Conference programme

This session will address the accessibility of justice, or otherwise, for parties caught up in preexisting arbitration clauses in employment/contractual agreements.

This session will address how companies can manage cyber risks, insider threats, and compliance challenges across jurisdictions — an area where technology, criminal law, governance and regulatory frameworks increasingly overlap.

What pressures and ethical challenges do modern lawyers face? Key issues include upholding the rule of law, adapting to AI, use of social media, billing practices and client expectations. How do these pressures differ for new lawyers compared to managing partners at the firm, and what are their reactions?  Different generations bring distinct experiences and skills to the office – let's start the essential conversations to explore the issues and establish the common ground.

With a constantly changing regulatory, economic and political environment, reliable contractual relationships between suppliers and customers in the supply chain are more important than ever. To prevent severe consequences, the parties depend on the certainty and enforceability of their contracts, or may prefer to have escape options in certain situations.

In this session, we will examine the impact this has on the drafting of several typical general clauses in international contracts.

This session will explore the work of lawyers carrying out strategic litigation in restrictive or hostile environments. Panelists will examine the unique risks, essential needs and measurable impact of these efforts, as well as how the broader legal community can provide effective support.

A comparative analysis of the application of limitation of liability principles against the background of actual ship casualties.

Mediation offers small and closely held businesses a practical, low-risk, time- and cost-effective way to resolve disputes that can otherwise cripple an enterprise. Whether the conflict involves shareholder deadlock, succession issues, employment claims or commercial-contract disputes where even modest dollar amounts feel high-stakes, mediation provides a flexible forum that litigation and arbitration often cannot. This session explores why mediation frequently succeeds and, in particular, the importance of selecting a mediator whose style, expertise and credibility can materially shape outcomes. Panelists will also tackle the real-world challenges counsel face: information asymmetry, family dynamics, imbalanced bargaining power and founders who resist change. Attendees will gain practical guidance on drafting stronger mediation clauses, preparing their clients for the process, choosing the right mediator and leveraging mediation to secure value-preserving resolutions – competence clients notice, appreciate and will return for.

An interactive panel to discuss practical issues in M&A deals, focusing in particular on remedies that may be required to get the deal through across multiple authorities around the world and how to negotiate risk allocation. The panel will also cover situations of increasing uncertainty that complicate negotiations, such as timelines getting longer and the merging use of call-in powers by regulators to scrutinise smaller deals.

Public procurement and military contracting often become complex 'battlefields' where legal, commercial and institutional interests collide. This panel examines how mediation and ADR tools can help prevent and resolve disputes in public and defence procurement, from tendering to contract performance. Focusing on the role of legal departments in public bodies and armed forces, speakers will discuss how mediation enhances transparency, efficiency and continuity in supplier relations. Real-world cases will show how structured dialogue and facilitated negotiation can transform potential conflicts into opportunities for collaboration, innovation and sound governance in sensitive procurement environments.

The Digital Network Act (DNA) is the European Union’s response to current technological shifts in communications infrastructure. It updates the European Electronic Communications Code as well other connectivity regulations to support investment, innovation and secure deployment of next-generation networks, paving the way for 5G Standalone and the arrival of 6G technologies. Key discussion points include: the DNA’s objectives in modernising the EU regulatory telecoms framework; investment incentives and regulatory certainty for network evolution; key legal and technical challenges for 5G Standalone and future 6G deployment; balancing connectivity innovation with security, competition, and resilience; and the evolving role of national and European authorities.  

In some jurisdictions, sitting judges may concurrently serve as arbitrators. Do such dual roles give rise to challenges in terms of impartiality, procedural integrity and public perception?  How do they impact litigation in connection with the arbitration? Do they interfere with the performance of judicial duties? And does it differ from judges acting as mediators?  This session explores the rationale behind permitting such roles, the potential benefits and the risks involved, offering comparative insights across jurisdictions.

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.

More than 50 per cent of lawyers under 40 identify meaningful work as essential for their career, confirming that values and purpose now play a central role in new lawyers’ career decisions.  

This session will explore how purpose-driven lawyering is impacting the attraction and retention of talent, and also how this requirement of purpose is influencing firm culture, education, leadership and client relationships. It will invite participants to reflect on how meaning and impact can coexist with excellence, performance, and profitability.

AI development in this past decade has seen a fairly steep curve. But are persons with disabilities being equally taken along on this roller coaster ride? In this session we will discuss the opportunities and challenges that this new tech presents for persons with disabilities. Opportunities can include assistive technologies such as AI-powered tools like voice recognition, screen readers and predictive text enhance accessibility for people with visual, hearing or motor impairments. Further, they can create inclusive hiring processes: AI tools can adapt tests or interviews to individual accessibility needs, helping level the playing field for candidates with disabilities. AI can help reduce human bias in recruitment when properly designed, by focusing on skills and qualifications rather than personal attributes.

They can also create flexible work environments: AI-powered systems can help facilitate remote work, job customisation or workflow automation that accommodates different needs. Challenges can include biases in AI hiring tools: hiring and performance evaluation tools may inadvertently disadvantage candidates with disabilities due to lack of representation or implicit bias in algorithms. Further, there can be a lack of accessibility in AI systems: AI-powered systems (eg, chatbots, automated scheduling) may not be designed for assistive technologies like screen readers or voice control. There are also privacy and surveillance concerns: employees may feel pressured to disclose disabilities in environments where AI tracks health, mobility or productivity patterns. Finally, there are automation risks: routine or low-skill jobs, often held by persons with disabilities, are most at risk of automation.

This panel will examine the multiple and countervailing roles of artificial intelligence in conflict, including: the ethical and legal responsibility challenges that are arising; the uses of AI in monitoring and early warning systems for atrocity prevention; accountability, international standards and guidelines on the use of AI; and other pressing issues.

The boundaries between legitimate tax planning and criminal tax evasion are increasingly under scrutiny. This panel will examine the criminal law risks associated with cross-border tax structuring and the evolving distinction between tax avoidance and criminal conduct. Topics include national and international approaches to criminal liability for aggressive tax planning, the reporting obligations of tax advisors and the mechanisms for information exchange and cooperation in cross-border investigations. The discussion will also address the institutions and legal instruments available to prosecutors and regulators confronting complex, multi-jurisdictional tax cases.

Across Europe, governments are stepping up to accelerate innovation through targeted incentives, funding schemes and policy reforms. Moreover, private initiatives are driving harmonisation and helping to overcome market fragmentation. This panel explores how such initiatives are driving startup and scaleup growth, attracting venture capital, and shaping the continent’s competitiveness in the global innovation landscape. Experts will share insights, best practices and lessons learned from leading European ecosystems.

A session presented by the India Working Group of the Asia Pacific Regional Forum.

Given the number of recent trade deals that India has entered into, its continuing attraction as an investment destination, and India Inc.’s interest in investments overseas, India is very well poised as a strategic player in today’s global business. Given India’s demography, talent pool and geostrategic position, it attracts investments in manufacturing, service and infrastructure sectors as well as upcoming technology-based and sensitive sectors such as data centres, defence, nuclear and space.

In the same breath, Indian corporates are looking to expand their horizons overseas with both financial and strategic investments. This session will seek to address both typical and complex questions on India’s investment opportunities and regulatory landscape, industrial and tax policies and how best to navigate them on behalf of both Indian and global financial and strategic investors.