Conference programme

International wealth planning, management and preservation strategies often make use of trusts, foundations and a variety of other entities and structures, which can have significant implications for general corporate income tax and international tax planning. This panel will examine common wealth planning strategies and explore the entity classification issues and potential consequences that may arise when jurisdictions take differing approaches and reach contrasting conclusions.

Professional services firms (lawyers, accountants, trustees and real estate dealers) increasingly have to report to, and face enforcement action from, general purpose financial regulators or supra-national agencies such as the new European Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA). A cultural and compliance clash in the making?

The use of AI has become widespread and almost ubiquitous in the community.  A number of courts and tribunals have implemented practice directions, striving to balance the advantages of a new technology against the need to observe high ethical standards. Recent cases suggest that both judges and practitioners must be rigorous in the observance of their ethical standards. To what extent do the courts countenance the use of AI? Is it ever appropriate for judges to use AI? Experienced judges and advocates will discuss the proper role for the use of AI in litigation in the higher courts.

For the mining industry, water is both an indispensable operational asset and one of its greatest potential liabilities. This session will provide a deep dive into the multifaceted legal issues governing water use in mining, from initial allocation to post-closure responsibilities. We will examine the legal frameworks for water permitting, the critical importance of robust tailings dam regulations, and the escalating legal battles over water contamination and community rights. The discussion will focus on risk allocation in project finance, corporate liability for environmental disasters, and the evolving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards that are reshaping the social license to operate for mining companies worldwide.

As AI tools draft contracts, predict case outcomes and analyse vast datasets in seconds, clients are confronting a fundamental question: what are they actually paying for? This session examines how technology is transforming the essence of legal practice – shifting from time-based billing to value-driven partnerships, from individual expertise to human–AI collaboration, and from traditional service delivery to platform-based models. We’ll explore how forward-thinking firms are reimagining their business models, how clients are demanding unprecedented transparency and measurable outcomes, and how a new generation of lawyers is combining technological fluency with strategic insight. This is the new age of law: faster, smarter and fundamentally different from what came before.

This session will consider subjects such as private equity, AI, and other changes in the ecosystem likely to affect smaller firms.

The panel will explore the evolving global landscape of competition law enforcement against exploitative and exclusionary practices by firms with significant market power or superior bargaining positions. Drawing on recent enforcement trends and legislative developments across key jurisdictions, the discussion will examine the increasing scrutiny of excessive pricing, unfair trading conditions and digital platform conduct.

Practitioners from around the world will discuss what went wrong in their previous cases, and what they would do differently next time.

This panel will examine the issues confronting Bretton Woods institutions (ie, the IMF, World Bank and other related entities) and financial multilateralism in general. The panel will touch upon their historic role and how it may be transformed in an era of adjustment of political priorities and heightened strains in geopolitical relationships. 

Since 11 December 2019, the Appellate Body has been unable to deliver binding resolutions of trade disputes, nor can it guarantee the right to appellate review. New appointments to the WTO's Appellate Body are blocked. Pending a resolution of the Appellate Body situation, the EU and other WTO members have established a multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA), and other bilateral and multilateral initiatives have been undertaken.

Our roster of panellists will discuss how participating WTO members can continue to benefit from two-step dispute settlement systems, as well as the reform of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.

This session explores how mediation can bridge the worlds of diplomacy and international law to transform entrenched conflicts into lasting cooperation. Drawing from the experience of distinguished leaders who have negotiated peace at the highest level, the panel will examine the human, political, and legal dimensions of dialogue between nations. It will offer insights into how trust, creativity, and courageous leadership can turn historical disputes into enduring agreements - lessons that remain vital for today’s global challenges.

In a world where nearly every conceivable process or communication has been or is being digitalised, the litigation process is not immune. And in particular, one of the most important aspects; service of process. Whilst service by email has been with us for a number of years, other forms of digital service are still in their infancy but gathering pace for example service through social media platforms, other messaging applications and through non-fungible tokens as well as the use by the courts of their own platforms.

The IBA Litigation Committee has undertaken an in-depth survey of how different jurisdictions approach digital service considering the law, practice, practical issues and challenges. The purpose of the survey is not only to assist practitioners who wish to utilise such processes in their current cross border cases but to understand the trends and best practice. This session will report on the work of the task force responsible and their progress thus far with a panel of distinguished speakers who will survey the landscape of digital service across the world and comment on the results collated. Additionally, they will consider if ultimately there is scope to make recommendations for a standardised approach to digital service.

The panel explores how employers balance individual rights with corporate responsibilities amid diverse legal systems. Local and global surveillance and border control systems are increasingly automated and driven by algorithms, introducing challenges for employees’ privacy and systemic bias. How do multinational organisations manage to preserve workers’ rights and freedoms and at the same time maintain a compliant workplace respecting employee expression, while upholding organisational integrity and legal obligations.

In an era of globalised law firms serving globalised clients engaged in cross-border transactions, and cross-border disputes, is there an accepted standard for ‘good’ legal writing and drafting?  Lawyers draft legal correspondence, memoranda, briefs, proposed legislation, regulatory commentary, speeches and many other documents. Is there a global benchmark for quality drafting? How (and by whom) is ‘good’ legal writing taught? Does it fall to law schools to find space in increasingly crowded curricula to teach the basics, or is the profession meant to devote scarce learning and development resources to the task? 

As the transition to renewables accelerates, Indigenous communities may face increased pressure to provide access to their land and experience related adverse human rights impacts, particularly in relation to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). This session will cover businesses’ responsibilities in engaging with Indigenous peoples during the energy transition and explore how lawyers can advise on legal compliance and alignment with international standards.

An exploration of the legal difficulties LGBTQI+ families can face when becoming parents, including international variations in surrogacy, the rights of the “second parent”, and how different jurisdictions approach such matters.