Thursday 10 September 2026
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM | Cross-Border Flashpoints: The Trade Pressures Driving the Next Wave of Disputes
As global trade relationships shift and economic blocs harden, businesses are facing unprecedented complexity in how they operate across borders. This panel examines the mounting trade pressures that are fueling the next wave of cross-border commercial disputes. With Singapore emerging as a strategic hub for international arbitration, this discussion explores how these fault lines are reshaping litigation strategy, risk planning, and deal execution. Attendees will gain insights into the disputes landscape that is rapidly taking shape, and what in-house and external counsel need to anticipate as global trade tensions continue to rise.
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | AML and ABC Crackdowns, Multijurisdictional Cooperation, and What Counsel Should Do Next
Regulators across APAC and globally are escalating enforcement against bribery, corruption and money-laundering - raising expectations on corporate compliance and increasing personal liability for senior leaders. This session explores what these crackdowns mean for businesses operating in Singapore and the region, highlighting key enforcement trends, cross-border cooperation, and the practical steps organisations should take to strengthen controls, manage third-party risks, and prepare for investigations in a tougher regulatory landscape.
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM | Deals in Turbulent Times: Where Investment Is Still Happening - and Why
Despite geopolitical volatility, shifting supply chains, and rising regulatory pressures, capital is still flowing - just more selectively. This session explores where investment is happening across APAC and globally, why certain sectors remain resilient, and how legal teams can support dealmaking amid uncertainty. Speakers will break down the factors shaping investor confidence, highlight standout markets and industries, and discuss how deal structures, risk allocation, and due-diligence priorities are evolving in a turbulent environment.
12:30 PM - 1:15 PM | Networking Lunch
Roundtables
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
RT1 - Private Equity and Value Creation: From Fundraising to Exits
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM
RT2 - M&A Under Pressure: Navigating Deals Amid Geopolitics
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM | When AI Misfires: Who Is Liable?
As AI adoption accelerates across industries, questions around accountability are becoming increasingly urgent. This session explores the evolving legal and regulatory landscape governing AI use, examining where responsibility lies when AI systems fail, misinform, or cause harm. Speakers will compare the obligations of AI providers versus enterprise users, unpack emerging liability frameworks, and discuss practical steps legal teams should take to mitigate risk - from governance and oversight to documentation, model validation, and contract structuring.
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM | Coffee & Networking Break
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM | Voices from the Room: Crisis Readiness - Spotting Early Signs of Corporate Crisis
During this interactive session, attendees will actively shape the conversation. Before the conference, participants will receive a brief set of questions to capture how they currently identify the early warning signs of a corporate crisis. Building on these initial insights, the moderator will lead a dynamic, in-room discussion using real-time polling and scenario-based prompts. Together, the room will compare perspectives, challenge assumptions, and surface the most effective indicators of an emerging crisis - from subtle operational shifts to cultural, customer, or reputational red flags. Drawing on shared experiences and practical insights, the session will help legal and business leaders sharpen their ability to spot issues early, respond decisively, and support the organisation before small problems turn into full-scale crises.
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM | From Compliance to Culture: How Employment Law and Retention Pressures Are Redefining Today's Workforce
As workforce expectations shift and employment regulations grow more complex, legal teams find themselves at the intersection of compliance, culture and talent strategy. This session examines how changing employment-law obligations are reshaping what employers owe their people, and what legal professionals must master to stay ahead. Speakers will explore how culture-driven risks increasingly influence litigation exposure, how retention pressures are redefining the skills legal teams need, and why forward-thinking legal departments are moving beyond policy enforcement to become architects of organisational culture. The discussion will highlight practical approaches to supporting employee experience, sustaining high-performing teams, and preparing legal careers for the next era of workplace transformation.