Conference programme

An open meeting of the Pro Bono Committee where committee members and those interested in joining the committee, are invited to learn more about the extensive activities of the committee, provide feedback and collaborate about new ideas and initiatives. 

In this session we will tackle the issue of toxic behaviour in the workplace, and how this can be addressed in law firms.

As regulatory requirements and ethical expectations continue to rise, the discussion will focus on how far companies should go to ensure compliance and best practice, including corruption, anti-money laundering (AML), labour, environmental, and human rights standards. We will discuss best practices in balancing cost-efficiency and regulatory obligations while maintaining responsible and sustainable supply chains in an increasingly regulated world.

This panel will explore the growing relevance of Creditor Cooperation Agreements (CCAs) as a tool to manage inter-creditor dynamics and prevent disruptive holdout or priming strategies in liability management transactions (LMTs).

Panelists will examine recent case studies and legal innovations where CCAs have been used to align creditor interests and reduce the risk of creditor-on-creditor violence in both consensual and coercive deal structures. The discussion will also address practical drafting considerations, enforceability challenges, and the evolving role of CCAs in enhancing predictability and fairness in distressed debt scenarios.

This session will be about M&A strategies for acquiring distressed businesses in challenging situations.

An exploration of energy policies and environmental protection interests, including approaches to renewable energy, across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

This panel will explore the rapidly evolving field of greenwashing litigation, focusing on the legal strategies used to combat deceptive environmental claims and the regulatory landscape shaping these efforts. With an emphasis on cross-border challenges, we will examine jurisdictional conflicts, varying legal standards, and enforcement mechanisms that complicate international greenwashing cases. Through case studies and expert insights, the panel will provide a comprehensive understanding of how legal professionals can navigate these complexities to ensure corporate transparency and accountability on a global scale.

In this session we will review issues that are hot within the industry at the time.

As efforts to combat climate change intensify, businesses across the globe are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices. International agreements and regulatory frameworks mandating or encouraging carbon reduction strategies present challenges for clients and significant opportunities for law firms ready to guide companies through the complex web of rules and regulations. What is the potential for law firms to expand their environmental law practice through advising and facilitating transactions in the carbon credits market? How should multidisciplinary advisory teams (biodiversity, fintech and others) be deployed? What is the future for carbon credit exchanges? This panel will address these and many other topical issues arising from a challenging environmental issue facing the legal practice. 

This session will examine the role that male champions of gender equity can play as catalysts for change in our profession. The entire legal community must work together to achieve parity. Women lawyers are acutely aware of the challenges they face and what needs to be done to level the playing field. However, this is not just a women’s issue. Law firm leaders globally (including managing partners, executive committee members, shareholders/equity partners, etc.) are primarily male and can serve as accelerators in providing opportunities for women.

This panel will discuss the characterisation of fee payments: royalties, services fees, access fees or other? We will also explore source issues and implications from a transfer pricing, withholding tax and treaty interpretation perspective.

The session will discuss the most recent virtual asset regulations, what they cover and don’t cover, and the challenges faced by enforcement authorities on categorising and regulating emerging financial products. 

This panel will cover issues on construction, management and transactions, coverage regulatory aspects, and litigations.

This panel will discuss the impact of the change of leadership in the United States, Canada and Mexico, on the review of the North American’s free trade agreement (the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement), scheduled in 2026. The previous revision introduced ground breaking changes, including the thorough supervision of labour standards at a company level. What will the next revision bring? 

The panel will discuss the current state of domain name protection and what companies need to be thinking about over the next 25 years.

This session is organised to discuss possible role of lawyers in using law and legal procedures to broker peace talks/ bring war crimes to justice and related issues. 

This panel will address the tax implication of a change of the residency of individuals for both companies and the individuals, different regimes of exit taxation or deferral of taxation upon a move, dual residency, and tie breaker regimes as well as allocation issues.

The evidence shows that in most cases, and even where international arbitration disputes involve African parties, the seats for the international arbitration are likely to be London, Paris, New York or sometimes in Singapore with these cases being subject to either the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) or the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). Is there the need for African countries to consider strengthening their national legal systems and mechanisms for commercial dispute resolution for purposes international arbitration at least when the parties are all African?

The session will explore the feasibility of strengthening these national rules for commercial dispute resolution or consider the establishment of a regional hub with the necessary international standards and and credibility to absorb some of the disputes in the future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is revolutionising the IT ecosystem in unprecedented ways. With AI developers themselves struggling to fully understand the intricacies of their own model, AI’s inherent risks of unpredictability and bias pose challenges for lawyers and regulators alike. Regulators around the globe have responded with AI regulation but are also introducing new regulations that apply to technology contracting more broadly and which impact providers and users of technology in general. In this evolving landscape, companies need to re-evaluate their contracts. Are they still offering the right level of protection? Do the clauses function as intended? Do they address these new developments? The short answer is: likely not.

In this interactive session, leading industry experts and specialised lawyers will discuss the impact of AI and other regulations on contracts. Through real-world examples and contract clauses, they will guide you on how to update your contracts to meet the challenges ahead.