Conference programme

The Digital Network Act (DNA) is the European Union’s response to current technological shifts in communications infrastructure. It updates the European Electronic Communications Code as well other connectivity regulations to support investment, innovation and secure deployment of next-generation networks, paving the way for 5G Standalone and the arrival of 6G technologies. Key discussion points include: the DNA’s objectives in modernising the EU regulatory telecoms framework; investment incentives and regulatory certainty for network evolution; key legal and technical challenges for 5G Standalone and future 6G deployment; balancing connectivity innovation with security, competition, and resilience; and the evolving role of national and European authorities.  

Cross-border securities offerings are characterised by specific and recurring requirements and challenges. The panel will discuss the nature of the requirements and challenges, and how best to deal with them. The panel will seek to offer practical guidance for those involved.

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.

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

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

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

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.