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

> 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
• Jenny Harrison, Counsel, Simmons & Simmons
• Karim Ghaly KC, King’s Counsel, Atkin Chambers

> 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
• Rob Stevenson, Associate, Simmons & Simmons
• Rani Noakes, Barrister, 4 Pump Court

> 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.

Speakers:

• Elizabeth Davison, Partner, Simmons & Simmons
• Jonathan Schuman, Managing Associate, Simmons & Simmons
• Charles Ciumei KC, Barrister, Essex Court Chambers

> 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