The International Commerce, Trade, Franchising and Product Law Section: Hot Topics Digital Round Tables 2021 | International Bar Association (IBA) | 5 October 2021 | Virtual Event

A virtual round tables session presented by International Commerce, Trade, Franchising and Product Law Section
This is the traditional Hot Topics session, which we as a Section organise at each Annual Conference and which have always been great - and very well attended- successes. This virtual round tables session will give participants the opportunity to attend successively up to three virtual tables in break-out rooms dedicated to a specific hot topic. At each virtual table, two moderators will guide the discussion surrounding the selected hot topic. There will be an introduction to the sessions by the co-chairs and a wrap-up afterwards for all participants.

Hot Topics:
• Rapid changes in the post-Covid retail industry and its impact on franchising and distribution contracts
• The impact of sustainable development and supply chain disruption on free trade agreements
• The rising importance of an ESG compliance system
• Economic sanctions: exploring the impact on international trade
• Dispute resolution: mediation, arbitration, courts… which to choose? How to secure the process (for example, letter of intents (LOIs) and bank guarantees)
• The impact of Covid-19 on franchising networks and franchise documents
• Ghost kitchens: enduring lessons learned from the pandemic period and recovery
• The impact of sustainable development on regional trade agreements
• When you find yourself in times of trouble – for example, regarding product liability issues caused by off-label-use during the pandemic

Plus- post-webinar networking

As part of your IBA webinar experience, the IBA will be providing a networking room at the end of this webinar for attendees to join and chat with other participants. The programme is called REMO and in order to participate you will need to register ahead of the webinar:
• Simply register here: https://live.remo.co/e/the-international-commerce-trade
• Click on the ‘Save me a spot’ button
• Enter your email address and create an account, or log in if you have an account
• Follow the instructions received by email to access the room at the end of the session.

2021 Speakers

CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS:

Pieter Tubbergen
Tubbergen Advocatuur, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Website Officer, International Sales Committee

Guillermo Sanchez Chao
Chevez Ruiz Zamarripa y Cia, Mexico City, Mexico; Co-Chair, International Trade and Customs Law Committee

Olivia Gast
Gast Avocats, Paris, France; Corporate Counsel Forum Liaison Officer, International Franchising Committee

Tao Xu
DLA Piper, Reston, Virginia, USA; Co-Chair, International Franchising Committee

Carolina Monteiro de Carvalho
Mundie e Advogados, São Paulo, Brazil; Vice Chair, International Trade and Customs Law Committee

Chiga Erege
British American Tobacco, London, England

CO-MODERATORS:

Christoph Wagner
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, Berlin, Germany

Martine de Koning
Kennedy Van der Laan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Vice Chair, International Franchising Committee

Riccardo Cajola
Cajola & Associati, Milan, Italy; Chair, Artificial Intelligence Working Group

Dalton Albrecht
EY Law LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Senior Vice Chair, International Commerce and Distribution Committee

Melissa Murray
Bird & Bird (MEA) LLP, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Publications Officer, International Franchising Committee

Alan Greenfield
Greenberg Traurig, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Secretary, International Franchising Committee

Christopher S W Blake
Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Co-Chair, International Commerce and Distribution Committee

Silvia Bortolotti
Buffa Bortolotti & Mathis, Other City, Italy; Conference Coordinator, International Franchising Committee

Laura Opilio
CMS Adonnino Ascoli & Cavasola Scamoni, Rome, Italy; Senior Vice Chair, International Commerce and Distribution Committee

Camila Corvalan
Beccar Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Alessandro Barzaghi
Cocuzza & Associati, Milan, Italy; Membership Officer, International Commerce and Distribution Committee

Riccardo Cajola
Cajola & Associati, Milan, Italy; Chair, Artificial Intelligence Working Group

Peter Snell
Cassels, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Newsletter Editor, International Franchising Committee

Ewa Rutkowska
KRK Kieszkowska Rutkowska Kolasinski, Warsaw, Poland

Javier Canosa
Canosa Abogados, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Co-Chair, International Commerce and Distribution Committee

Carolina Monteiro de Carvalho
Mundie e Advogados, São Paulo, Brazil; Vice Chair, International Trade and Customs Law Committee

Andrew Jacobson
Seward & Kissel LLP, New York, New York, USA; Chair, Export Controls, Sanctions and Anti-Corruption Subcommittee