Committee publications
AI and the digital age: implications for the legal profession
This was the topic of the opening panel of the symposium jointly organised by the Rome Bar and the International Bar Association’s Committees for Law Firm Management, Senior and Young Lawyers. The conversation was designed to take stock, in very concrete terms, of how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the daily work of law firms, how the profession is responding to questions of responsibility and risk, and where the practice of law is heading over the next five years
Released on Jun 16, 2026
Raising the Bar: Women in Law Project – launch of the Phase 2 report and recommendations
An overview of the International Bar Association (IBA) Raising the Bar: Women in Law project, led by the IBA Legal Policy and Research Unit with the support of the IBA Diversity and Inclusion Council and Women Lawyers’ and Law Firm Management Committees.
Released on Jun 16, 2026
Getting the most out of the IBA Annual Conference: 2026
The IBA Annual Conference is one of the most valuable opportunities in the global legal calendar to strengthen relationships, exchange ideas and build new connections across jurisdictions. Bringing together clients, colleagues and international firms in one place, it creates a unique environment for meaningful engagement. The delegates who get the most from the week tend to do three things well: prepare early, prioritise thoughtfully and follow up with intent.
Released on Jun 15, 2026
The Meta-Manus deal: what China’s foreign investment security review means for cross-border M&A in sensitive sectors
On 27 April 2026, the office of the working mechanism for foreign investment security review under China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) prohibited Meta’s proposed acquisition of Manus, a Chinese AI agent company, and required the parties to unwind the transaction arrangements. The reported decision appears to confirm that China’s foreign investment security review regime will be applied aggressively to AI-related transactions involving key technologies, data capabilities and core technical talent. This article explores how this effects the US-China political landscape and cross-border investments and acquisitions in the technology sector
Released on Jun 14, 2026
New tax developments in Turkey in 2026
Various changes have been made to the Turkish tax system via Law No 7582 On Amendments to Certain Laws, which was published in the country’s Official Gazette on 4 June 2026. Some of the most important changes are discussed in this article.
Released on Jun 10, 2026
Protecting trade secrets in the age of remote work: a Nigerian perspective
This paper argues that technological advancements and regulatory gaps have created the ‘digital walkout’ where employees can exit organisations with valuable proprietary information in digital form. It contends that existing legal mechanisms are insufficient and advocates for a more robust, technology-responsive framework for trade secret protection in Nigeria.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
The seizure of evidence under Danish law: when an employee takes more than workforce to a competitor
Danish law provides a powerful civil remedy procedure for the seizure of evidence protected by intellectual property law, unlawful product imitation under marketing law and certain sui generis protection, including where a rightsholder suspects that such material, for example technical drawings, have been taken by a former employee to a competitor. The seizure of evidence may extend to electronic data stored outside Danish jurisdiction provided that the relevant material can lawfully and effectively be accessed from premises in Denmark.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Access to professional email accounts: the struggle between GDPR data subject access rights and the right to evidence before French courts
Since becoming applicable on 25 May 2018, the GDPR has required employers, as data controllers, to respond to requests made by data subjects. Among the rights it grants is the right of access under Article 15: the right to obtain confirmation that personal data are being processed and to receive a copy thereof, including the content of the messages and their technical metadata. Initially intended to enable individuals to verify the lawfulness of data processing, this right has become a tool for employees seeking to build a case against their employer.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Walking out the door in Brazil: trade secrets, confidential information and post-employment obligations
This article examines the Brazilian legal framework governing the protection of trade secrets and confidential information in the context of employment relationships, with a particular focus on the obligations that persist after the employment bond is dissolved. It analyses the relevant statutory instruments, the role of unfair competition law as the primary post-employment enforcement mechanism, available remedies and emerging trends in the Brazilian courts.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
What leaves with the employee? Confidential information and IP risks post-employment
This article examines the legal framework governing trade secrets, confidentiality and intellectual property created during employment under the law of North Macedonia, with a particular focus on employee post-termination obligations. It analyses the protection available to employers, the allocation of economic and moral rights to employee-created works and the role of contractual mechanisms, such as confidentiality clauses, in safeguarding business interests.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Navigating post-employment patent assignment agreements and the burden of proof
The Eastern District of Texas found that an assignment agreement presuming that patents filed by a former employee up to a year after leaving an employer would still be owned by the employer was valid despite worker-friendly state employment laws, because the agreement also provided that the presumption could be rebutted by a showing that the invention was invented after leaving the former employer. The former employee was in fact able to convince the court that the invention occurred after the termination of his employment, and the court ruled that he did in fact own the patents and had standing to assert them in a patent infringement lawsuit, clearing the way to a subsequent $278.8m jury award. This article analyses that case to assess the broader practical implications for both employers and employees within patent law.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Defining the object: why trade secret claims fail in Ukraine
Most trade secret disputes involving former employees in Ukraine fail at the stage of defining the object of protection. The issue is not the absence of commercially valuable information, but the inability to express that value as a legally identifiable object. This article examines how Ukrainian courts address this problem and what it means for enforcement.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Labour market shifts and the evolution of trade secret protection under Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act
Japan is simultaneously promoting workforce mobility and strengthening trade secret protection. The 2023 amendment to the Unfair Competition Prevention Act expanded the scope of protected data, introduced extraterritorial enforcement and enhanced the remedies available, while the March 2025 revision of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Management Guidelines for Trade Secrets addressed generative artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, remote work and research institutions. This article examines these reforms, the evolving case law in this area and the role of non-compete clauses as a calibrated complement to confidentiality obligations.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
When former employees become a vector for IP infringement, trade secret misappropriation and unfair competition
When a service company loses a key client only to find a newly formed competitor, staffed by former employees, using its own operational tools, already in operation, the legal response rarely rests on a single cause of action. This article examines three interlocking claims under Portuguese law: unfair competition through employee diversion, trade secret misappropriation and copyright infringement. It also surveys the procedural tools available — disclosure orders, injunctions and damages mechanisms — that determine whether the legal response is effective in practice.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
The legal framework governing intellectual property and entertainment in Tanzania
The music scene and a growing film sector have brought to the fore the critical importance of intellectual property (IP) rights in Tanzania. As creators and innovators increasingly leverage their artistic endeavours for commercial gain, a robust legal framework is essential to protect their interests, foster creativity and ensure fair compensation. This article provides a detailed examination of the IP and entertainment law landscape in Tanzania, highlighting key legislation, regulatory bodies and recent developments, all presented from the perspective of a seasoned legal practitioner.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Towards a more holistic framework for trade secret protection in Türkiye: analysis of the draft law on the protection of trade secrets
In April 2026, the Turkish Ministry of Trade published a draft law on the protection of trade secrets, aiming to establish a more coherent legal framework for trade secret protection, drawing on European Union Directive 2016/943. This article provides a general overview of the draft law by highlighting the conceptual ambiguities, constitutional tensions and legislative inconsistencies likely to shape its implementation in the light of Directive (EU) 2016/943.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
The unregistered asset: protecting trade secrets from misuse by former employees in India
This article explores the legal landscape surrounding the protection of trade secrets in India, with a particular focus on misappropriation by former employees. In doing so, it surveys the judicial standards developed by Indian courts and examines the contractual and operational mechanisms that employers may deploy in the absence of dedicated trade secrets legislation.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Guarding the crown jewels: legal strategies to prevent strategic data leaks post‑employment
This article examines the legal strategies available to companies under French law to protect trade secrets from misappropriation by departing employees, with a focus on the contractual, procedural and evidentiary tools shaped by the landmark Law of 30 July 2018 and a series of recent Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation) rulings. It argues that effective protection depends not only on litigation readiness, but on the preventive architecture built before the departure occurs.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Walking out the door: Australian approaches to safeguarding confidential information and intellectual property
This article examines the legal framework for trade secret protection in Australia, including breach of confidence, copyright, directors’ duties and fiduciary obligations, noting the benefits of a multi-pronged approach. It considers the practical implications of forthcoming reforms that aim to restrict restraint of trade clauses in employment contracts.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
Foreign heirs and real estate in Turkey: a practical overview of the legal framework
This article outlines the main issues of Turkish law arising where an estate includes real estate located in Turkey and contains a foreign element. It briefly explains the applicable conflict-of-laws rules, the determination of heirship, the restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate and the legal consequences where acquisition is not permitted.
Released on Jun 9, 2026
The evolution of the fight against organised crime in Brazil: from criminal factions to complex financial structures
This article traces the evolution of Brazil’s fight against organised crime, from the adoption of the Palermo Convention and the enactment of Law No. 12,850/2013 to the recent wave of financial crime operations and the passage of Law No. 15,358/2026 (otherwise known as the ‘Anti-Faction Law’). It highlights a paradigm shift from prosecuting traditional criminal factions (organised criminal groups) to dismantling complex financial structures embedded within the formal economy.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
A new compliance framework for companies operating in Latin America: heightened risks of exposure to cartel activity
Description: Recent changes in the use of counter-terrorism, anti-money laundering and economic sanctions tools against regional criminal organisations by the US government have resulted in increased compliance and enforcement risks for companies operating in Latin America. While no legitimate business would knowingly support drug cartels, the new enforcement focus of the Trump administration means even well-intentioned companies face increased risk from routine business activities. This article provides an overview of the recent regulatory changes in this regard and discuss practical steps companies can take to mitigate the risks.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
Parallel tracks: multilateral development bank sanctions proceedings and the criminal law of corruption in Latin America
The Inter-American Development Bank’s sanctions system is invisible to most criminal practitioners in Latin America. It should not be. Over the past decade, it has become a parallel track of corruption enforcement, reaching every IDB-financed contract in the region, debarring firms and individuals across the multilateral development bank system and increasingly feeding material to national prosecutors. This article explores not only the great strengths, but the issues of the system to give an insightful overview that will aid international lawyers with the question of how to move forward with the system at hand.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
US DOJ’s 2026 Q1 Latin America enforcement agenda: the convergence of enforcement, national security and foreign policy
In May 2025, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memorandum detailing its white-collar crime enforcement priorities, which included, among other goals, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organisations (TCOs), prosecuting threats to US national security and targeting bribery and money laundering that harm US national interests. This article assesses how these points, alongside other national interests converged in the first quarter of 2026 and how Latin America has emerged as a focal point.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
Greenwashing: a ‘green’ collar crime?
This article assesses the growing phenomenon of greenwashing as a fraudulent corporate practice, examining its regulatory treatment across Latin America, and argues that greenwashing satisfies the definitional requirements of white-collar crime, warranting formal criminal recognition in Latin America.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
Spain as a gateway to Europe: smuggling risks involving Latin American trade flows
Spain occupies a distinctive position in regard to the trade between Latin America and Europe. It is not merely a relevant partner for Spanish-speaking countries. In many cases, it also serves as the natural gateway for goods entering the European Union from the region. This role, shaped by historical, logistical and economic factors, has a direct consequence: it places Spain at the forefront of administrative and criminal enforcement involving international trade with Latin America.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
Work permit exemptions for high skilled workers and researchers entering Canada on a short-term basis
Foreign nationals sometimes need to enter Canada on short notice, in order to perform gainful employment in Canada. In such cases, there may be insufficient time to apply for a formal work permit. Fortunately, it is possible for some foreign nationals to work in Canada for short periods of time, without the need for a formal work permit. This article explores the different employment laws and institutions surrounding these permits and how they effect foreign workers in Canada.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
Mexico’s judicial overhaul: implications for North American companies
Mexico has embarked on one of the most consequential constitutional transformations in its modern legal history. A sweeping judicial reform, enacted in September 2024 and now being implemented through 2025–2027, fundamentally restructures how judges are selected, how courts operate, and how constitutional protections function. For North American companies – particularly those operating under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) – this reform is not merely institutional. It has direct implications for dispute resolution, regulatory enforcement and the predictability of the rule of law in Mexico.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
Recent legislative amendments expand entitlement to Canadian citizenship by descent
Recent amendments to the Canadian Citizenship Act have significantly expanded the pool of foreign-born persons who may now have a claim to Canadian citizenship by descent. Anyone with an ancestor who was either born or naturalised in Canada may now have a claim to Canadian citizenship from birth if they can document the transmission of Canadian citizenship through multiple generations. This article will explore the history of amendments to Canadian citizenship, as well as the legal ramifications for the new amendment.
Released on Jun 8, 2026
When asylum confidentiality meets international police cooperation
International police cooperation is based on trust that participating states will act in good faith and that shared information will not be misused. US asylum law rests on a different assumption: contact with an asylum seeker’s home government can create danger. When these frameworks intersect, as they do in cases involving alerts issued by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), tensions arise that can expose asylum seekers and complicate adjudication, and which remain largely unaddressed in law or policy.
Released on Jun 8, 2026