Conference programme

The committee co-chairs invite new committee members and those attending for the first time to meet informally ahead of the start of the welcome reception.

Please note that this event is open to registered delegates only. Guests and accompanying persons are not permitted to attend.

Mr Aleksander Kwaśniewski played an important role in the country’s integration into Western structures. A former student leader and journalist, he began his political career under communism in the Polish United Workers' Party. Following the democratic transition he co-founded the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland and co-organised the Democratic Left Alliance.

As President, Mr Kwaśniewski was instrumental in guiding Poland into NATO (1999) and the European Union (2004). He championed the adoption of Poland’s current Constitution (1997) and supported democratic reforms, regional cooperation, and European integration.

The CEE region stands at a critical juncture – confronting increasingly complex regulations, growing demands for workplace flexibility, and rapid AI-driven transformation. At the same time, employers must contend with pressing social challenges, including demographic ageing and labour migration.

This panel brings together private practitioners, in-house counsel, trade union representatives and policymakers to examine the key tensions shaping the contemporary employment landscape. Where does the law diverge from workplace reality? Is the region’s traditional regulatory approach sufficient to bridge the gap between legislative expectations and business needs? What is the current state – and the future – of social dialogue? Or has the European Commission Brussels effectively assumed the role once played by trade unions?

The discussion will be fast-paced and practice-oriented, crossing borders and perspectives to offer actionable insights into the evolving CEE labour market.
 

Our clients are inundated with articles, LinkedIn/blog posts and webinar invites. We know that personal branding is no longer optional, but what is the most effective way to go about it, without diminishing your professionalism or the legal profession at large? This session explores how to build more than mere visibility and instead develop credibility and genuine trust – online and offline – while also understanding the ethical and legal limits of marketing as a lawyer. Learn what is permitted, what is risky and how to position yourself confidently without crossing professional boundaries – with insights from experts in marketing and in-house roles representing potential clients.

Across the world, governments are introducing and revising legislation to promote the employment of war veterans and persons with disabilities (PwDs). Ukraine, for example, will introduce stricter quotas and accountability measures for employers in 2026, accompanied by a more employee-centred approach to hiring PwDs and ongoing reforms to create barrier-free environments for those with disabilities, including war-related injuries. Similar legislative efforts and draft laws can be found in other countries, especially as conflicts continue to increase the number of individuals affected by war.

This session will place these developments in a global context, highlighting the growing trend towards more robust legal requirements and greater support for the employment and inclusion of both PwDs and veterans. We will address key questions for employment lawyers and employers worldwide:

•    How are changing liability systems pushing employers toward greater compliance?
•    In what ways are new laws shifting the focus to employee needs and inclusion?
•    What new obligations may arise as the global community responds to the challenges posed by ongoing conflicts?
•    How can employers proactively prepare for evolving requirements regarding workplace accessibility and diversity?

Join us as we examine this important international conversation and discuss practical strategies for legal advisors and employers adapting to these changes.
 

Global employers are entering a new era in which pay transparency requirements and gender balance expectations in corporate leadership are no longer separate compliance topics, but interconnected elements of a broader regulatory and cultural shift towards measurable workplace equality. This panel examines how multinational companies can develop cohesive strategies that address both issues simultaneously:

•    Pay transparency obligations increasingly require employers to disclose pay structures, address pay gaps and communicate compensation philosophies in ways that respect cultural contexts while meeting legal standards.
•    Gender representation rules, including the EU Directive on gender balance in boardrooms and emerging requirements in other regions, push employers to demonstrate progress in leadership diversity and strengthen governance frameworks.

Rather than treating these developments in isolation, this session explores how they intersect: How does transparent pay data influence succession planning, leadership pipelines and board diversity targets? How do governance requirements shape internal equity efforts? And how can companies create consistent global approaches while navigating divergent national laws, cultural expectations and corporate structures? Participants will gain a comparative view of regulatory trends across jurisdictions as well as practical guidance on integrating compliance, communication, culture and employee expectations into a unified global equality strategy.
 

With employment laws shifting rapidly across jurisdictions, compliance is more complex than ever. This interactive roundtable brings together experts from various jurisdictions to share strategies for staying ahead of regulatory changes and managing global risk. From tension over return-to-work policies, reputational and staff cohesion issues over geopolitical views and the (mis)use of AI, participants will be invited to work in groups to identify the key challenges facing companies today and how these can be addressed. The session will conclude with each group presenting a list of their proposed challenges and possible solutions. This will be a highly engaging and interactive session. 

Manager with over 20 years of experience in the new technologies sector, specializing in digital transformation and innovation. She holds a master's degree in law and has completed numerous postgraduate studies, including an Executive MBA at the Warsaw School of Economics and programs at Harvard Business School. She holds a prestigious Corporate Board Director diploma issued by this university.

Co-founder of Digital University and the LiderSHE Association, promoting women in the public sphere. She has extensive experience working on supervisory boards of both companies with State Treasury participation and those listed on European stock exchanges. She serves as a member of the InPost Supervisory Board, and in the past she was a member of the boards of, among others, PGE Dystrybucja, BNP Paribas Bank Polska and the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

AI is transforming how companies recruit, hire, manage performance, discipline and restructure their workforce – but not without legal and ethical challenges. This session will explore this transformation, examining some cutting-edge workplace technologies as well as examining usage data and anecdotes from the front lines. AI may (at least arguably) lead to extraordinary gains in efficiency and productivity.  

Among the legal challenges to be examined are the privacy and data protection concerns arising from the vast quantities of data collected about employee behaviour. Likewise, employee use of AI tools risks the loss of confidential or trade secret information. Retaining and collecting such data increases potential cybersecurity and data breach risks. Algorithms may reflect the biases inherent in their underlying data, potentially perpetuating inequalities related to age, gender, ethnicity or background. There are fundamental questions of transparency, explainability and fairness when decisions are made by AI with no human input. Indeed, these issues (and others) point to the need for continued human involvement (if not management) and accountability for the recommendations generated by workplace AI tools.  
 

A seasoned change management and BD expert with a distinguished track record across professional services and international trade firms. Serves as a Change Mentor®, supporting leaders and organisations in navigating complex change and transformation processes. He is also a Certified Advanced Trainer of the Prosci® change management methodology a credential held by only five individuals in Poland. Executive MBA lecturer. Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan Blockchain Technologies program alumnus.

Global companies face increasing pressure to design outsourcing models that are efficient, legally compliant and sustainable. This session explores how international service structures can be strategically developed and integrated into existing business operations while navigating complex labour, regulatory and ethical requirements. Key issues include:

•    labour and employment law risks in international outsourcing (eg, co-employment, transfer of undertakings, worker leasing rules and local employment regulations);
•    compliance considerations such as data protection, works council involvement, information and consultation duties and whistleblower requirements;
•    economic opportunities and limits of cross-border services, including growing political and regulatory anti-offshoring measures in various jurisdictions;
•    governance and practical implementation, focusing on contractual safeguards, oversight mechanisms and effective monitoring structures;
•    cross-border employment classification risks; and
•    data protection and employee-related privacy requirements across jurisdictions.

This session offers a practical overview of key developments, legal pitfalls and strategic considerations for building future-proof global outsourcing models.