FIRE Middle East

'Women in FIRE' Afternoon Tea & Panel Session
5.00pm

Women in FIRE connects women in litigation or whose practice encompasses or touches upon Fraud, Contentious Insolvency, Asset Recovery and International Enforcement. 

Your Mental Health Matters – Beneath the Facade

• Navigating burnout, anxiety and stress
• Dealing with the stigmas – speaking up in the legal space
• Supporting today’s lawyers with mental health initiatives

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Supported by

Pre-Event Networking Welcome Party 4th Floor - ikandy ultralounge (by the pool)
7.00pm

Meet your fellow attendees and connect with the intrepid business travellers.

Registration & Welcome Refreshments
9.00am

Chairpersons' Opening Remarks
9.20am

The Future of Asset Recovery in The Middle East
09.25am

• Analysing online translations versus the gap on the ground when implemented
• The increased digitalisation of fraud and the impacts on investigations
• How regulations are catching up and how that is being seen
• Claims against holding companies’ vs subsidiaries – what are the nuances

Combating Fraud in Major Projects
10.10am

• What precaution measures you should take
• Navigating the complexities of Giga-projects in Saudi Arabia
• How compliance can protect these long-term projects
• Discovering fraudulent action and working with authorities

Networking & Refreshment Break
10.55am

Evidence in the World of Asset Recovery
11.25am

• Using electronic evidence and making sure it’s admissible in courts
• Discovery of evidence and the issuing of injunctive relief in the Dubai courts
• Enhancing corporate practice and disclosure requirements
• How to tackle historical records that are not very clear
• Navigating the lack of official sources

Managing Expectations with Enforcement and Execution
12.10pm

• Understanding the different enforcement regimes across Middle East jurisdictions
• Recognition issues and enforcing in different jurisdictions – what is the best way to do it
• Analysing the success of enforcing foreign judgements and awards
• The starting point – setting up for successful enforcement in the future

Networking & Lunch Break
12.55pm

Navigating the Challenges of Asset Tracing in the Middle East region
2.00pm

• Why asset trace? Determine whether to proceed with legal action or not
• Do the due diligence and asset trace to ensure there are assets behind the judgements
• Unravelling the truth whilst observing data protection laws
• Using advanced analytical tools and technology to find assets

Case Study: A Successful Cross Border Asset Seizure and Recovery
2:45pm

• Things to consider with your recovery methodology
• Impacts of a global world and how to work together with multiple jurisdictions
• How assets flow across borders

Networking & Refreshment Break
3.00pm

Integration of AI in the Legal System
3.20pm

• How AI is developing in the Middle East
• What the governments are doing to keep up with growth
• The need to address Middle East nuances, such as addressing the Arabic language
• How AI is geared to tackle Middle East juris prudence and laws

Getting To the End Success – Using Third Party Funding
4.05pm

• Governing frameworks for the use of funding in the Middle East
• Ethical considerations to be aware of
• Attracting investors and the potential returns

Chairpersons' Summary & Close of Day 1
4.50pm

Networking Drinks Reception 4th Floor - ikandy ultralounge (by the pool)
5.00pm

Networking & Morning Refreshments
9.00am

Chairpersons' Welcome Back
9.20am

Shades Of Fraud in The Middle East
9.30am

• What are the emerging fraud trends affecting businesses and financial institutions
• Examining the fraud legislation across the GCC and cross-border cooperation
• How technology can improve fraud detection and prevention

Onshore VS Offshore – Legal Framework and Dispute Resolution
10.10am

• How the offshore regulatory structures impact the region
• Differences in enforcement mechanisms between onshore and offshore jurisdictions
• Collaboration between onshore regulatory bodies and offshore entities
• Challenges with assets being moved to offshore jurisdictions

Networking & Refreshment Break
10.50am

Exploring Directors’ Duties and Liability of Officers
11.10am

• Spotting fraudulent directors
• What to do with a breach of duty
• Assessing the liability of a dishonest assistant
• What strategy to go for and the practical points of recovery
• Different considerations in the context of insolvency

Exploring Foundations Law in the DIFC
11.50am

• What are the enforcement issues
• Enforcing foreign proceedings against a foundation
• How to approach assets found in foundations

Networking & Lunch Break
12.30pm

Tackling Digital and Virtual Assets
1.30pm

• How fraud has evolved with digital assets
• How AML is being implemented with cryptocurrency
• Executing the tracing of crypto assets
• A look at the digital asset will with the DIFC

Navigating The Complexities on Sanctioned Sovereigns
2.10pm

• The need to address sovereign immunity in cross-border enforcement
• Strategies to approach enforcement against a sovereign debtor
• Highlighting DIFC’s approach to sovereign immunity
• Analysing the impact of enforcement and recovery against sanctioned sovereigns

Networking & Refreshment Break
2.50pm

Getting Ahead with the Rise of Arbitration
3.10pm

• Impacts of adding arbitration clauses to be seated in the UAE
• The future of arbitration by the DIAC
• Should you use expedited arbitrations and emergency relief?
• Being aware of the conflict of interest with arbitrators
• Will DIFC law develop towards English common law of arbitration?

Modernising Insolvency Regimes Across the Middle East
3.50pm

• The use of the bankruptcy law in the UAE
• How to prepare and present a restructuring plan for shareholders
• Best practice for the ways assets can be liquidated
• Looking at the applicability of insolvency procedures to help restructure and liquidate companies (in Saudi Arabia)
• The recovery of assets in insolvency cases

Chairpersons' Summary
4.30pm

Close of Summit
4.40pm