Conference programme

An open meeting of the Academic and Professional Development Committee where all Conference attendees are invited to hear about the extensive activities of the Committee in the legal education and professional development fields and to learn more about how to get involved in the work of the Committee.

This session is open to members and other delegates at the conference who would like to partake in discussions, open for general benefit of our members.

In 2017 the late Stephen Hawking, English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, said: ‘Unless we learn how to prepare for, and avoid, the potential risks, AI [artificial intelligence] could be the worst event in the history of our civilisation. It brings dangers and new ways for the few to oppress the many.’ The rise and rise of AI has been breathtaking – while it took the telephone 75 years to reach 100 million users, it took only two months for ChatGPT to reach 100 million users. Are we bringing everyone along on the AI journey or are some sectors of the workforce being left behind? This session will explore the effect of AI and its impact on the workforce from a diversity and equality perspective.

Regulatory matters consume more and more time of in-house legal teams. Just the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) means nearly every company will need to take into consideration regulatory constraints on its use, while the broader application of privacy protections or the proposed prompt payment regulation in the EU create regulatory regimes that affect every company subject to their jurisdiction. Similarly broad regulations have emerged in almost every part of the world. How are in-house teams coping with these changes and where can external counsel best provide valuable assistance?

Increasingly, sports organisations are relying on specialised dispute resolution bodies to decide sports-related disputes.  From the ad hoc tribunals at the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup that hear eligibility and doping disputes in real time, to the specialised sports tribunals located around the world, these sports arbitral institutions aim to resolve sports-related disputes as efficiently as possible. This session will shed light on how sports-related disputes are resolved, looking at the common features shared by sports tribunals (compared to internal dispute resolution bodies of sports federations), including as regards their independence and decision-making process.

Whether confronting new technologies and asset classes or piecing together the facts in an old-fashioned fraud, asset recovery experts must keep abreast of the latest hot topics, tools and tricks of the trade in this ever-evolving area of practice. This session will bring together a diverse group of practitioners from Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss the latest hot topics relating to asset recovery in 2024 and beyond.

This session will explore key legal issues related to the establishment, operation of and exit from a joint venture from the perspective of a closely held company.

This session will cover:

•    Why consider a joint venture? This can be a good option but there are pitfalls – both legal and operational. 
•    Structure – what are the options and how do you find the right one? 
•    Finding the right partner – what do they bring to the table, and can you govern and run the joint venture together? What steps can the lawyers take to help provide the ‘rules for the road’ to align these interests. How do cultural issues make an impact? 
•    Legal issues – from rules for governance, to completion/anti-trust compliance, to how to manage an exit/break up.
•    And a lot in between.  
 

Large data and privacy breaches involving millions of individuals from multiple countries are becoming a far more common global phenomena. Data claims by individuals are expensive and, relative to the damages likely to be awarded, unaffordable on an individual basis, so class actions of whatever description appear to be the best mechanisms to bring big tech companies to account, and to give data subjects the possibility of some redress. However, courts around the world are grappling with the difficult question of how to give individuals access to an effective judicial remedy, including what damages to award, if any. This session will look at these issues in several leading countries and see how courts and governments are trying to get the balance right between the big tech companies and individuals rights.

The session will look at current trends in environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics for public companies and will dive into a separate ESG survey. The phenomenon of greenwashing in the international capital markets will also be discussed. 

Are women lawyers provided with the same opportunity for revenue generation as their male counterparts? Do they have the same personal connection with client leads and decision makers?

This session will examine how women lawyers can increase revenue generation through business development initiatives and will include law firm management, partners and in-house counsel perspectives. Consideration will be given to how business development strategies differ by firm size and geographic location. The speakers will share practical tips and best practice for women lawyers and law firms generally. Audience participation is welcome.
 

In addition to effects on manufacturing processes and distribution along the supply chain, nearshoring involves the need for financing and planning for commercial/tax structures to operate in the nearshore jurisdiction as cost centres. This implicates issues that involve guarantees, project bankability, environmental, social and governance (ESG), tax and import/export.

The panel will explore guidelines for a financial institution’s proper due diligence on potential borrowers and the appropriate contractual protections in finance documents, in addition to the main opportunities for landing operations in Mexico and other popular nearshore jurisdictions.
 

Anti-corruption measures to fight money laundering, terrorist financing and other human rights abuses begin with knowing the client. The laws regarding disclosure of beneficial ownership (ie, the ultimate owners of corporate entities) are meant to provide that information. While disclosure has commendable purposes, laws that facilitate it may go too far. In November 2022 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) struck down public access to the EU’s beneficial ownership regime as violative of privacy and personal data protection. In the United States, the Corporate Transparency Act went into effect on 1 January 2024, establishing reporting requirements for entities registered to do business in the United States. Lawyers and bar associations are now grappling with the impact of these laws. This panel discusses the issues relating to: beneficial ownership in terms of law firms as reporting companies; whether individual lawyers and other legal professionals are company applicants; and what law firms must tell their clients and their obligations to advise them.