From the Editors: Litigation Committee newsletter – autumn 2026

Rocco Rondi
Partner, BMG Avocats, Geneva
rocco.rondi@bmglaw.ch

Lucy Pert
Partner, Hausfeld, London
lpert@hausfeld.com

Dear readers,

Welcome to the Autumn 2026 edition of the IBA Litigation Committee Newsletter, entitled ‘What moved the needle? A year of litigation developments around the world’.

A year can be a surprisingly long time in litigation when it come to changes and new trends. Courts hand down decisions that reshape established habits, technology creates new challenges and sudden geopolitical events increasingly find their way into courtrooms. But which of these developments really matter? Which ones have actually moved the needle?

That is the question we put to our Litigation Committee members for this edition. Our contributors take us around the world, identifying developments in their jurisdictions that have broader implications for practitioners conducting disputes across borders.

Several common threads emerge. Artificial intelligence and digitalisation are changing both the practice of litigation and the disputes reaching our courts. At the same time, familiar challenges of cross-border litigation — obtaining evidence abroad, establishing jurisdiction, serving proceedings and securing recognition and enforcement — continue to evolve. Last but not least, sanctions and geopolitical tensions increasingly affect commercial disputes.

What also emerges is a litigation landscape in which developments may be local, but their consequences resonate across borders. Understanding what is happening beyond our own jurisdictions is increasingly part of understanding the risks, strategies and opportunities within them.

We thank all our contributors for sharing their expertise and perspectives, and for once again making the Newsletter a forum for exchange across jurisdictions.

We hope you enjoy travelling around the litigation world with us — and discovering what has moved the needle over the past year.

Warm regards,

Rocco Rondi and Lucy Pert
Newsletter Editors
IBA Litigation Committee