PAST EVENT PROGRAMME

8.30 – 9.00 – Registration and welcome coffee

9.00 – 9.15 – Chair's welcome

Kathleen Healy, Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (United Kingdom)

9.15 – 10.15 - Session 1: Future legislation predictions in Europe and beyond

In the aftermath of the world’s biggest cross-border election in June, the political implications for employment and labour legislation across the EU are profound. Amid a shifting political landscape, legal experts will dissect what recent and upcoming election results in Europe and further abroad could mean for multinational employers.

Moderator:
Holly Insley, Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (United Kingdom)

Panellists:
Caroline Scherrmann, Partner, Flichy Grangé Avocats (France)
Coralie Roos, Senior Employment Counsel - Head of EMEA, Unilever (France)
Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General, DG Employment, European Commission ­(Belgium)
Suzanne Staunton, Employment Legal Counsel, Electronic Arts (United Kingdom)

10.15 – 11.15 - Session 2: The race to regulate artificial intelligence

As artificial intelligence continues to permeate various facets of business operations, understanding the regulations surrounding its use is paramount. Legal experts will address growing concerns related to data privacy, discrimination, diversity, accountability, and collective obligations, and delve into Europe’s landmark AI Act.

Moderator:
Charlotte Demegård, Counsel, Mannheimer Swartling (Sweden)

Panellists:
Helen Farr, Partner, Taylor Wessing (United Kingdom)
Jan-Ove Becker, Partner, vangard | Littler (Germany)
Mark Noblet, Director of Employment Law, Walgreens Boots Alliance (United Kingdom)
Max Junestrand, CEO, Leya (Sweden)

11.15 – 11.45 – Coffee break

11.45 – 12.45 - Session 3: Demands to balance work and life

In today’s fast-paced, always-on working environments, employers are under ever-greater pressure to achieve a balance between professional responsibilities and personal wellbeing. Legal experts will explore innovative strategies for fostering better work-life balance, including flexible working, shorter working weeks, the right to disconnect, family and caring rights, and unlimited paid time-off, among others. Panellists will also advise on the risks of not prioritising genuine wellbeing initiatives.

Moderator:
Noeleen Meehan, Partner, A&L Goodbody (Ireland)

Panellists:
Rosamund Browne, Director - Employment, Clifford Chance (United Kingdom)
Silvia Tozzoli, Partner, Legance (Italy)
Thomas Verazzi, Vice President HR Europe, Bristol Myers Squibb (United Kingdom)
Vanessa Markham, Assistant General Counsel, Employment, EMEA, Oracle (United Kingdom)

12.45 – 2.15 – Networking Lunch

2.15 – 2.45 - In conversation with Joanna Patterson, Senior Legal Director (International Employment Law) at Expedia 

A fireside chat with Joanna Patterson on her career as an in-house lawyer and examining the opportunities and challenges of key cross-border trends impacting multinational employers.

2.45 – 3.45 - Session 4: European mobility and the war for talent

With Europe struggling with an ongoing skills shortage, navigating the rules on migrant labour has become increasingly complex. This panel session delves into the legal frameworks governing, and distinct challenges facing, both white-collar and blue-collar migrant talent across the continent. Legal experts will explore recent reforms to the EU’s Blue Card programme and how different countries are vying to win the war for talent, such as through the emergence of digital nomad visas, and examine how employers can mitigate the risk of rising xenophobia impacting foreign talent attraction and retention.

Moderator: 
Ed Wanambwa, Partner, Russell Cooke (United Kingdom)

Panellists:
Christine Sullivan, Partner, Fragomen (Netherlands)
Ming Evans, Associate General Counsel, Employment, Smiths Group (United Kingdom)
Sophie Maes, Partner, Claeys & Engels (Belgium)

3.45 – 4.15 – Coffee break

4.15 – 5.15 - Session 5: Transparent equal pay for all

Despite significant strides being made, research shows that pay disparities persist across gender, disability, and ethnicity. In this session, legal experts will consider the best practices in ensuring equal pay across different demographic groups, delve into the challenges surrounding pay transparency in multinational organisations, and consider why a rise in large group actions is an existential risk to businesses.

Moderator:
Maria Bekke Eiersted, Partner, Kromann Reumert (Denmark)

Panellists:
Jenny Andrews, Partner, Global Lead Employment Counsel, EY (United Kingdom)
Julien Haure, Partner, Mayer Brown (France)
Khurram Shamsee, Partner, DAC Beachcroft (United Kingdom)
Sherisa Rajah, Global Labor and Employment Counsel, Cimpress (United Kingdom)

5.15 – 5.30 – Chair's closing remarks

Kathleen Healy, Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (United Kingdom)

5:30 – Close and networking drinks reception