Conference programme

The discussion will focus on how artificial intelligence is transforming law firm operations, governance and professional responsibility — including issues of data protection, intellectual property ownership and ethical use of AI tools.

This is a session that will be beneficial for you personally and for your firm’s success. By prioritising your wellbeing, you can sustain your productivity over time, continue to contribute valuable skills, and transform ageing from a challenge into a positive experience.

A year on from the UNDP Sevilla Initiative for Accountable Service Providers, the debate around ‘professional enablers’ has moved on and intensified. Given the June 2026 World Bank/UN StAR report on professional enablers, the UK’s Illicit Finance Summit held in London in June 2026, in addition to ongoing work led by United Nations Development Programme, expectations on lawyers and accountants remain in focus.
 
Once framed as neutral advisers, professionals are increasingly positioned critically as potential facilitators of illicit financial flows. Against this backdrop, difficult questions are emerging. Are existing ethical frameworks and AML obligations sufficient, or are they being outpaced by regulatory and political pressure? Is enhanced self-regulation credible, or is external intervention inevitable? And to what extent are the professions being asked to solve a problem they did not create?
 
This session brings together perspectives across these developments to examine whether the current trajectory represents meaningful reform or reactive policymaking. It will explore the practical realities facing professionals, the risks to independence and privilege, and the growing expectation that the legal and accounting sectors play a more proactive role in safeguarding financial integrity.
 
Framed as a candid, roundtable discussion, the session will challenge assumptions, test the limits of current approaches, and ask a central question: are professionals truly part of the solution, or still uncomfortably close to the problem?
 
 

Join us for our open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the Committee.

Join us for our open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the Committee.

Join us for our joint open committee business meeting where all members and Officers of the two Committees are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments.

Join us for our open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the committee.

Join us for our open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the Committee.

Join us for our open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the Committee.

This panel will address cross-border internal investigations, privilege considerations, whistleblowing management and reputational risk — drawing insights from employment, criminal, data protection and media law.

The CJEU's 2022 London Steam-Ship decision exposed a critical gap in the Brussels I Recast Regulation: whilst judgments confirming arbitral awards can prevent recognition of irreconcilable judgments from other Member States, the absence of a lis pendens rule regarding arbitration proceedings creates significant risks of conflicting decisions and undermines legal certainty. The European Commission's 2025 report on the application of the Brussels I Recast Regulation acknowledges such irreconcilability risks and seeks to eliminate it. Against this backdrop, the Sorbonne Research Project has proposed a concrete solution. This panel will explore the diverging approaches across EU jurisdictions to this coordination challenge, examine the practical implications of the London Steam-Ship ruling and critically assess whether the Sorbonne proposal strikes the right balance between party autonomy, judicial efficiency and the fundamental principle of mutual trust underpinning EU civil procedure.

As global energy generation accelerates, particularly with the rise of renewables, transmission and distribution networks are under unprecedented strain. With rolling blackouts, pipeline risks, and capacity constraints, how are new regulatory requirements for sustaining and securing networks affecting projects? How are we responding to the disruption in contracting and dispute resolution? This panel will explore the full spectrum of disputes arising across the energy infrastructure chain, from capacity allocation and connection delays to liability for outages, interruptions, and regulatory non-compliance.

It will also consider the challenges of integrating new technologies, meeting decarbonisation targets, and balancing the interests of states, regulators, investors, operators, and consumers. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the discussion aims to highlight how legal practitioners can help manage risk proactively, design more resilient contractual frameworks, and resolve disputes efficiently in an evolving energy landscape.

This session will provide a global round-up of the hottest topics in asset management, covering emerging trends, regulatory developments, and market challenges. Participants will gain insights into key issues shaping investment strategies, risk management, and compliance across major jurisdictions.

This session will assess competitiveness, regulation, and the evolving balance between stability and innovation.

As robots transition from controlled industrial settings into public spaces and private homes, their deployment raises significant legal and regulatory considerations. Service, caregiving, and security robots increasingly rely on continuous environmental sensing, producing vast amounts of personal and biometric data, which triggers complex questions under privacy, data protection and surveillance laws. At the same time, autonomous decision-making in safety-critical contexts – such as factory patrols or disaster response – touches on liability allocation, product safety standards and the boundaries of human oversight. These developments also intersect with labour law and workforce policy, as automation begins to reshape job functions and employment structures.

This session will explore the evolving legal frameworks needed to govern human–robot coexistence in a manner that is safe, rights-respecting and socially beneficial. Panellists will discuss emerging regulatory models across jurisdictions, including data governance rules, certification and safety assurance regimes, accountability frameworks for autonomous decision systems and policy tools to support fair workforce transitions. The conversation will consider how legislators, regulators, industry and civil society can collaborate to ensure that robotic technologies enhance human dignity, public trust and equitable societal outcomes. 

Much programming has been done on the rule of law, the separation of powers, pillars of democracy and other issues that have transcended national boundaries. What has been missing from the discussion is an emphasis on the grassroots and the need not just for more civic education, but for a more prominent role by bars beyond the issuance of statements. In short, bar associations need to make concrete the body of scholarship and legal writings. Without public understanding of the integration of basic knowledge of civics and how it relates to the rule of law, the current paralysis will continue. Bars – and all lawyers, for that matter – are uniquely positioned to engage with the public, and not just government. The panel will not only discuss these issues, but present practical guidance. The showcase will be in two parts: Part I will focus on the legal, social, economic and historical importance of the rule of law and its challenges. Part II will be a workshop, where specific questions and scenarios are presented to the audience, who will be invited to participate.