Conference programme

This panel will discuss the legal regime surrounding the allocation of landing slots at congested airports, and how aviation law specialists can optimise their advice to stakeholders.

The panel will highlight the need for efficiency and standardisation in airport operations and discuss how these issues can best be addressed. We will review the Worldwide Airport Slots Guidelines, which was developed by the industry and discuss its implications for legal practitioners. The panel will also touch on several frequent issues that arise in connection with slot allocations, slots secondary trading, and review best practices that can be recommended by private practitioners.

Finally, discussions will be conducted around the legal constraints relating to the development of infrastructures and the handling of safety concerns. We will explore the sources of potential liability for airport operators and review crisis management principles that can be adopted to mitigate such risks. 

This panel will explore the challenges and opportunities of business combinations of profit-driven and purpose-driven companies, examining the key legal issues, and the implications on compliance and corporate governance.

This session will discuss the green transition, more urgent than ever, creates various challenges of which financing the enormous investment amounts needs is one of the more prominent ones. Also, in addition to requiring large sums, the repeated access needed to capital for long term investments poses unique challenges for traditional financing instruments.

This panel will identify and discuss how (and how not to) contract for innovative projects. Discussions will reflect draft wording to deal with the fact that the technology may be prototype, unproven or being developed through construction. For example, what constitutes “state of the art” or “good industry practice” in a rapidly developing technological world? What kind of warranties will owners expect the market to be prepared to provide for innovative technology?  And what new procurement models will the construction industry be adopting now and in the coming years? Or is the old adage “there is nothing new under the sun” still applicable today?

This joint session is intended to be a dialogue between judges and arbitrators on the topic of the seeming trend of reconsideration and remissions of awards from the bench back to tribunals.

The panel would explore the latest global enforcement trends in the fight against cybercrime.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies like deep fakes are revolutionising the creative landscape, enabling the creation of highly realistic synthetic images, videos, and audio. As these technologies become more prevalent, regulators and unions are stepping in to protect consumers and artists from potential misuse. This panel will explore namely the EU's AI Act, but also other global responses, as for example the guidelines from the US Screen Actors Guild, examining how various sectors are addressing these emerging challenges. The panel will feature legal counsel from different regions and sectors, along with industry representatives who are at the forefront of implementing regulations and guidelines for deep fakes.  

Digital nomads are on the rise and in order to benefit from this new phenomenon, companies need to address the many associated challenges: employment law, visa issues, taxation, etc. The session aims to give useful insights from all of these view angles and to shed light on this somehow untangible phenomenon.

In an era of increasing complexity around health, autonomy, and end-of-life rights, legal professionals are now more than ever called upon to advise, interpret, and guide clients through critical life decisions. Whether drafting Advance Care Directives, advising on guardianship matters, or navigating Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation, the role of legal professionals is pivotal.

This focused session will discuss the legal position on advance care directives and voluntary assisted dying across multiple jurisdictions and offers the tools and insight needed to confidently handle sensitive and high-stakes end-of-life matters—while staying compliant with evolving legislation, human rights and ethical obligations.

This session will address the evolving landscape of product liability in the wake of rapid technological advancements, with a particular focus on product innovation and the 'Internet of Things' (“IoT).” The integration of advanced technologies into products has introduced new layers of risk and complexity, calling for a reassessment of traditional liability frameworks. Key areas of impact include software and firmware updates and the growth of artificial intelligence, which can alter a product's performance and raise questions about post-sale modifications; autonomous systems like self-driving cars and drones that shift liability considerations from human error to algorithmic failures; and cybersecurity, where the increasing interconnectedness of devices necessitates robust security measures and clear liability demarcations.

Furthermore, a new evolution of product categories are integrating technology, such as software as medical devices and wearables, impacting the assessment of product liability in multiple sectors. The session will include a cross-jurisdictional perspective, including case studies illustrating how courts and policymakers have handled liability issues in matters involving advanced technologies, how manufacturers are implementing technology into new products within regulated frameworks, and consideration of evolving international legal standards.

The panel will explore the increasing challenges of protecting your Intellectual Property (IP) and not falling foul of advertising standards in an environment where access to products and services is limitless. Representatives from the brands and the sustainability sector will debate the challenges faced in a more visible on-line marketplace, particularly:  

• Upcycling and the increasing trend to reuse or upcycle luxury goods. As a brand should you be objecting to such reuse or does it help satisfy sustainability goals to reuse material?
• Green claims / greenwashing will also be addressed in the context substantiating green claims.

We intend to explore the human rights impacts of both petty and grand corruption, including civil, political, economic, and social rights.

This session will discuss the ideal size of different business service groups.

This panel will discuss legislative changes to domestic and international anti-avoidance rules in response to recent judicial decisions and evolving government and public views on the role of “acceptable” tax planning.

At this session the Future of Legal Services Commission will present its third annual 'Heatmap' reflecting the issues that are top of mind for practitioners, educators and regulators, and will report on how we are collectively dealing with the challenges and opportunities involved in attracting and retaining new talent in the profession.

This session will explore the complex interplay between national security and foreign investment in the mining sector. This panel will also discuss how political dynamics shape regulatory frameworks and impact foreign investment strategies, highlighting case studies and best practices from various jurisdictions.

Have you ever dreamed of working outside your home / bar jurisdiction? This session will be filled with real-life stories and address legal, ethical, and other professional and practical issues to consider and how the panelists have successfully achieved working in other jurisdictions.

Join this session to learn about a planned update to the International Bar Association pro bono declaration and an accompanying guide to support pro bono practice. This will include a focus on defining pro bono and the avoidance of marketing or business promotion being classified as pro bono work. 

Cyber and corruption supply chain risk management from a legal perspective involves identifying what cyber and corruption risks exist within a supply chain and managing those risks. A supply chain refers to the people, processes, and technologies associated with delivering goods or services from one group to another. How lawyers can advise to secure supply chains and edge against the risk of cyber or corruption events generating disruption is at the core of this session. The panelists will address best practices regarding this cutting edge topic.

Charting a consistent course through the varying regulatory regimes on matters such as privacy, employment, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is difficult in a global environment. Companies thrive on the right combination of uniformity and local adaptation. When is it best to adopt a single policy aligned with a leading source of regulation, such as the EU, and when is it better to adopt policies more tailored to the local requirements?