London International Disputes Week 2026

09.00 – 10.30: The Global Sanctions Landscape: given US secondary sanctions, Chinese counter-measures and EU retaliatory measures, how have courts responded and can sanctions be effective in times of growing political divergence? What does the future hold?

Co-hosting with 3VB: The panel of experts will share their insights on a range of sanction regimes, from China and Iran through to Russia and Venezuela, commenting on key cases in the UK, EU and the US, as well as enforcement activity by OFSI, OFAC and other regulators. The panel will also discuss the future landscape for sanctions, and how global companies can navigate the political and legal uncertainty. Please join us at 8.30am for a networking breakfast before the session begins at 9am.

Speakers:

• Adam Brown - Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Saima Hanif KC - Barrister - 3VB
• Sergey Petrachkov - Partner - ALRUD Law Firm
• Jack Ding - Partner - Duan & Duan
• Jason Hungerford - Partner - Mayer Brown

> Register here

11.30 - 13.00: Lessons from Le Patourel, the CAT’s First Collective Action Trial

Co-hosting with AlixPartners: What does it actually take to defend a collective action at trial? As the first case to go the distance in the CAT, Le Patourel v BT provides the legal industry with its first real data points on successful trial defence strategy. In this session, the lawyers and experts who lived the case share their first-hand experiences.

Speakers:

• Eleanore Di Claudio- Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Emily Wesley - Principal Lawyer, Litigation and Investigations - BT
• Stefan Hunt - Partner & Managing Director - AlixPartners
• Michael Weekes - Principal - Oxera

> Register here

14.00 - 15.30: PPP Challenges and Opportunities in the UK and on a Global Stage

Co-hosting with Atkin Chambers: Challenges presented by PPPs and how we can overcome these for the future infrastructure pipelines both on a national and international stage, including trends for 2026 and beyond.

Speakers:

• Alison Fagan - Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Karim Ghaly KC - King’s Counsel - Atkin Chambers
• Jenny Harrison - Counsel - Simmons & Simmons
• Richard Knight - CEO - Equitix Management Services Limited
• Tamsyn McLean - Deputy General Counsel - Assured Guaranty

> Register here

14.00 - 15.30: Private credit: navigating the contentious dimension

Co-hosting with EY: Private credit has been the engine room of financial growth since the GFC and will likely remain a hugely important asset class looking forward, but the rise and success of the asset class is reflected in a relatively light history of disputes, litigation and regulatory intervention. As private credit markets continue to evolve with a new level of scrutiny and interest, new sources of contentious risk are emerging for asset managers, financial institutions, investors and their legal and regulatory advisers. This session will provide litigators and disputes specialists with practical insights into the drivers of the current focus on private credit, features of private credit, the types of disputes most likely to arise, and the regulatory scrutiny shaping the landscape. Join us to explore how you can proactively identify, manage, and respond to contentious issues in this dynamic and increasingly significant sector.

Speakers:

• Robert Turner – Partner – Simmons & Simmons
• Kay Morley-Evans – Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Mark Uttley - Managing Associate - Simmons & Simmons
• Simon Edel - Restructuring Partner – EY

> Register here

9.00 - 10.30: Liability in the Age of Addiction: Opioids, Algorithms, and Insurance Coverage

Co-hosting with 4 Pump Court: In this session we will discuss our evolving understanding of the science of addiction, reflect on lessons learned from the tobacco and prescription opioids litigation, draw comparisons with more recent claims alleging addiction to social media platforms, examine how the theories of public nuisance have been effectively weaponised to create maximum exposure for defendants, and evaluate the consequences for corporate defendants and insurers alike. Please join us at 8.30am for a networking breakfast before the session begins at 9am.

Speakers:

• Tim McCaw - Partner - Simmons & Simmons LLP
• Rob Stevenson - Associate - Simmons & Simmons LLP
• Rani Noakes - Barrister - 4 Pump Court
• Monica Sullivan - Managing Partner - Nicolaides

> Register here

9.00 - 10.30: AI in Litigation: What In-House Teams Actually Think

Co-hosting with TrialView: Artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of litigation, but what does that actually look like in practice? This session will bring together leading in-house counsel to cut through the noise and take stock of where we really are. We will explore how AI is being deployed across the litigation lifecycle, from early case assessment and document review to drafting and cost management, and ask the harder questions that are rarely aired in public: Are efficiency gains translating into lower external legal spend? Are in-house teams absorbing more work they would previously have briefed out? And who, ultimately, is benefiting? This is a candid, practitioner-led conversation about what is changing, what the data actually shows, and what we should be doing differently.

Speakers:

• Emma Sutcliffe - Head of UK Dispute Resolution - Simmons & Simmons
• Cory Flynn - Lead Litigation Counsel - Mitsubishi
• Stephen Dowling SC – CEO - TrialView
• Natalie Salunke - General Counsel - LikeZero
• Eimear McCann - Lawyer & Director – TrialView

>Register here

11.30 - 13.00: The AI Litigation Blueprint: Lessons for the UK from the EU's Evolving AI Class Action Landscape

Co-hosting with Essex Court Chambers: Join us for a strategic panel session exploring how the interplay between the EU's risk-based AI regulation and its new liability frameworks is creating a "perfect storm” of mass litigation. We will examine the practical lessons for the UK from the EU's approach to "black box" complexity and the lowering of evidential hurdles.

Please also join us for a networking lunch from 12.30–13.30 following the session.

Speakers:

• Minesh Tanna - Global Head of AI, Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Elizabeth Davison - Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Jonathan Schuman- Managing Associate - Simmons & Simmons
• Charles Ciumei KC - Barrister - Essex Court Chambers
• Emily Chissell - Partner - Keystone

> Register here

14.00 - 15.30: SLAPPs, Mazur and a public censure: what does the future hold for SRA regulation?

Co-hosting with Fountain Court Chambers: The SRA has faced intense criticism in recent months, following several high profile failings and a number of SDT and High Court decisions going against them. Our panel will share first-hand experiences having worked on some of the key cases, and comment on how we got here and what the future may hold.

Speakers:

• Michelle Allison - Partner - Simmons & Simmons
• Richard Coleman KC - Barrister - Fountain Court
• Marianne Butler - Barrister - Fountain Court

> Register here