The GCC Legal Innovation Summit Dubai 2026

KEMPINSKI THE BOULEVARD DUBAI

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd – Burj Khalifa – Downtown Dubai – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

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

In association with:

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

Chair

CEO, Athennian

Regional General Counsel, Director, Legal, Commercial / Contracts & Compliance, Thales

Vice President, Legal Affairs, Core42

General Counsel & Board Secretary, Emirates Petroleum Company PJSC

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

Associate Director, Legal Risk & Compliance, Dubai World Trade Centre

General Counsel, Property Finder

Director & General Counsel - Middle East, Africa & Turkey, Kyndryl

SVP Legal Affairs, Al Hamra Group

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

Regional Compliance & Integrity Officer IMETA, Boehringer Ingelheim

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

Head of Legal, LIQID

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

GOLD SPONSORS

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

or

The Commodities Innovation Forum: Mining + Metals London 2026

host sponsor

OVERVIEW

Turning geopolitical tides have highlighted the essential nature of the mining ecosystem, lying as it does at the intersection of national security and global energy demands. At this crucial juncture, collaboration among nations is essential to building the secure, value-added supply chains needed to drive their rapidly shifting economies. Great strides are being made, but much remains to be done to bolster the Western world’s mining, processing, and supply chain capabilities and secure its economic future.

The Commodities Innovation Forum: Metals + Mining takes a deep dive into the key forces—geopolitics and policy, industry trends, economic drivers, capital markets, and technological innovation—shaping the global mining ecosystem. Through focused panels and presentations, we’ll explore the forces driving global minerals demand, the strategies being deployed by governments and industry to build resilient supply chains, and the creative financing mechanisms required to turn strategic vision into operational reality.

For stakeholders, the innovation imperative at this critical juncture is clear. The purpose of this event is to inform, connect and frame a narrative for the ecosystem’s future.

STRUCTURE + audience

Format: Half-day (afternoon) event followed by a networking reception, hosted at Clifford Chance’s offices in London.

Sessions: The agenda will feature a mix of panel discussions, fireside chats, and keynote presentations focused on the evolving mining and metals ecosystem and the innovation imperative driving change within it.

Attendees: Expect ~100+ senior attendees from across the ecosystem: policymakers and government officials, mining and mineral processing company executives, battery technology and manufacturing leaders, OEM leaders, capital markets leaders, and professional services. This diverse audience of stakeholders across the ecosystem ensures a rich exchange of insights and connections across the value chain.

Objective: The purpose of the forum is to take a deep dive into the key forces—geopolitics and policy, industry trends, economic drivers, capital markets, and technological innovation—shaping the global mining ecosystem.

THEMES + AGENDA

2:30 PM | REGISTRATION

3 PM - 3:10 pm | OPENING REMARKS

3:10 PM - 3:30 PM | KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Senior Advisor, RB&A Partners

3:35 PM - 4:20 PM | Panel DISCUSSION: The Global MINING & METALS ecosystem in 2026

Demand drivers: How trends such as a maturing EV market, a renewed interest in nuclear energy, increased defence spending, and the data centre boom are shaping the outlook for minerals and materials demand

Shifting tailwinds: The key opportunities and challenges emerging from the shift in emphasis from price to policy in the materials industry

Growth strategies: How global mining companies are diversifying their portfolios and competing with China for market share

Regulatory update: The impact of the EU’s latest policy initiatives to bolster the production of critical raw materials in Europe and Western-aligned regions, and of those to curb emissions

Portfolio Manager, NinetyOne

4:25 pm - 5:10 pm | Panel DISCUSSION: The forces reshaping Western supply chains

A new geopolitical paradigm: The promise and impact of government procurement policy, stockpiling, public-private partnerships, bilateral and multilateral agreements, and other policy initiatives aimed at excluding non-market players from Western supply chains

Strategic realignment: The evolving business case for mitigating exposure to Chinese-controlled refining and processing and the strategies being successfully deployed to that end

R&D: The progress being made to build circular pathways and shorten supply chains

A future-forward ecosystem: How government and industry are addressing funding gaps for emerging processing & recycling technologies

5:10 pm - 5:25 pm | SPOTLIGHT: THE FUTURE OF mining & PROCESSING

High-impact presentations on technologies and services with game-changing potential in mining and metals.

5:30 pm - 6:00 pm | Fireside chat: Innovation in financing

Attracting capital: The financing structures and capital solutions proving most effective for de-risking mining projects and drawing capital into the space

Shifting the conversation: How “catalytic” government capital (like the UK’s National Wealth Fund) is acting as a signal for private equity

Leveraging government bodies and partnerships: The role of state-led bilateral and multilateral cooperation and co-financing and the effective leveraging of export credit agency (ECA) & development finance institution (DFI) programs for mining projects

Innovative financing: How hybrid capital solutions can support the buildout of processing and recycling capacity in the West

Chair

Partner, Clifford Chance

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Closing Remarks + NETWORKING RECEPTION

host sponsor

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

or

LIF Financial Services Risk + Compliance Symposium London 2026

Host sponsor

OVERVIEW

This high-impact, half-day symposium will bring together senior leaders from the financial services sector for a straight-talk session on navigating through a complex risk landscape. The goal: outline key drivers and trends when it comes to risk in the FS sector, where banks and funds are encountering challenges, and how to define and build innovative approaches that protect and enable the business instead of slowing it down.

Participants will engage in discussions designed to unpack the realities of today’s risk landscape in financial services and uncover valuable peer-driven insights. Together, we’ll explore how to build a robust, forward-looking framework that not only mitigates risk but also creates resilience and competitive advantage in a market defined by transparency and trust.

PURPOSE OF THE SYMPOSIUM

Examine the critical forces reshaping the financial services ecosystem when it comes to risk

Explore emerging practices transforming risk-focused functions (legal, compliance + risk management) and learn how leaders can adopt agile, future-ready strategies

Share best practices from financial services organizations on building resilience through innovation, technology, and data-driven decision-making

Cultivate a connected community of legal and business leaders in the financial services sector committed to exchanging insights, accelerating transformation, and driving meaningful change across the ecosystem

Who’s attending

This series is designed for senior professionals from across the financial services ecosystem who are leading on risk and compliance, including:

General counsel and associate general counsel at financial institutions

Chief Compliance Officers + compliance leaders

Leaders responsible for fund governance, reporting, and cross-border structuring

Professional advisors supporting alternative funds and institutional investors

Attendance is capped to ensure meaningful interaction and peer-to-peer learning.

STRUCTURE

A half-day, senior-level forum crafted for legal, risk, and compliance leaders, featuring:

Executive panels
A series of candid conversations with industry leaders on the themes outlined below.

Fireside chat
A focused discussion with an industry expert on an emerging topic in financial services.

Networking reception
Curated introductions and informal peer exchange among senior risk, legal, finance, compliance, and advisory leaders.

THEMES + AGENDA

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS

Panel | Governance in a complex operating and regulatory landscape

Generative AI and the financial services sector: Drivers + trends, use cases, and emerging risk and compliance considerations

Regulatory recalibration vs. global fragmentation

Navigating other evolving and emerging risks (external and internal) in financial services organizations

Panel | leading at the intersection of business + law: the legal function as a driver of innovation in the financial services sector

The key role legal leaders are playing in leading financial services organizations

Navigating regulatory shifts and changes in enforcement priorities

Adjusting to opaque market conditions

Protecting the business and enabling growth

Balancing risk + opportunities in tokenization, digital assets and cryptocurrency

FIRESIDE CHAT | INNOVATION IN ACTION

Real-world examples of innovation in action from risk leaders in financial services institutions. In this candid conversation, our speakers will share their hard-earned lessons and practical insights on turning innovation strategy into measurable results.

The challenges driving change: Key pressures, constraints, and barriers shaping legal and financial innovation today

From strategy to results: Real-world examples of innovation delivering measurable impact

Looking across the FS ecosystem: Buy-side and sell-side perspectives on change and innovation

Turning innovation into action: Practical lessons and takeaways for integrating technology, data, and new operating models into risk and compliance workflows

Panel | Building the RISK MANAGEMENT function of tomorrow

The evolving role of people, process and technology in driving risk management outcomes (legal, compliance, risk)

Collaboration between GCs, CCOs + Risk Leaders: Best practices

Elevating risk + compliance from a checkbox exercise to strategic partnership with the business

Leveraging the technology + automation revolution in risk management in financial institutions

Developing talent in a competitive market

CLOSING REMARKS + NETWORKING RECEPTION

host sponsor

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

or

LIF Financial Services Risk + Compliance Symposiums 2026

Host sponsor

NORTH AMERICA

New York City

MAY 13, 2026

EUROPE

LONDON

OCTOBER 7, 2026

OVERVIEW

This high-impact, half-day forum series will bring together senior legal, compliance, and finance professionals from leading financial services organizations to tackle one of the most urgent challenges facing the sector today: How do you build a compliance framework that keeps pace with accelerating regulatory change and the business?

Participants in New York and London will engage in straight-talk panel discussions designed to unpack the realities of today’s compliance landscape and uncover valuable peer-driven insights. Together, we’ll explore what’s working, where firms are struggling, and how leaders can design compliance programs that both protect and enable their organizations in an environment defined by scrutiny, transparency, and speed.

Who's attending

This series is designed for senior professionals from across the financial services ecosystem who are leading on compliance, including:

Chief Compliance Officers + compliance leaders
In-house counsel at financial institutions
Finance and operations executives
Leaders responsible for fund governance, reporting, and cross-border structuring
Professional advisors supporting alternative funds and institutional investors

Attendance is capped to ensure meaningful interaction and peer-to-peer learning.

structure

A half-day, senior-level forum crafted for compliance-focused leaders, featuring:

Executive panels
A series of candid conversations with industry leaders on the themes outlined below.
Fireside chat
A focused discussion with an industry expert on an emerging topic in financial services.
Networking reception
Curated introductions and informal peer exchange among senior compliance, legal, finance, and advisory leaders.

KEY THEMES

Governance in a complex operating and regulatory landscape
A review of the key dynamics at play in the financial services sector when it comes to navigating risk and regulation.

Resilience beyond the perimeter
How financial services organizations are achieving effective oversight of cloud providers and software vendors, and how they’re protecting their organizations from increasingly complex cybersecurity risks.

The new paradigm for ESG
How compliance functions are gathering high-quality, comparable data to meet mandatory disclosure requirements and ensuring that investment products marketed as sustainable or ESG-aligned are backed by verifiable evidence and rigorous internal controls.

Building the compliance function of tomorrow
The shift of Chief Compliance Officers (CCO) from a back-office supporting role to a front-office strategic enabler of safe innovation and better growth for the organization.

OUR PARTNERS

Host SPONSOR

GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNER

For Sponsorship opportunities, please contact jacquie@adbinsights.com. Or visit our SPONSORSHIP page.

The Commodities Innovation Forum: Mining + Metals 2026

EUROPE

LONDON

MAY 20, 2026

NORTH AMERICA

NEW YORK CITY

JUNE 17, 2026

OVERVIEW

Turning geopolitical tides have highlighted the essential nature of minerals and materials for national security and global energy demands. At this crucial juncture, collaboration among like-minded nations is essential to building secure, value-added supply chains. Great strides are being made, but much remains to be done to bolster the Western world’s mining and processing capabilities and mitigate the risks of over-reliance on China.

The Commodities Innovation Forum: Mining + Metals 2026 is a series of high-level events bringing together senior leaders from government, industry, and financial services to discuss the latest developments in mining and metals. This independent series examines the technologies, capital flows, and policy frameworks shaping the Western world’s efforts to build secure, value-added supply chains for national security and the world’s energy future.

Join us for engaging presentations and robust discussions on the work being done to enable a robust minerals and materials supply chains as part of an integrated energy security strategy. Forum discussions focus on how emerging technologies, private capital, government policies, and international alliances are shaping the ecosystem.

purpose

The forum aims to facilitate candid dialogue on leading strategies—from price floors and government equity stakes to stockpiling and sovereign wealth funds—by bringing key stakeholders together. The multi-city format allows regional perspectives to inform a holistic view of global opportunities and challenges.

DATES + LOCATION:

For 2026, four forum sessions are planned in major financial and policy hubs (dates to be confirmed):

London – May 2026
New York City – June 2026

DISCUSSION THEMES:

The forum’s content will be organized around key themes reflecting the emerging issues in critical minerals and the energy transition for 2026.

Themes for 2026:

The Evolving Geopolitical and Policy Landscape
Securing a Strategically Aligned Supply Chain
Innovations in Mining + Processing
Mobilizing Capital for the Next Leap Forward

structure + audience

Format: Each forum will be a half- or full-day event followed by a networking reception.

Sessions: The agenda will feature a mix of panel discussions, fireside chats, and keynote presentations focused on key themes related to the evolving critical minerals and materials space.

Attendees: Expect ~100+ senior attendees per session from across the ecosystem: policymakers and government officials, executives from mining, processing, and recycling companies, OEMs and battery technology leaders, investors and financial services professionals, and partners from consulting firms. This diverse audience of critical minerals stakeholders ensures a rich exchange of insights across the value chain.

For Sponsorship opportunities, please contact jacquie@adbinsights.com. Or visit our SPONSORSHIP page.

The Legal Innovation Forum Middle East Symposium Series

Roundtables

ABU DhABI:

APRIL 23RD

RIYADH:

APRIL 27TH

Symposium

DUBAI

APRIL 24TH

OVERVIEW

The Legal Innovation Forum is hosting a series of live events focused on leadership in the UAE and Saudi Arabia from April 23 to 27th, 2025.

The forums gather leaders from specific industries, specific roles and sectors from the region. The content and the audience of each roundtable is focused on convening leaders focused on navigating risk from legal, compliance, and risk departments in organizations, law firms, consultants, and third-party partners.

The purpose is to discuss key topics related to navigating the business of risk and how it relates to the broader business innovation story at play across in the Middle East.

STRUCTURE + Format

Locations + Dates: Abu Dhabi (April 23rd), Dubai (April 24th) + Riyadh (April 27th).

Theme: Leading through a risk-on era: Enabling the GCC’s economic innovation story through navigating risks and seizing opportunities.

DUBAI SYMPOSIUM

Venue + date: Dubai Symposium will be hosted from 4-8 pm, on April 24th at SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences
50 risk-focused leaders attending (compliance, risk and legal departments, consultants + law firms)
Highly targeted audience of leaders focused on risk as participants: General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Risk Officers, Associate General Counsel, Legal Operations Leaders, Consulting + Law Firm Partners, Chief Innovation Officers, COOs, CIOs.

Format

45 minute fireside chat on the symposium’s theme, “Leading through a risk-on era” between four thought leaders.
Elevator pitch of 5-7 minutes on key value propositions of each sponsor to the audience.
75-minute facilitated discussion amongst small groups on the symposium’s theme.
Focused networking opportunities at champagne reception before the dinner as well as the post-event dinner.

ABU DHABI + RIYADH ROUNDTABLES

Venues + dates: The Abu Dhabi Roundtable will be hosted from 5-9pm at the Rosewood Hotel Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi on April 23rd. The Riyadh Roundtable will be hosted from 5-9pm at the Mandarin Oriental in Riyadh on April 27th.
Roundtable theme: Leading through a risk-on era: Enabling the GCC’s economic innovation story through navigating risks and seizing opportunities.
Guests: 25 – 30 highly targeted risk-focused leaders will attend (including compliance, risk and legal departments, law firms, consultants + third-party partners).

Format

Networking receptions before + and after the roundtable.
Facilitated discussion amongst the group, led by facilitators on the roundtable’s theme.
Roundtable discussion will be accompanied by dinner.

Meet our speakers

Leading Tech Advisor

Partner + Head of Global Legal Services, KPMG

Global Legal Services Leader, KPMG

Regional Legal Manager for Smart Infrastructure, Siemens Middle East

Group GC for Dubai Financial Market and Nasdaq Dubai

SVP, AI Programs, ContractPodAi

Head of Legal Affairs MEA, International SOS

Board Member ACC MENA + Former GC, Aon

Principal | US Head of Legal Managed Services | Global Clients & Markets Leader (GLTMS)

Management Consultancies + Former GC, Schindler

DUBAI SYMPOSIUM: THEMES + AGENDA

4:00 TO 4:30PM | pre-symposium networking reception

4:30 TO 4:40PM | intro to forum

4:40 to 5:25pm | leading through a risk-on era: enabling the GCC's economic innovation story through navigating risks and seizing opportunities

Embedding resilience in legal strategy: How legal departments are preparing for complex threats – from geopolitical volatility to regulatory change – by aligning risk, regulatory, and contractual data
Data-driven risk management: The growing need for an advanced data infrastructure that enables proactive compliance and risk mitigation strategies
Responding to black swan events: Navigating unpredictable disruptions like tariffs through scenario planning and contractual foresight
Dubai as a risk leadership hub: Exploring how the region’s innovation mindset and investor appeal position it as a global leader in forward-thinking, risk-informed growth strategies

Regional Legal Manager for Smart Infrastructure, Siemens Middle East, Siemens

Founder, ECG Management Consultancies + Former GC, Schindler

Partner + Head of Global Legal Services, KPMG

CHAIR

Founder + CEO, The Legal Innovation Forum

5:25 to 6:10pm | Roundtable Discussions + Group Discussion

6:10 to 6:40pm | Elevator Pitches Session 1

6:40 to 7:30pm | Transforming the Legal Landscape: navigating innovation and change in a rapidly evolving business ecosystem

Challenges + opportunities for legal tech adoption in the GCC: Overcoming barriers and taking advantage of the UAE’s unique environment as an innovation sandbox
The evolving role of legal departments in business innovation: Enabling business growth through risk-aware legal-tech adoption
Navigating regulatory uncertainty and market volatility: Driving innovation to avoid regulatory, financial, and reputational risk
Maximizing impact with external advisors: Leveraging external expertise to bring strategic value in transformation initiatives.