Conference programme

Panellists will discuss how courts and tax authorities have applied or attempted to apply anti-avoidance rules, whether in the form of a domestic GAAR, the principal purpose test (PPT), treaty-embedded SAARs, or the beneficial ownership test, to deny treaty or EU Directive benefits. The discussion will explore the similarities and differences among these approaches and consider the point at which taxpayers appear to be falling over the anti-avoidance tax cliff.

In this session we will discuss and share best practices to promote LGBTQI+ diversity in the workplace. Spain has recently implemented legislation obliging companies with 50-plus employees to implement measures promoting LGBTQI+ equality in the workplace and many global companies have for many years had policies and best practices to ensure diversity and equality for LGBTQI+ employees.

An update on the judicial selection toolkit project led by the IBA SPPI.

This session will examine the legal frameworks and regulatory considerations surrounding the implementation of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). We will discuss potential benefits such as enhanced financial inclusion and payment efficiency, alongside risks including financial stability and privacy concerns. The impact of CBDCs on traditional banking systems will be explored, as well as challenges in cross-border regulation. Participants will review global approaches to CBDC regulation and consider the future landscape of digital currency governance, offering a legal perspective on this transformative innovation in the monetary system.

As AI becomes mainstream, ethical, bias, and transparency issues are key to successful governance.

Recent US bankruptcy court decisions declining recognition of foreign insolvency proceedings have raised new concerns regarding the reach and predictability of US long-arm jurisdiction in cross-border restructurings. Against this backdrop, practitioners advising multinational companies must reassess how to structure complex insolvency and restructuring strategies to secure effective and comprehensive relief across jurisdictions.

This panel will examine how AI adoption is transforming operations, risk profiles and value creation in closely held companies and what boards must do in response. The panelists will map practical use cases — eg, sales enablement, customer support, coding copilots, document automation and forecasting. They will also map the attendant risks, including data leakage and trade‑secret loss, intellectual property ownership, model bias and hallucinations and supply‑chain/vendor AI exposure. The discussion will translate these developments into directors’ duties: setting AI strategy and risk appetite, instituting model governance and inventories, strengthening data governance, overseeing cybersecurity and incident readiness and ensuring decision‑useful reporting where owners and directors often overlap. Panelists will explore practical considerations, such as how these developments are affecting directors’ and officers’ insurance and how they may be reshaping the interaction between outside counsel and the general counsel/corporate secretary.

This panel will examine the current landscape of renewable energy in Latin America and the legal, regulatory, and commercial dynamics shaping the region’s energy transition, including solar and wind energy, biofuels, and the impact of demand from data centres and digital infrastructure on the energy sector. Speakers will discuss policy stability, permitting regimes, and transmission bottlenecks. The conversation will also address ESG and licensing considerations, and the evolving role of tax incentives, carbon markets, and green hydrogen.

This session will examine the main funding options available to law firms pursuing strategic change, including bank finance, partners’ capital, and private equity investment. It'll explore the pros, cons, and practical considerations of each route to help firms choose the right approach for their ambitions.

Our annual global anti-corruption update session, where we will discuss all the latest developments and trends in the anti-corruption landscape.

This panel will delve into various aspects of class actions involving financial institutions, including banks and corporations, covering both the US and the emerging trends in the UK, Australia, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. This panel will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and the tools to navigate it effectively.

The session will explore how female Arab lawyers are reshaping the legal profession and challenging deeply rooted social norms, cultural expectations and traditional stigmas across the Arab world and internationally. Through personal experiences, professional insights and regional perspectives, speakers will examine the barriers women continue to face in legal practice, leadership and public life, while highlighting the significant progress being driven by a new generation of independent Arab women. The discussion will address issues including gender equality, access to justice, representation in the legal profession and the evolving role of women in influencing legal reform, business and society. Delegates will gain a deeper understanding of the changing legal landscape in the region and the global impact of Arab women lawyers as agents of transformation and change.

A comparative analysis of how different jurisdictions treat this increasing trend in the engagement of land transport services.

Presentation of the reports by the Future of Legal Services Commission: the heatmap on the legal profession version IV and the legal professionals’ intention project.

AI is transforming the way societies process information, make decisions and build consensus. AI’s role in dispute resolution continues to evolve. This session explores how AI can augment the mediation process without displacing human judgment. The session will also consider initiatives in online dispute resolution (ODR), AI tools, and digital negotiation assistants, as well as the risks of bias and over-automation. The discussion will conclude with practical reflections on what mediators and policymakers can do to ensure AI serves as a collaborative partner – enhancing empathy, efficiency, and trust in the evolving landscape of international dispute resolution.

The panel will explore the expanding criteria taken into account in competition law enforcement from resilience to innovation and beyond, as well as the interaction and impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) laws and other security and political considerations in competition law. The panel will discuss practical issues that arise when advising clients on how to get deals through and how to pursue collaboration agreements successfully, navigating ever more complex competition laws around the world.

Government and public lawyers operate at the intersection of law, policy and public accountability. Their work carries a profound responsibility—to the public, to ethical standards and to the rule of law—yet often unfolds under intense political, institutional and personal pressure. This session will explore the complex realities of legal practice within the public sphere, examining the unique challenges these lawyers face, including high workloads, moral and ethical tensions, public scrutiny and the impact of bureaucratic and political environments on professional judgment. The session will also highlight strategies and supports that can help public lawyers sustain ethical integrity, mental health and work–life balance while continuing to serve the public interest effectively.

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 the annual breakfast of the Family Law Committee.