Conference programme

Join us for our open business meeting of the IBA India Working Group, where all members and Officers of the Working Group are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments.

The IBA Judges’ Forum has once again organised court tours for the IBA Annual Conference. Please note that places are limited. Delegates registered for the conference will be invited to sign up in person at the Conference Help Desk. Attendees are advised to show up 5 to 10 minutes before the start of the tour to make sure there are no delays.
 

Join us for our open forum business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the forum.

This panel will focus on the critical role that arbitral institutions play in shaping international arbitration. As technology evolves and user expectations shift, institutions are at the forefront of innovation-adapting procedures, launching new initiatives, and addressing emerging concerns. Join us for a forward-looking discussion on what’s next in institutional arbitration, the key developments practitioners should be aware of and the challenges that lie ahead.

Since its involvement with the BIC AI project in 2024 and the issuance of the IBA report, the BIC’s working group has been updating and expanding its findings and research. The Working Group report will be issued in 2026, with anticipated recommendations for further commentary to the IBA’s Principles of Conduct for the Profession, as well as guidance for bar associations in issuing their own statements or considering changes to their own ethics rules.

This session will explore how immigration systems are adapting to labour shortages by creating pathways for essential, lower-skilled, workers without degrees. It'll examine ethical recruitment, worker protections, and evolving definitions of 'skilled' labour in modern migration policy.

Aircraft financing is a key factor for the entire aviation sector: it enables the modernisation of airline fleets, sustainable growth and long-term compliance with environmental standards. This panel will analyse the latest developments and trends, at a time when the industry is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the most important convention for aircraft financing, whilst facing unprecedented challenges due to global conflicts and uncertainty.

A panel of recognised experts will discuss the hottest topics, including, among others:

• the Cape Town Convention turns 25: a success or an opportunity for reform?;
• the impact of escalating conflict on aircraft leasing, financing and insurance;
• the process of returning an aircraft to the lessor: key challenges; and
• lessons learnt: Russian leases.

How should we deal with defect notification requirements? Join us for this session where we will discuss.

Several bilateral and multilateral treaties have recently been (re)negotiated to enable access to natural resources, including the US/Ukraine Treaty and others involving Australia, China, and Japan. This panel will analyse how these treaties influence investment, geopolitics, and the global mining landscape.

In a period of extreme volatility across all dimensions, the environment for global dealmaking is as complex and fragmented as ever. Multiple external factors are influencing both the appetite for M&A transactions and their execution. Market participants must navigate a landscape in which transaction timelines, risk allocation and approval processes have become increasingly difficult to predict.

The discussion will examine how companies, investors and their advisers are adjusting their strategies, including shifts in cross-border activity and transaction structuring, approaches to purchase price mechanisms, and the overall impact on deal certainty. It will also address the challenges private equity faces in the current environment and diverging dealmaking conditions across regions, as well as highlight opportunities emerging from these dynamics and how they are shaping M&A activity in 2026.

Tariffs and the realignment of international trade (dis)agreements at the government level have caused multinational companies to rethink their manufacturing and supply chain structures. This panel will discuss the tax issues that arise as companies enter new markets and reorganise trade patterns, distribution networks and manufacturing operations.

The panel will explore how trusts, foundations and holding structures can be used to shape ownership, preserve strategic influence and manage succession across jurisdictions. The discussion will focus on how these structures can support long-term stewardship while allowing businesses to remain effective, competitive and well governed over time.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions can be significantly affected by sanction regimes, and liabilities resulting thereof, especially criminal liability. The focus should not just be put on acquiring a company that may be exposed to liabilities resulting from existing breaches of sanctions, but rather when the execution of the transaction itself could constitute a breach of sanctions. In said situations, considering the limitations sanction regimes/criminal law pose is a key aspect to set up the right structure for the transaction as well as for adopting the necessary measures to exclude/mitigate said exposure.

For example, sanction regimes prevent putting assets and/or economic profits at the disposal of certain targeted individuals and the breach of said obligations may entail criminal liabilities. What happens if a sanctioned individual holds, through an affiliated-non-sanctioned-entity, a stake in a multinational company that is looking to be acquired? Can said stake be acquired? Under which circumstances and what measures should be adopted? If said stake is not finally acquired, should the new shareholder establish any kind of mechanism to prevent the payment of dividends up the ladder and into the non-sanctioned affiliated entity?

When considering the answers to these questions, and the decisions that will need to be adopted by the company’s internal bodies, it may be advisable to keep the explanations simple and direct, in case they need to be shared at some point in time with the authorities or even a judge in the criminal jurisdiction. In-house counsels that have faced these kinds of situations acknowledge the multiple challenges resulting thereof, which may be summarised as the encounter of two worlds: M&A and criminal law.

This session will explore alternative approaches to resolving disputes before they reach the bench, focusing on the roles of judges and counsel in mediation, facilitation and negotiation. It will examine how these processes can complement formal litigation and contribute to more efficient and effective dispute resolution.

This very dynamic and well-attended session enables you to select from a menu of hot topics in the Intellectual Property (IP), communications, media and technology sectors and participate in roundtable discussions.

Topics of current interest are selected to stimulate a lively debate. Moderators on each table introduce the table topic, and the participants do the rest. Background knowledge or experience within areas for discussion is not required. Our menu will include hot and 'late breaking' topics in the areas of intellectual property law, internet law and mobile technologies, privacy and data protection, technology contracting and dispute resolution, arts law, media and space law.

Discussion is usually around the interface of law, business, technology and culture, with a global focus. Many topics for discussion are often the subject of considerable public and media interest. In participating in the table topics you will gain a deeper insight into these areas and be able to add your own comments.

The format is interactive networking. The session will provide you with a great opportunity to meet many other lawyers and to discuss topics of mutual interest with them: don't forget your business cards, ecards and contact details to share. We welcome new participants in these discussions.

Rotations
We will start with a brief introduction and have 3 rotations of 45 minutes each with a break of 5 minutes between each rotation for people to wrap up discussions. 

The following topics will be discussed during the session, with the help of the respective moderators identified for each topic:

Topic 1
Originality! What's new? Scandinavian design
This table will explore how Scandinavian furniture design has shaped global ideas of originality, minimalism, and functional aesthetics—and how those ideas are protected (or challenged) under copyright and design law. Discuss how iconic Scandinavian design works sit at the intersection of artistic expression and industrial production, raising key legal questions about where “design inspiration” ends and copyright infringement or copying begins.

Moderators - Herman Croux, MVVP / Hanna Tilus, Cirio Advokatbyrå AB

Topic 2
Return to the Moon. Access to space
This rotating table discussion will cover current proposed plans by NASA, ESA, China and Roscosmos; the principle of non-appropriation of outer space and celestial bodies foreseen in international treaties, peaceful purpose and restrictions on specified military establishments and potential commercial activities. This table will also cover different forms and possibilities of accessing space, from tourism to defense, from satellites to human continuous presence in outer space, from the use of energy to ESC, from free access to barriers, limits and restrictions.

Moderators - Bob Calmes, 55 Legal / Luca Iaboni, Genergo Space / Andreas Lenz, Heuking

Topic 3
AI, image rights, and moral rights: who owns a face in the age of synthetic media?
This table will focus on how AI is blurring the boundaries of image rights, personality rights, and moral rights. With deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI generated likenesses becoming mainstream, the discussion would explore how existing legal frameworks are coping, drawing on U.S. debates around celebrity deepfakes and false endorsement, European approaches grounded in moral rights and human dignity, and Latin American perspectives where image rights often have constitutional protection. The key question: do we need new ways to protect identity itself in the age of synthetic media?

Moderators - Luiza Tângari Coelho, Madrona / Dr. Deepa Tiku, K&S Partners

Topic 4
Green brands on thin ice: IP protection and the legal limits of sustainability claims
This discussion will focus on the growing tension between sustainability driven branding strategies and the legal boundaries set by trademark, unfair competition, and advertising law. It could examine how “green” product names, labels, and brand narratives are assessed under various legal frameworks, including evidentiary standards and enforcement risks. The roundtable could also explore how companies can align IP portfolios with ESG objectives without triggering greenwashing claims or undermining brand value.

Moderators - Sarah Drukarch, Pestalozzi / Sebastain Heim, Graf von Westphalen

Topic 5
Is my invention created aboard the International Space Station protected? And does it infringe other IP rights?
This table will explore the complex legal questions surrounding inventions, technologies, and creative works developed, used, or potentially infringed aboard the International Space Station (ISS), on spacecraft, and in future lunar and orbital habitats. Discuss how existing patent, copyright, trade secret, and contractual frameworks apply in space, including the role of international agreements, national patent laws, and the jurisdictional rules governing activities conducted beyond Earth's borders.

Moderators - Paul Monaghan, The Law Society of NSW / Francesca Ferrero, Trevisan Cuonzo

Topic 6
Show me the money! Establishing monetary compensation for patent infringement in technology products
There are many interesting issues like how to apportion value of a sale, how to prove IP owner’s lost profits, how to determine reasonable royalty, and what is deductible in the common law infringer’s profit’s inquiry (incremental, fixed costs, variable costs etc.) Can the existence of a non-infringing alternative impact the causality inquiry? Some systems foresee bifurcation of the monetary aspects of the case, some don’t, what are the trends?

Moderators - Bob Sotiriadis, ROBIC / Hasan Ifran Khan, United Trademarks

Topic 7
AI and biology: tracking the legal and regulatory issues arising from human augmentation technologies, along with AI assisted scientific review: approaches by FDA, EMA, and other regulators
As advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, neurotechnology, and bioengineering increasingly converge, the line between human and machine is becoming more difficult to define. From AI-assisted prosthetics and brain-computer interfaces to genetic enhancement and cognitive augmentation technologies, innovation is rapidly outpacing the legal frameworks designed to govern it. This table will discuss the evolving intellectual property, regulatory, and ownership issues arising from human augmentation technologies. This table will also discuss how life sciences regulators such as the FDA, EMA, and others are using artificial intelligence for scientific reviews and to assist with reviewing medical product submissions and applications. The discussion will explore fundamental questions surrounding the patentability of augmentation-related inventions, ownership of AI-generated biological innovations, protection of data derived from enhanced individuals, and the allocation of rights among inventors, developers, medical institutions, and users, as well as the allocation of regulatory responsibilities and liability once a product has been approved.

Moderators - Ping Gu, Zhong Lun / Vanessa Burrows, STB Law / Elysangela Rabelo, Demarest

Topic 8
Updates on media law
Description pending

Moderators - pending

Topic 9
Street art, street rules? Banksy's complicated relationship with IP. Public Art, private rights: IP ownership in commissioned works
This table will explore how the pseudonymous street artist and his legal and authentication body, Pest Control, have maintained a famously ambivalent attitude towards IP protection. We will discuss how the artist has sought to rely on trademark law rather than conventional copyright enforcement to avoid revealing his identity and the practical limits of policing IP rights in the context of street art.
And, a lively cross-jurisdiction discussion of who owns copyright in a commissioned public artwork, market norms and the pressures on artists to assign their intellectual property. We will also consider moral rights, when waivers are demanded and whether they are enforceable or desirable.

Moderators - Amelia Brankov, Brankov PLLC / Petra Warrington, Wedlake Bell

Topic 10
Digital sovereignty – is open source the remedy?
The discussion around digital sovereignty has recently picked up and gained momentum, particularly for governments, but also for private businesses. The increased use of open source systems has been proposed as remedy to combat dependency from large tech vendors and to maintain digital sovereignty. The roundtable will discuss whether and how open source systems can effectively be used as an alternative, what legal issues may be mitigated thereby and what new risks and challenges may emerge from using open source components.

Moderators - Roland Mathys, Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd / Astrid Wagner, Arendt / Johan Hubner, DLA Piper
 

Topic 11
AI and its impact on law firm management and legal practice
The choice of this topic reflects the growing relevance of artificial intelligence in the legal sector, not only as a tool for efficiency but as a force that is reshaping how law firms are organized, deliver services, and create value for their clients. AI is influencing everything from internal processes (knowledge management, task automation, resource optimization) to more strategic aspects such as business models, client relationships, and decision-making.
The discussion would address, among other points:
how law firms are incorporating AI into their daily practice;
the impact on team structure and management;
risks, as well as ethical and regulatory challenges;
opportunities to enhance the quality and efficiency of legal services; and
best practices.

Moderators - Doil Son, Yulchon / Gustavo Giay, Marval / Caroline Berubé, HJM Asia Law & Co LLC

Topic 12
Should you and your clients accept the standard contract terms for Generative AI services?
AI tools assist in decision making-- AI shapes an outcome but users play a large role in proper input and examination of output. This roundtable will discuss the appropriate balance of responsibility and liability in AI terms and conditions. We will cover issues involving ownership, data use and deletion, use of customer data to train the AI tool, risk shifting to cover inaccurate or made-up data and challenges in a contract keeping up with the ever-changing AI technology.

Moderators - Christopher Millard, Queen Mary University of London / Joost Schmaal, Kennedy Van der Laan / Dr. Matthias Orthwein, SKW Schwarz

Topic 13
Buying a company, buying its data - what due diligence is missing and how to draft reps and warranties?
Data assets are increasingly central to M&A valuations - yet most legal teams have no framework for assessing them. Is the data clean, lawfully collected, and actually usable? Is the data subject to IPR? This roundtable asks what lawyers need to know before signing off on a data-heavy deal, and what questions nobody is asking until it is too late.

Moderators - Laura Ziferman, Walless / Stefan Weidert, Gleiss Lutz / Statira Ranina, ALMT Legal

Topic 14
Does banning children from accessing social media services work?
This discussion will look at different models that have been adopted in different countries around the world and whether these are, or will be, effective in addressing the harms arising from children accessing social media services.

Moderators - Sam Feder, Jenner & Block / Mario Di Carlo, Ristuccia & Tufarelli

Topic 15
Modernising communications infrastructure: a discussion of the digital network act
The Digital Network’s act will impact in facilitating the modernisation of the EU’s communications infrastructure, for example, by facilitating infrastructure investment and what the long term impacts might be.

Moderators - Anne Vallery, Wilmerhale / Innocenzo Genna Dipartimento per la Trasformazione Digitale / Nazli Cansin Karga, Dentons

Topic 16
Neurodata, emotion AI, and biometric profiling: privacy law's next frontier
Description pending

Moderators - Norman Heck, Ramon Cajal / Malin Tønseth, Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS / Adam Rose, Mischcon de Reya

Topic 17
The death of online anonymity
For decades, anonymity was one of the defining features of the internet. Today, that model is rapidly disappearing. AI-powered identification tools, biometric systems, age-verification laws, platform accountability rules, financial transparency requirements, and growing pressure to “know your user” are reshaping how people interact online — and how companies design digital services. This table will explore whether anonymity can survive the next generation of technology and regulation, and examine the growing tension between identity, safety, privacy, innovation, financial integrity, and freedom of expression in the AI era.

Moderators - Erik Valgaeren, Stibbe / Paulina Silva, BitLaw / Raphael Dana, Dana Law

Topic 18
AI, journalism and market power: who pays the bill in the age of AI?
Generative AI is fundamentally transforming the way people access and consume information. AI assistants and search engines increasingly provide direct answers, summaries and synthesized content, often reducing the need for users to visit the original sources. While these technologies offer significant benefits in terms of accessibility and efficiency, they also raise important questions about the economic sustainability of journalism and the future of independent news production.
Across the globe, regulators, courts and competition authorities are examining whether dominant digital platforms and AI developers derive substantial value from journalistic content without providing fair compensation to news publishers. At the same time, policymakers are grappling with how to balance innovation, access to information and the preservation of a diverse and sustainable media ecosystem.
This roundtable will examine the evolving intersection of competition law, copyright, platform regulation and media sustainability. Drawing on recent litigation, licensing arrangements and regulatory investigations involving AI developers, search engines and news organizations, participants will discuss legal responses and consider how the value generated by information should be allocated in the age of AI.

Moderators - Simone Lahorgue Nunes, Lahorgue Advogadas / Daniela de Pasquale, Ughi e Nunziante Studio Legale / Sajai Singh, JSA Law

Our hot topics session is designed to be interactive - the opposite of a ‘talking heads’ format. We will host a series of table where we discuss ‘late breaking’ topics in the areas of international commerce, trade, franchising, and product law. The format is interactive and topics are selected to be of current interest and likely to stimulate discussion and debate. Moderators at each table introduce and briefly discuss the table topic and then participants weigh in with their views.

You will have the opportunity to discuss three topics. We have scheduled turnover times when the participants change tables to move to the next topic of their choice. By participating in the table discussions, you gain a greater insight into these areas and the other participants and table moderators benefit from your comments.

This session will provide you with a great opportunity to meet many other lawyers and discuss topics of mutual interest with them. Many times at our previous sessions, participants have met lawyers from other countries who they kept in touch with for years to come. Each year our table moderators have commented that they ‘learnt as much or more’ from the table participants as they themselves conveyed.

Children are among the most vulnerable victims of conflict, displacement, poverty, exploitation and violence. Across the world, children face grave violations of their rights, including sexual violence, trafficking, forced recruitment, abduction, child marriage, slavery, and the denial of access to education and healthcare. This showcase forum will examine whether the international legal framework is adequately protecting children and explore how governments, international institutions and the legal community can strengthen accountability and protection mechanisms.