08:30

Registration & refreshments

09:15

Welcome address
Peter Somekh, Managing Partner, Middle East and Africa, DLA Piper

09:20

Opening Keynote: Special guest speaker to be announced

09:35

Opening Plenary Session

10:05

Fireside Chat: Navigating Middle East opportunities - trade, strategy, and global partnerships

As global developments reshape trade and investment in the Middle East, businesses must stay ahead of emerging opportunities and risks. This session will explore global forces, regional priorities, the GCC Free Trade Agreement, potential bilateral deals, and how international partners - including the UK - can support growth in the region.

Speakers:

• Edward Hobart, HM Ambassador to the UAE
• Vincent Keaveny, Senior Advisor, DLA Piper

10:40

M&A Spotlight Session

Speaker:

• Rob Salter, Partner and Global Co-Chair, M&A and Head of M&A Strategy, DLA Piper

11:00

Networking Break

First round of concurrent breakout sessions

11:20

The perfect crypto storm – what every in-house lawyer needs to know

As global finance transitions from traditional banking models to tokenised, decentralised alternatives, in-house legal teams are under pressure to advise on unfamiliar risks while supporting innovation. This session will unpack the legal and regulatory fault lines emerging from fintech disruption, token-based finance, and alternative funding structures - and explain why crypto exposure is now a board-level / C-Suite issue no GC can ignore.

Speakers:

• Andrew Mackenzie, Partner and Head of Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations, Middle East, DLA Piper
• Adrianus Schoorl, Of Counsel, Leading the Financial Services Regulatory (MENA) Practice, DLA Piper

One (1) Accredited CLPD Point received attending this session.

Enforcing arbitral awards onshore in the UAE

Speaker:

• Ahmed Hammadi, Legal Director, DLA Piper

One (1) Accredited CLPD Point received attending this session.

Second round of concurrent breakout sessions

112:05

Third Party Due Diligence in Practice

Speakers:

• Ramsey Jurdi, Partner, DLA Piper
• Adam Vause, Partner, DLA Piper

One (1) Accredited CLPD Point received attending this session.

Unlocking the potential of legal AI

Speakers:

• Rami Zayat, Partner, DLA Piper
• Saba Al-Sultani, Partner and Head of Intellectual Property and Technology, Middle East, DLA Piper

One (1) Accredited CLPD Point received attending this session.

12:50

Soft skills session: Special guest speaker to be announced

13:20

Closing remarks

13:25

Informal networking lunch