Conference programme

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This LPD Showcase session will provide profound insight on the work of the Presidential Task Force of the IBA on Cyber Risks, where global experts (legal and non-legal) are working together to present a new, global cyber strategy combining industry (and government) action that addresses the following:

• National level government regulation that goes beyond data privacy rights to require companies to implement flexible, risk-based cybersecurity standards through a governance approach rather than prescriptive requirements;
• International level cooperation that extends these standards among multinational organizations and like-minded, rule-of-law based countries, recognizing that cybersecurity threats are almost always cross-border in nature;
• Company level standards that reflect best practices for a holistic, cross-functional cybersecurity program and a new mindset for senior management and board leadership of strong governance and accountability throughout the organization; and
• Civil level awareness and training regarding liability standards for senior management and boards of directors in protecting against cyber risks.

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Much has been said that Fintech's threaten the business of traditional banking, but increasingly they seem to be complementary businesses. While they certainly compete, they also collaborate. Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) is increasingly becoming an important complement to traditional banking which has slowly given certain access to Fintech which in turn have helped improve financial services offered by traditional banks. What are the most relevant regulatory trends in the region to, on the one hand, encourage this collaboration or disruption and on the other preserve the strength of the traditional financial system? How should BaaS evolve and with it, how will the regulation evolve?

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Both Covid-19 and the transition of work in response to climate change has changed the manner in which business is undertaken in the economies of the Asia Pacific region. While the Covid-19 crisis was in some ways a reset button, forcing businesses to re-think their strategies, consumer mindsets and priorities have also changed, and we see greater adoption of digital and green solutions. This session will discuss how digital acceleration, heightened ESG commitments, remote working and other trends are transforming the way we do business in the region.

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In this session, we will discuss:

•    Some key figures about the actual state of foreign investments in the MENA region
•    A comparative overview of major Arab investment laws in the region: developments, trends and practical examples
•    Comparing investment laws in the MENA region with Europe and the USA
•    Case studies in a selection of MENA jurisdictions: Egypt, Morocco, KSA, UAE
•    Utilisation of investment vehicles in jurisdictions that offer a treaty network protection – Netherlands, Luxembourg...
•    Are Arab Sovereign Funds still key stakeholders in foreign investments in the region?
•    The Interplay between Inter-Arab Investment Treaties and International Investment Agreements involving the MENA region
•    The Arab Investment Court: prospects and challenges.

All sessions are being recorded, unless otherwise stated.

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This session will cover:

• the recent survey undertaken by the Young Lawyers' Committee;
• address how to ensure continuity of the firm by understanding younger lawyer needs; 
• the new normal: challenges and opportunities. Turning adversity into an opportunity; and
• the use of technology, artificial intelligence etc as key tools shaping the future of the legal profession.

All sessions are being recorded, unless otherwise stated.

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In 2015, the United Nations unanimously adopted The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which sets out "a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future."  At the core of this initiative are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which "recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests."

At the same time, the business world has been challenged to integrate value creation for society along with their own financial and shareholder objectives by balancing financial considerations with wider social, economic, environmental and governance factors, collectively described by the term "ESG".  There is increasing recognition that rule of law, respect for property rights and access to a skilled, healthy and stable pool of talent, for example, all affect the ability of businesses to operate.    

Lawyers, their firms and the profession as a whole have roles to play in the SDG/ESG arena, not only as advisors but as employers and businesses in their own right, and clients and communities expect the profession to respond with not only with advice, but increasingly with action. Firms are increasingly working with others to tackle systemic issues that present business and human risks – such as corruption and climate change – and co-creating codes of conduct and standards.  Also, clients, be it small, medium or large companies or public institutions, more and more choose suppliers and advisory services based on their alignment with, and contribution to, the SDGs and ESG.  Law firms, bars and law societies will need to answer to these new developments and make their contributions.

The IBA is developing a new project to stimulate and identify cross-divisional projects to support the 17 SDGs.   No part of the IBA membership is outside the scope of these goals or this project.  This initiative is an opportunity for the IBA to become a Global Partner to deliver the SDGs and at the same time to assist the legal profession to make a tangible contribution to ESG goals.  

The IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest will present a showcase session on the growing importance, and convergence, of the UN SDGs and the private sector concepts embodied in ESG, and the implications of both for the global legal profession.

This session will set out the background to the SDGs and ESG and provide details for practitioners to understand and react to the new demands, challenges and opportunities they present.  

All sessions are being recorded, unless otherwise stated.

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In 2020 the IBA undertook the legal community’s first global survey of lawyer wellbeing, receiving responses from over 3000 lawyers and 100 legal institutions, including bar associations, law societies, and law firms. 
 
Now, one year on, the IBA’s Wellbeing Taskforce is launching its report of the results. After engagement with academics, law firm managers, bar leaders, and lawyers on the ‘front line’, one thing has become clear: the wellbeing crisis in law is a problem that has its root causes in the way law is practiced and justice administered globally, among all stakeholders in the legal profession.
 
This session will cover the various systemic issues affecting the wellbeing of lawyers around the world, including:

the unsustainable “arms race” in newly-qualified lawyers’ salaries, which is increasingly showing signs of no longer being enough to recruit or retain talent;   
the connected issue of the profession’s reluctance to sign up to basic working time directives, consider alternatives to the billable hour model, or push back against unrealistic case schedules set by the courts;

• the near total absence of proper wellbeing training for those in managerial positions, or indeed any form of managerial training;
• problems surrounding bullying and harassment in all branches of the profession;
• increased pressure from clients and courts; and
• the absence of any formal regulation on many of these issues. 
• Yet speaking out about these problems is only half the battle; the profession as a whole must acknowledge the issue, and change the paradigm, so that meaningful and effective long-term solutions that address the causes can be implemented.

In recognition of this, the IBA’s Wellbeing Taskforce will also use this session to introduce a new set of IBA Wellbeing ‘Principles’: statements of universal application, designed to assist and guide all members of the legal profession as they look to engage with these and other issues raised by the crisis in lawyer wellbeing identified by the global survey. 
  
Please join us as we tackle these issues, and launch these principles, the first designed for the global legal profession.

All sessions are being recorded, unless otherwise stated.