Conference programme

The increasing integration of global value chains raises concerns about how to balance open markets and environmental protection. ESG standards have gained greater attention each year and have become urgent and necessary for business success, whether for small or large corporations. The session will address, among other things, legislative developments in key markets related to trade and environment and the extra-territorial impact of these developments. It will address in particular the EC deforestation regulation (and other similar regulation discussed by other countries) and the reaction from potentially affected countries.

In this session we will look ahead and see how the practice of immigration law will change based on technology trends, competition from non-lawyers, more globalisation of immigration practices, and more.

Behind the glitter, lights and runway, the global fashion industry has its challenges. Whether its ESG, privacy and data, equity, geopolitics or local politics, woke-ism, employee welfare, anti-trust, business models, need for capital, inflation, supply chain reshuffling—there is a lot keep General Counsels in this industry awake.  There is hardly a jurisdiction or region of the world that has not kicked into high gear enacting new regulation and enforcing old regulations for environmental protections, consumer rights, global trade, product safety, marketing, labor laws and human rights at a time when customers are dialing back their spending and capital is increasingly constrained.  How are GC’s addressing these issues and how are law firm helping companies meet these numerous challenges?

This session will provide a perspective from each of the legal sectors considered in the groundbreaking IBA 50:50 by 2030 project. Featuring public, private, in-house and judicial perspectives, the discussion will raise key issues such as why women thrive in some workplaces but not others, why does it matter to have a more balanced workplace, what initiatives appear to work, why the diversity undertakings given are not playing out consistently over time, and how to challenge the status quo.

It seems young lawyers want it all: exceptional pay, full flexibility, perks and positive leadership. How can law firms meet these needs if they should?

Strategic M&A transactions are an area of particular focus for boards, and usually call for careful handling from the legal team. This panel of seasoned board advisors will explore the “do’s” and “don’ts” of advising the board in strategic transactions, including:

• what matters are appropriate, and not appropriate, to discuss at board level;
• how should sensitivities between different board members (or between management and the board) be handled;
• what is the right balance between the in-house perspective and the views of external law firms;
• what should the legal team do if a deal gets into trouble; and
• what are the common things that board members want from their legal advisors.

Artificial intelligence can be merged with humans to create the perfect employee of the future. This session will discuss how collaborative intelligence may apply to the employment context.

This session will be dedicated to the discussions of the pros and cons of keeping commercial arbitration proceedings confidential as well as possible measures that could be taken to achieve a balance between the users’ interests at large and the parties’ interests in a particular arbitration.

This session will be a discussion on application of newly released IBA Updated Guidance on UNGPs launched in 2023.  
 
It will look at understanding the application of this guidance in practice, what it means for all lawyers, how ESG relates to business and human rights, the significance of the Right to a Healthy Environment (R2HE), due diligence approaches for human rights and the environment, and the trends in transnational business and human rights litigation.