Event Report

The Legal 500 partnered with Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Ironbridge Legal, McCullough Robertson and King & Wood Mallesons to host the inaugural Disputes Summit Australia on 18^th May 2022.

Each respective industry sector and jurisdiction presents a unique set of challenges to both in-house counsel and lawyers in private practice; however, it is our view that practitioners who are also aware of how their specific expertise relates to the wider picture, and to ongoing developments around the world, are best equipped to deal with existing and emerging threats.

Evoking this principle as well as fulfilling The Legal 500’s goal of bringing communities together around the world, we convened a Disputes Summit involving some of the top legal minds in Australia. Here, these challenges and opportunities were dissected and examined in front of an audience of in-house counsel, as well as lawyers in private practice, in the form of four in-depth panel discussions and relaxed networking in Sydney’s Establishment Ballroom Merivale.

The first of the panel discussions was hosted by Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and the discussion was related to class actions related to climate litigation, and how companies can manage their exposure to those risks. The panel also examined the types of claims that are likely to come forward, as well as the role of In-house counsel in assisting their companies to navigate the complex regulatory landscape ahead.

Ironbridge Legal hosted the second session, which saw panellists discuss the ways in which in-house counsel can best prepare for litigation risk in general, as well as how to respond to internal as well as external crises most efficiently. This panel explored crisis management strategies to optimise the outcome for the company, as well as what managing these crises means for the responsibilities and wider role of in-house counsel.

The third panel was hosted by McCullough Robertson and covered the emerging threat of cybercrime, and the substantial legal, financial and reputational risks that might emerge as a result of cyber incidents. Out panellists once again emphasised the crucial role GCs are expected to play in managing how their organisations respond to cyber incidents, which once again underlines the value well-informed in-house counsel bring to companies – something which can clearly make a difference in these instances.

Rounding off the day’s events was the fourth and final panel, hosted by King & Wood Mallesons, which examined regulatory investigations or other allegation which may put senior management or board members at risk of potentially being subject to prosecution or other findings. The panellists again spoke about the role in-house counsel play in these situations, and the importance of well-defined roles within the company, namely the fact that GCs’ duty is to the corporate entity and not to specific individuals and spoke about instances and cases that helped the audience be more informed and keep the two separate.

The Legal 500 would like to thank all those who attended as well as our partners for this event: Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Ironbridge Legal, McCullough Robertson, and King & Wood Mallesons. A special thanks goes to the expert moderators and panellists, whose contributions and insights made the event a valuable experience for all attendees.

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