Conference programme

Joint session of the IBA Regional Fora Committees, focusing on climate, social responsibility and environmental, social and governance (ESG).

The panel will address key considerations and processes of equitisation of unsecured debt as a balance sheet repair tool in financial restructurings.

This session will navigate through the following issues:

•    Available protections for lenders and shareholders;
•    regulatory constraints;
•    directors duties;
•    orderly sales of equitised debt on the markets;
•    disclosure issues;
•    implementation risks; 
•    And conflicts in domestic and cross border constellations.
 

Open business meeting of the Environment, Health and Safety Law Committee, open to all Officers and members of the Committee, to discuss ongoing Committee matters, events, and projects.

Open business meeting of the Real Estate Section, open to members and Officers alike. to discuss on going matters, issues, projects, and developments within the Section.

Conference attendees are invited to participate in this general meeting of the IBAHRI. During the meeting, IBAHRI Director Baroness Kennedy and IBAHRI Co-Chairs Anne Ramberg, Dr Jur hc, and Mark Stephens CBE will discuss IBAHRI’s programmes and topical issues regarding human rights today. The discussion will be open to questions and suggestions related to the past, present and future work of the IBAHRI.

This panel, hosted by the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee, will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis are changing internal investigations. Practitioners from around the world will dive into the challenges in-house and external investigators face in this evolving landscape. The panel will also explore key trends and insights into how technology can facilitate the fact-finding process. Join us as we investigate the intersections of AI, compliance and internal investigations, and discover how embracing technological innovation can drive greater efficiency, transparency and accountability.

Traditional knowledge, cultural expression, genetic resources and the intersection with intellectual property (IP). This panel will look at copyright protection, patents, trademarks, ownership issues and acknowledgement. A broad range of IP rights relevant when looking to acknowledge and protect the centuries old cultural heritage of indigenous people and whether a sui generis system is the way forward.

Increased interoperability, data sharing and digital innovation seem to offer the answers to address not only crucial needs in healthcare – such as data consistency, operational efficiency, evidence-based practices, continuity of care and better population health management – but also to allow content and asset portability in other systems and platforms, such as metaverse, banking and other regulated sectors. But there are significant challenges that should be addressed through legal frameworks, regulatory flexibility and incentivising innovation.

This panel will address: the definition and types of interoperability, data sharing and digital innovation and how they enable different systems to communicate, exchange and use data in a coordinated and meaningful way; the benefits of interoperability, data sharing and digital innovation for various stakeholders, enhancing efficiency and productivity, and facilitating data-driven decision making; the challenges and barriers to achieving these objectives, such as technical, semantic, organisational, legal, ethical, regulatory, privacy, intellectual property (IP) and cultural issues; the current state and future trends of interoperability, such as the adoption of standards, frameworks and policies, the emergence of new technologies and platforms (including artificial intelligence); and the role of innovation and collaboration. 
 

Meaningful engagement with Indigenous groups and local communities and working toward obtaining FPIC is made more challenging by variations in approach and standards.

This session will:

• Feature legal experts with real-life experiences representing clients who have conducted human rights and environmental due diligence and local community consultations.

• Share lessons on Indigenous consultations in the context of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and other community-based engagement as prescribed by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other international standards.

• Examine how interpretations of FPIC vary from country to country and region to region.

• Share best practices on gathering and reporting on what is often considered to be subjective data.

Employers of record (EORs) have been touted as a new solution for employers with a distributed workforce, reducing the bureaucratic hurdles of establishing local entities, reducing employment rights and tax burdens. This session will examine the legal issues including whether these structures are recognised in local employment laws, whether they can be used to sponsor employment-based visas and whether supposed tax and social security advantages are in fact real.

This session will first delve into the question of how human rights activities can obtain sufficient resources to maintain prolonged litigation in a world of finite resources. The session will then turn to consider the very real physical and psychological costs of acting in such cases (given traumatic subject matter), risks to security and limited prospects of implementation.

Join us for round table discussions on hot topics in real estate, including the role of artificial intelligence, efficiency of buildings, Real estate and Insolvency, opportunities for young lawyers in real estate and other trending topics. The session is jointly organized by the Real Estate Committee (lead), the Insolvency Section, and the Young Lawyers Committee. There will not only be a lot of content, but also great opportunities for networking.

The session will discuss which skills and experiences (work-life balance, office politics, business development, time management, networking, compensation, or others) have been the most important for the panelists in creating and continuing their legal career and what would they do the same or differently? What would senior lawyers have done the same or differently?  What could junior lawyers do the same or differently?

In view of the current challenges by states of dispute resolution mechanisms in investment treaties, what are the likely changes to expect around the world?

Traditionally, international trade has been seen as a way in which countries and individuals seek to exchange goods and increase wealth. However, recent global trends, including the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement, have placed basic human rights at the forefront of all human interactions including within international trade.

It is with this view in mind that the panel will deal with three issues (there are more) that always should be tended to when conducting international sale of goods transactions: labour rights; gender rights; and environmental rights.