Conference programme

Artificial intelligence can no longer be regarded just a technology issue. As organisations increasingly embed AI into their products, services and internal operations, boards, regulators and legal advisers are being asked to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape of governance, accountability and risk. Much like ESG before it, AI governance is emerging as a strategic business imperative that cuts across every area of legal practice − from corporate governance and commercial contracting to employment, privacy, intellectual property, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution.

This session will explore whether AI governance is becoming the next ESG and what that means for businesses operating across the Asia Pacific region. Bringing together perspectives from technology law and practitioners from Asia Pacific and beyond, the panel will examine whether existing governance frameworks are sufficient, how different jurisdictions are approaching AI regulation, whether businesses can develop a consistent governance strategy across divergent legal systems and the role lawyers will play in helping organisations deploy AI responsibly while remaining innovative and competitive.

As the Asia Pacific region M&A landscape adapts to shifting geopolitical currents, tightening regulatory scrutiny and evolving foreign investment regimes, dealmakers must navigate a complex web of compliance and execution challenges. This panel brings together leading private practice lawyers and seasoned in-house counsel from key jurisdictions across the region and Europe to examine the current state of play. Discussion will centre on critical updates in merger control, foreign direct investment (FDI) screening, cross-border dispute risks and practical strategies for structuring successful transactions in a fragmented regulatory environment.

The Asia Pacific region is experiencing a period of profound transformation in cross-border dispute resolution, driven by landmark legislative reforms, the rise of specialist international commercial courts and an evolving treaty framework that is reshaping the enforcement of foreign judgments across the region. China’s sweeping 2023 amendments to its Civil Procedure Law have, for the first time, established comprehensive rules on international civil jurisdiction and standardised grounds for the recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments, while the expansion of international commercial courts — from the Singapore International Commercial Court to new specialist tribunals in Beijing, Suzhou and beyond — is intensifying competition among Asia Pacific jurisdictions to serve as preferred forums for complex cross-border commercial litigation. 

This panel will bring together leading litigators from across the Asia Pacific to examine the emerging trends, opportunities and challenges in cross-border litigation and enforcement. Among the issues discussed among the panel are the evolution of international commercial courts in Singapore, Hong Kong SAR and mainland China; the challenges of parallel proceedings and jurisdictional conflicts in multi-forum disputes; the role of tiered dispute resolution clauses in courts across Asia Pacific jurisdictions; and the interplay between litigation and arbitration as complementary pathways in an increasingly complex enforcement environment.

Digital transformation and new standards of compliance are forcing corporate legal departments to completely redesign their operating models. Modern in-house teams must rigorously manage cost discipline, master legal operations and justify strategic value directly to the C-suite. This session reveals what in-house counsel actually experience behind closed doors during the fast-paced changes in legal landscapes due to accelerating digitalisation in cross-border transactions, compliance and dispute resolution. Panellists will focus on the use of artificial intelligence providers, the impact of AI on governance and the corporate-level policies, current budgeting shifts and ever-changing criteria for selecting outside counsel. Private practice attorneys will gain clear, unvarnished insight into how law firms can transform from transactional items into indispensable strategic partners.