Conference programme

This session explores the often-unspoken realities of law firm careers, focusing on what it truly takes to transition from a technically strong associate to a commercially indispensable partner.

In this session we will discuss important questions such as whether partnership is still the ultimate goal, the real differences between salaried and equity partners, and why strong technical lawyers don’t automatically make partner. It will also examine when and how lawyers should start building a ‘book of business’, and how associates can develop client relationships ethically without overstepping.

Beyond this, the conversation will highlight the invisible skills that define successful partners, such as billing judgment, team management, and client communication, as well as what firms truly look for in the equity conversation.

This session will be conducted in the PechaKucha presentation format, where each speaker will present 20 slides, each displayed for 20 seconds, with slides advancing automatically. The total presentation time for each speaker will be six minutes and 40 seconds, with the final 20 seconds reserved for the moderator’s remarks. Following the presentations, the moderator will lead a Q&A segment with each panellist, allocating approximately five minutes per speaker.

The theme of the presentation will centre on the future of dispute resolution, with sub-themes including: 

1. Sanctions, geopolitics and arbitration: the new normal
2. Party autonomy v institutional control: how far can we bend the rules?
3. Specialised arbitration rules: tailored protocols or procedural flexibility
4. Emergency arbitrations: the use, misuse and the due process paranoia
5. Cross-examination: overplayed and underused

A special session on the strategies, connections and practical insights needed to build a thriving cross-border practice. Discover how to expand your international visibility, build relationships across jurisdictions and attract cross-border clients to grow your practice beyond borders.

The session will begin with a 10–15-minute opening presentation and QR-code poll, setting the context by exploring what will continue to make lawyers valuable as AI increasingly performs legal research, drafting and workflow automation. This will be followed by a 15-minute roundtable discussion, after which participants will engage in three focused table discussions for approximately 15 minutes in total, with around five minutes allocated to each theme. The discussions will consider the future of the AI-native associate, the evolution of the AI-enabled law firm, and the importance of trust, ethics and professional responsibility in the use of AI. The session will conclude with a 15–20-minute moderated panel discussion, followed by closing QR-code questions and live audience responses, with the exact timing for the closing segment to be confirmed.

Topic: This House believes that the nationality of an arbitrator is a legitimate basis for challenging impartiality in disputes involving a state engaged in geopolitical conflict

The summit will conclude with an exciting Oxford-style debate, bringing together two teams of speakers. Team A will comprise two speakers arguing in favour of the motion, while Team B will include two speakers arguing against it. The session will be moderated by a single moderator, who will begin with a five-minute introduction, following which Team A will present their arguments for ten minutes. Team B will then present their arguments for ten minutes, after which a rebuttal round will allot each team five minutes to respond to the opposing side. The session will then conclude with a 20-minute audience Q&A.