Commercial Litigation Summit – 1 July 2019

The Commercial Litigation Summit 2019 – Turning points for the disputes scene

1 July 2019

The Brewery
52 Chiswell Street
London

The Legal Business Commercial Litigation Summit – one of the top litigation conferences in the UK – returns for its fifth year, uniting well over 100 senior practitioners and clients to discuss the issues defining the modern disputes scene.

Speakers include:

  • Sonia Tolaney QC, One Essex Court
  • Charles Evans, Milbank
  • Gideon Cohen, One Essex Court
  • Paul Lowenstein QC, Twenty Essex
  • Huw Jenkin, Travers Smith
  • Stephen Brown, Hardwicke
  • Clive Zietman, Stewarts
  • Matthew Hardwick QC, 3VB
  • Fiona Gillett, Stewarts
  • Donny Surtani, Herbert Smith Freehills
  • Parham Kouchikali, RPC
  • Brian Perrott, HFW
  • Laura Durrant, White & Case
  • Julian Chamberlayne, Stewarts
  • Ian Gatt QC, Stewarts
  • Stuart Leach, Pagefield Global
  • Tawfiq Rangwala, Milbank
  • Roy Waligora, KPMG
  • Antonio Suarez-Martinez, GSK
  • Rob Doran, Black Dog Crisis Management
  • Kate Wilford, Anglo American
  • Elizabeth Fisher, Burford Capital
  • Simon Bushell, Signature Litigation
  • Brian Perrott, HFW
  • Donny Surtani, Herbert Smith Freehills
  • Jane Colston, Brown Rudnick
  • Philip Riches, Twenty Essex
  • Simon Hart, RPC
  • Samantha Trevan, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

To confirm your attendance, email our client relationship manager Craig Belson – craig.belson@legalease.co.uk

Keynote sponsor

Panel sponsors

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Hardwicke 3 Verulam Buildings Travers Smith
One Essex Court Milbank Linklaters
  RPC

Networking sponsor

Associate sponsors


The Programme

Morning sessions

Registration

Opening remarks

Courts across borders – an active dialogue

A debate focusing on current developments in the commercial courts and the complex interplay between London’s courts and leading international fora. The debate will include high-impact changes in procedure such as current disclosure reforms.

Global investigations – The transatlantic relationship

We trace the interplay in global investigations between the US and UK, charting the key tactical differences and the trends established in America that are set to manifest in the English courts. Covers varying approaches to self-reporting, privilege and the impact of follow-on actions.

Coffee Break

The hard numbers – How data analytics are transforming disputes

With analytics already common in the US to inform litigation decisions, the dawn of data-driven strategy is already reaching English courts. A debate addressing the rise of analytics as increasingly important tools for litigators and their clients. Who will drive this change? And what skills does the modern lawyer need to possess?

Shots across the bows – Preliminary skirmishes sweep London’s courts

Recent years have seen English courts hearing increasing numbers of preliminary battles in commercial disputes, covering early remedies like injunctions, freezing orders and preliminary issues over jurisdiction issues. With the Supreme Court in April resetting the rules of choice of forum in Vedanta, we assess the implications of the courts’ willingness to entertain early skirmishes. A debate covering the willingness of the courts to extend pre-emptive remedies, to assert jurisdiction and the upswing of judges pushing back in abuse of early remedy procedures.

Reputation management – Winning over the sceptics?

The days when the all key developments were confined to a court room are drawing to a close. With internet-driven disclosures and the flood of social media, more litigators have widened their tactics to include the wider shaping of reputation, including working with specialist PR advisers. We put the case for the lawyer as all-round reputation manager… and the case against.

Lunch

Afternoon sessions

Lay down your arms – Practical strategies for avoiding litigation

For lawyers, litigation is often the highlight of their professional lives – for clients, it is a usually to be avoided at all costs. A lively discussion exploring practical means to de-risk your business, how to de-escalate potential litigation scenarios and how to spot when trouble is brewing.

In or out – The battle to push opt-out claims into the mainstream

Focusing on recent attempts in competition disputes to deploy collective proceedings orders, the pioneering means to allow default group actions in the UK, this debate assesses the implications for the English courts of high-profile battles like the £14bn Mastercard CAT claim. Are we a step closer to US-style group actions?

Coffee

Traps for the unwary – legal and regulatory pitfalls in cross-border litigation

An investigation of the main issues affecting litigation involving cross-border teams. The panel will discuss privilege, costs, conduct of litigation rules, the limitations imposed on the direct access barrister and third-party funding.

Fit for purpose? – Witness statements under scrutiny

With the Business and Property Courts currently reviewing the rules on witness statements amid mounting fears of abuse of the regime, we assess the role of witnesses in commercial disputes. Are the courts robust enough in challenging witnesses’ claims and credibility?

Closing remarks

01/07/2019

London, United Kingdom