Conference programme

We intend to explore the impacts of the foreign ownership of farmland from an economic, social and environmental perspective.

We will address the cross-border challenges faced in regulating and monitoring these transactions, and the benefits and risks associated with foreign investment in farmland.

A section-wide session organised by the Human Resources Section looking at the global trends in employment law and human resources (HR) practice.

This panel will explore the evolution of online viral sensations and influencers including discussion of their unique legal and business challenges faced as entertainers and product/sales professionals.

The panel includes Jordan Matter, an American YouTuber with over 24 million subscribers and over 8 billion views, and Yazmin Yeara, a successful Dominican Republic on-line influencer and cosmetic product developer.

On-line content providers and influencers are surpassing traditional entertainment and sales industry professionals in revenue production which in turn creates new challenges. The panel will also discuss sophisticated IP strategies now required of such professionals. Knowing this industry is critical for legal professionals to serve clients in this exploding area of business.

What’s good for people, is good for the planet and for profits! 

This catchy phrase illustrates the growing impact health and safety aspects have on businesses and on society as a whole. As the impact expands, the responsibilities grow too – and, as a further consequence, the liabilities and criminal ramifications become more challenging. The session will focus on these interconnections, charting the course for management practices on how to avoid and minimise risks.

Speakers from both inside and outside the legal industry will share best practice recommendations on implementing D&I policies and integrating these into operational culture. The session will offer practice guidance on managing difficult scenarios and also provide first-hand experiences of implementing the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) toolkit for law firms, which was launched at the IBA Annual Conference in Paris 2023.

The phrase “Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States” is attributed to Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, who at the turn of the 20th century purportedly lamented Mexico’s proximity to the U.S. While this phrase was likely never uttered by Diaz, the sentiment was deeply felt, at least for much of the 20th century.  

The ratification of NAFTA in the 1990s ushered in a new era, transforming Mexico, the U.S. and Canada into the “Three Amigos". This panel will explore how deeply that friendship runs today.  

The relationship between the three North American partners has had its ups and downs since the 1990s, especially when NAFTA was replaced by CUSMA, but free trade is widely viewed as having been a boon to all three countries. 

There have been and will be a lot of developments, both commercial and political, in all three countries.  With one election complete (Mexico) and two to come, the situation across North America is very fluid.  This panel will explore these developments, how the three amigos are each dealing with them and what many are calling the “Second China Shock.” What is the outlook for CUSMA, and might the alliance be strengthened by using CUSMA as a tool to improve coordination (assuming there is political will to coordinate)?

More global connectivity is needed to support the compute power revolution resulting from the wide use of gen AI, cloud computing, etc. This session will look at how such global connectivity could be improved through the deployment of new technologies (LEO, fiber, 6G etc.) and limiting legal/regulatory restrictions (data flows, digital cooperation, etc.) 

As a lawyer practicing international M&A, you benefit from a broad network of colleagues in the same practice in other countries. This session will be a great way to meet many new M&A contacts, build your network and learn from the experience of your peers. The session will involve 10 current tables and topics, with a moderator knowledgeable on the topic. All session participants will be able to speak and ask questions, exchange contacts. Every 20 minutes the tables will rotate, so you will be able to discuss at least 3 topics of your interest and meet at least 30 new M&A lawyers from around the world.
 
Table topics:
1. Current trends in government intervention: FDI and merger control 
2. Current trends in cross-border deals: strategic/financial buyers, local/international etc. Deal structuring.
3. Current trends in SPA liability provisions and other non-financial terms.
4. Current trends in pricing and other financial deal terms. 
5. Current trends in private equity.

Building, construction and infrastructure disputes have a long history of utilising arbitral tribunals and judicial courts to resolve disputes. Disputes may have huge monetary impacts on investors, developers, contractors,  and insurers. Problems with delivering on contracts, breaches of terms and the halting of projects have been endemic features of the construction industry in many jurisdictions. Dispute resolution clauses in construction contracts increasingly tend to include a tiered approach to dispute management in order to reduce the costs of fully blown proceedings. 

How does negotiation and mediation can assist in the management of disputes arising out of construction contracts?  Let’s talk about these options to bring the construction contracts in on time and within budget. The use of independent mediators throughout the entire construction project: is it a solution to appoint mediators at the commencement of the project to be available every time there is an issue until completion of the works? What are the advantages and peculiarities of mediation in the construction industry?

The proliferation of online sales and e-marketplaces has expanded the direct-to-consumer market capabilities for manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers and third-party sellers. This expanded online sales capability also includes sales of products direct to consumers across national boundaries. In this new world, alternative dispute resolution of consumer disputes may be mandated by the underlying contract or other relationship between the consumer and the seller. In this session, we delve deep on the key issues that arise in handling consumer product disputes through mandatory and non-mandatory alternative dispute resolution regimes around the world.

This session will explore:

•    Impact of current economic environment on private fund terms, structures and financing (private equity funds, real estate funds and credit funds);
•    Consolidation of asset managers in recent times – what does that mean for LPs and the industry at large?
•    Recent trends on financial, governance and other fund terms;
•    Trends in sustainable investing; 
•    And retailisation and new opportunities.

The panel will discuss the definition of indigenous cultural property and consider relevant national regulations, international laws and conventions, and their applicability/application in international disputes.

The panel will cover issues such as: how to recognise LGBTQI+ family units in the context of refugee status, migration and family reunification; the challenges involved in placement and housing of LGBTQI+ refugees and migrants; how to achieve positive integration outcomes for LGBTQI+ refugees in the resettlement country; and LGBTQI+ specific healthcare issues in the migration context, including mental health issues.

We all know that lawyers must act in the best interests of their clients, but what about their broader duties; to defend the rule of law, to uphold human rights, and to emulate those other ethical principles that underpin our profession? Do lawyers owe general duties to society beyond those contained in their codes of conduct? And, if they do, what do those duties look like? Moreover, what happens if, and when, these duties come into conflict with each other?
 
Following two years of debate both within and outside the IBA, this session, led by practitioners, regulators, and in-house counsel, will explore the current state of discourse in relation to these difficult questions. Is there consensus, and, if not (which is our experience to date) what should lawyers, law firms, and regulators actually be doing in response?
 
In an attempt to answer these questions, this session will consider the principles that (in theory) govern lawyers’ behaviour, particularly the challenges we face as a profession in protecting those core values. How can we do this, while simultaneously ensuring we retain public trust and confidence in our vital, and seemingly ever-expanding, societal role, especially when it comes to supporting sustainable development, the climate, and human rights?
 
Central to this will be an examination of a new report, one which summarises a discussion of these issues by key stakeholders at a Chatham House event convened in July 2024 as part of the IBA’s ‘Lawyers as Gatekeepers’ Project.  In particular, this session will look to build on any areas of broad agreement emerging from that event which might lead to specific action.
 
Overall, this session represents an attempt to map out constructive ways forward with regards to these broad challenges, as well as how we, as a global community of lawyers, can continue to reform and improve the image and impact of our profession.

Over the last decade, the curtailment of funding for justice systems around the world has had serious consequences for the administration of justice. Many jurisdictions have witnessed a degrading in the courts estate; administrative systems have struggled to cope with demand; recruitment and retention within many areas of the justice system is adversely affected due to funding concerns; and publicly funded legal systems have been subject to repercussive cuts. 

These effects compromise access to justice and diminish respect for the justice system as a whole. Rather than justice being seen as a valuable commodity worthy of investment, it is too often seen as an unwelcome cost which should be subject to imposed decline. This has concerning repercussions for both the state and its citizens, creating real impediments to the rule of law and meaningful access to justice. 

The scope of legal aid systems across the world varies. As legal aid is a crucial vehicle by which the fundamental protection of human rights may be guaranteed, and the availability of legal aid is inextricably linked to access to justice, it is the responsibility of governments to guarantee that legal aid systems ensure that this protection is practical and effective, including the provision of adequate funding. This session will explore, through a number of case studies, the consequences of failing to invest in a country’s justice system and the response of the legal profession in safeguarding access to justice and the rule of law.
 

An open meeting of the Professional Ethics Committee where all committee members and non committee members are invited to learn more about the extensive activities of the committee.