Conference programme

AI is transforming how corporations approach environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals – from automating carbon accounting and improving supply chain traceability to detecting human rights risks and enhancing reporting accuracy.
 
Yet this promise comes at a price. AI models are energy-intensive, often opaque and may embed social bias or create new accountability gaps. While some organisations use AI to genuinely strengthen ESG performance, others risk engaging in 'AI-washing', leveraging AI narratives without delivering measurable impact.
 
This session will explore how global companies and their legal advisers can balance innovation with responsibility, understanding both the opportunities and the hidden costs of deploying AI within ESG frameworks.

The panel will also discuss the intersection of responsible AI frameworks and ESG regulations across regions and jurisdictions within the context of the ICT sector and the transformative role that the sixth generation of mobile communication systems (6G), which are envisioned as AI-native network systems, are expected to play in the future. In particular, the discussion will consider initiatives such as the European Union’s forthcoming Code of Conduct for Sustainable Telecommunications Networks, the UK Regulatory Outlook on ESG and Telecoms, and other emerging sustainability standards and indicators.

Key discussion points include:

• Where AI genuinely enhances ESG performance, and where it merely serves as “AI-washing.”;
• The environmental footprint of AI (energy, water, and resource use) and its inclusion in ESG metrics;
• Governance and liability: who is responsible for AI-driven ESG decisions and outcomes?;
• The emerging regulatory landscape: from the EU AI Act to global sustainability reporting standards, and how they intersect;
• Practical guidance for lawyers on structuring responsible AI governance within corporate ESG strategies;
• Combining Artificial Intelligence and geographical indications to promote sustainability;
• How can the IP System foster the use of AI in sustainable innovation?;
• IP protection for AI-driven ESG solutions (algorithms, models, data, and outputs);
• Encouraging green innovation through AI while preserving IP rights;
• How IP laws can prevent misleading AI washing and ESG claims;
• How patent systems and IP incentives can promote sustainable AI design and responsible innovation;
• AI in space used for ESG purposes on earth and in space;
• A discussion of how 6G is envisioned as an AI-native network, where AI is embedded as a foundational and pervasive component rather than an auxiliary optimisation tool;
• And an exploration of how, by incorporating AI-driven mechanisms for energy management, resource allocation, and data governance, 6G directly supports Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives: reducing carbon emissions, promoting digital inclusion, and ensuring transparency and accountability in automated processes

This session explains how AI is used in franchise and distribution operations – demand forecasting, pricing, and customer engagement – and translates the tech into legal issues counsel must spot. We will cover data quality and privacy, bias and transparency controls, human in the loop oversight, IP ownership of AI-generated outputs, vendor and franchise agreement clauses governing model and data use, and emerging regulatory trends. Attendees will leave with practical governance frameworks and risk management checklists.

This session will explore the effect of Artificial Intelligence on social media and the AI revolution on families and children internationally, and the effective safeguards, if any such safeguards actually exist.

This session will explore the impact of trade restrictions on global food security (eg, tariffs, pricing, commodities and protectionism, etc)

The session will analyse the perspectives on current developments in a polarised world for energy, environment, natural resources and infrastructure law.

This panel explores how AI is reshaping legal practice, from automating routine tasks to enabling smarter client services and firm management. A key focus will be on the role of Gen Z professionals, who are not only fluent in emerging technologies but also instrumental in guiding other generations towards meaningful adoption. How will this intergenerational collaboration accelerate transformation? What challenges and opportunities lie ahead as law firms evolve into more agile, tech-enabled environments? Join us for a forward-looking conversation that invites diverse perspectives and open debate.

As more disputes are resolved by private international arbitration, notably post-transaction disputes and in the construction sector, is this trend impacting the quality and availability of relevant jurisprudence and procedural know-how? What effect does this have on predictability, efficacy and judicial expertise, and what solutions are out there?

This session will examine the key developments in private funds, highlighting emerging trends, regulatory changes, and market opportunities. It will provide insights into how fund managers and investors can navigate the evolving landscape and capitalise on growth prospects.

The session will examine the trade relationships between the United States, Canada and Mexico, and explore what lies on the horizon. The speakers will consider lessons learned from prior trade agreements and the new trade alliances forming between USMCA countries and third countries, what changes are being proposed, and the effect that a realignment of trade priorities would have on the North American alliance. Illustrations will be drawn from industries most significantly affected, such as dairy, agriculture and automobiles.

Examining comparative global approaches to research, development, patient programs and market access for orphan drugs.

Banks are no longer the only dominant providers of credit. Private funds, insurers, fin-techs, and tech-driven platforms are rapidly expanding their footprint. This panel will analyse the competitive pressures facing incumbents, the opportunities for cooperation with new entrants and the implications for legal structuring, market stability, and regulatory oversight.

This session will explore the role of legal regulators in promoting, supporting and embodying the rule of law during a time of increasing polarisation and populist rhetoric. The session will examine their activities including through the lens of ethical and competency requirements and mandatory education and training. 

Hostile takeovers seem to be re-emerging as a feature of the European M&A landscape, perhaps driven by depressed valuations and activist investor pressure, among other factors. This panel will examine the dynamics of unsolicited bids in the European market, drawing on recent high-profile contested transactions to explore the strategies deployed by both bidders and target boards.

The discussion will consider how differing national regulatory frameworks, including the UK’s Takeover Code and the EU’s Takeovers Directive, shape the conduct of hostile campaigns across borders. Panellists will dissect specific hostile and contested bid situations, analysing the offensive tactics employed by acquirers, such as bear hugs and dawn raids, alongside the defensive measures available to target companies, such as white knight strategies and litigation.

The panel will also address the role of institutional shareholders and proxy advisers in determining the outcome of hostile contests, the increasing intersection between hostile M&A and activist campaigns, and how boards can navigate their fiduciary duties when faced with an unwelcome approach. Practical insights will be offered on deal preparation, stakeholder communication, and the lessons learned from bids that succeeded, failed or were abandoned in the face of determined resistance.

In the annual mock trial session of the Criminal Law Section, we will explore cross-border corruption and international criminal justice cooperation.

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

A session in which the Regulation of Lawyers Committee, in collaboration with the Law Firm Management Committee and others, will explore emerging trends in the management and regulation of lawyers and law firms, how the associated risks associated with change can be managed, and how opportunities can be identified to ensure resilience and success.

With the geopolitical tensions and increases in defence spending, it is timely to discuss the arbitration of disputes arising in the defence sector. This panel will examine the continued growth of private military contracting, and the emergence of advanced cyber defence technologies, including AI systems. Does the privacy or confidentiality offered by international arbitration make it suited to these disputes, and is arbitration equipped to handle sensitive national-security-related information? Do we need special protocols or frameworks to address the unique challenges posed by this sector?

This panel will explore how advisors to closely held companies can structure cross-border transactions and partnerships in ways that reduce friction. The panel will examine the missteps that can arise when US‑style agreements are deployed in non‑US transactions, including the interpretation of common law concepts by civil law courts, and will address how to choose governing law, including when to select neutral law that is neither the buyer’s nor the seller’s home country law. The panel will also evaluate different choices in arbitration provisions. The panel discussion will include tactical considerations, such as selecting and managing local counsel, coordinating multi‑jurisdictional diligence and reconciling negotiation styles across markets.  Finally, the panel will offer practical tips on how to prepare clients for the international components of a transaction (including labour law, regulatory approvals, data protection, tax and other local requirements).