert witnesses in common law and civil law jurisdictions. Topics covered will include selection and appointment of experts, rules on admissibility and impartiality, and common challenges in dealing with expert evidence under the common law and civil law regimes with insights on how to address them. This panel aims to offer valuable insights into the evolving role of experts in modern legal proceedings, providing a platform for reflection on how to best integrate specialised knowledge in dispute resolution while maintaining legal and procedural integrity.

This panel will discuss low carbon and energy transition projects in the oil and gas industry acorss the globe.

This session will explore the achievements and challenges faced by the International Bar Association's Professional Wellbeing Commission over the five years since work on the field of lawyer wellbeing at a global level was begun within the International Bar Association. Where are we now on our journey? What still needs to be done? And what are our plans for the future?