FULL-DAY SUMMIT: April 15, 2026 | 8:00 AM - 5:45 PM GST
OVERVIEW
As the UAE presses towards 2031 with its vision for greater prosperity, organizations in the GCC and around the world must navigate increasingly complex operating environments characterized by growing geopolitical tension, increasing regulatory scrutiny, rapidly evolving technologies, and heightened expectations for both growth and resilience. Legal departments—and their advisors across law firms and third-party service providers—are being asked to mitigate risk at a time of unprecedented volatility while enabling business innovation and supporting bold strategic decision-making.
Join us to explore these challenges in one of the world’s most dynamic business, technology, and legal ecosystems. Through candid discussions, peer exchange, and a series of interactive, solution-oriented workshops, attendees will unpack today’s most urgent issues and discover actionable strategies to help shape the future of legal leadership in an era of transformation within the GCC and beyond.
PURPOSE OF THE FORUM
- Equip legal leaders in the GCC with strategic insights to navigate rising regulatory complexity, geopolitical uncertainty, and accelerating technological change
- Explore how innovation, legal operations, and AI-enabled tools can strengthen organizational resilience while enabling growth and transformation
- Foster collaboration among leaders from across the legal ecosystem to share practical solutions and develop forward-looking approaches aligned with the UAE’s We the UAE 2031 vision
- Create a platform for real-world problem-solving, enabling attendees to network with peers, exchange best practices, and shape the future of legal leadership in a rapidly evolving global economy
STRUCTURE
- Format: A full-day event followed by a networking reception and curated roundtable dinners.
- Sessions: The agenda will feature a panel discussion, a fireside chats, and presentations on a variety of themes, as well as a keynote address by a thought leader focused on innovation from the GCC.
- Interactive Workshops: Innovative thought leadership and engagement sessions focused on key themes for the legal ecosystem.
- Valuable Networking Opportunities: The day will close with a networking reception, followed by exclusive roundtable dinners.
Who’s attending
200+ senior-level attendees from legal departments, legal operations teams, law firms, and third-party service providers from across the GCC and beyond
THEMES + AGENDA
8:00 – 8:45 AM | REGISTRATION
8:45 – 9:00 AM | OPENING REMARKS
9:00 – 9:30 AM | Keynote Address
9:30 – 10:20 AM | Panel: Navigating risk, leveraging opportunities and innovating in a risk-on world
As global markets grow more volatile and regulatory frameworks become increasingly complex, legal leaders are tasked with balancing proactive risk management with the strategic imperative to enable growth, enter new markets, adopt emerging technologies, and support organizational transformation through innovation.
Drawing on the UAE’s forward-focused We the UAE 2031 vision, this panel will highlight how legal teams can position themselves as strategic partners in a world where agility, insight, and innovation are key competitive advantages.
- Building resilient legal frameworks that anticipate geopolitical, regulatory, and economic uncertainty while supporting business expansion and innovation
- Turning risk into opportunity by applying legal operations, data insights, and AI tools to improve decision-making and unlock strategic advantages
- Evolving the role of legal leadership: Developing mindsets, structures, and capabilities that position legal teams as drivers of value
- Operationalizing innovation through modern workflows, automation, cross-functional collaboration, and scalable governance models
10:25 – 11:10 AM | PANEL: The GCC as a fulcrum for legal innovation
As the GCC strengthens its role as a global economic and technology hub, the country has become a pivotal fulcrum for legal innovation.
This panel will examine how the GCC’s regulatory agility, digital-first infrastructure, and pro-innovation environment are enabling legal teams, firms, and service providers to reimagine how legal services are delivered and shape the next frontier of legal transformation across the region.
- A global innovation hub: The GCC as a connector between East and West, attracting talent, investment, and cross-border collaboration
- Technology-enabled transformation: How AI, automation, and enterprise-wide digital initiatives are reshaping legal workflows and expanding the strategic capabilities of legal teams
- Regulatory agility and vision: How the GCC’s approach to policymaking enables rapid experimentation, digital transformation, and new legal service models
11:10 – 11:30 AM | Networking Break
11:30 – 12:30 PM | Workshop 1: Controlling Your Data Journey
Through guided exercises and real-world examples, attendees will learn how to reduce data chaos, strengthen compliance, and turn legal data into a strategic asset that drives efficiency, transparency, and measurable impact. This workshop will equip attendees with practical strategies to take control of the data lifecycle and will be broken down into:
- 8-minute TED-style talk given by a thought-leader in the legal data space
- 40-minute facilitator-led roundtable discussions
- 10-minute insight roundup
12:30 – 1:15 PM | Networking Lunch
1:15 – 2:15 PM | Workshop 2: Agentic AI
This workshop will demystify agentic AI and show legal leaders how autonomous, goal-driven AI systems can transform end-to-end workflows across contracting, compliance, and operations. Through hands-on exercises, attendees will explore how agentic AI can streamline complex processes and free legal talent to focus on higher-impact work. The session will be broken down into:
- 8-minute TED-style talk given by a thought-leader in the legal data space
- 40-minute facilitator-led roundtable discussions
- 10-minute insight roundup
2:20 – 3:20 PM | Workshop 3: Digital Risk: Compliance + Regulation
In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how GCC and global regulations intersect with fast-evolving digital business models, and how legal teams can build agile, future-ready compliance programs that enable innovation while mitigating risk. The session will be broken down into:
- 8-minute TED-style talk given by a thought-leader in the legal data space
- 40-minute facilitator-led roundtable discussions
- 10-minute insight roundup
3:20 – 3:40 PM | Networking Break
3:40 – 4:40 PM | Workshop 4: Leadership
Participants will learn how to lead high-performing teams through transformation, cultivate innovation-ready cultures, and balance accountability with empowerment. Through hands-on exercises, attendees will uncover actionable strategies to elevate their leadership impact and guide organizations confidently into the next decade. The session will be broken down into:
- 8-minute TED-style talk given by a thought-leader in the legal data space
- 40-minute facilitator-led roundtable discussions
- 10-minute insight roundup
4:40 – 4:45 PM | Closing Remarks
4:45 – 5:45 PM | Networking Reception
6:30 – 9:30 PM | Exclusive Roundtable Dinners (by invitation only)
OUR PARTNERS
GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNER
SPONSORSHIP
Partner with The Legal Innovation Forum to engage senior legal leaders and innovators shaping the future of the industry.
For inquiries, contact jacquie@adbinsights.com
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