Schedule and agenda

Lawyers are no longer merely relied upon as advisers and problem solvers. They are being turned to as leaders, strategists, and role models in clear defiance of long-held beliefs of what the industry is capable of. In this exclusive keynote address, Shannon Finch, Group General Counsel and Group Executive at Westpac, reveals how lawyers should be busting the myth and carving out their own integral place in the corporate ecosystem, challenging attendees to claim their own universe in the corporate world.

This session will explore the mandate of corporate counsel to enforce legal and ethical standards against entrenched cultural behaviour using the recent PwC scandal and ensuing parliamentary inquiry as a focal point.

Our panellists will explore how to prioritise values-based decision making, shifting the balance of power in organisations to build transparency, raise accountability, and promote integrity and wellbeing.

Our panellists will:

• Explore the scope and limits of legal privilege within the corporate context, especially regarding communications with legal counsel.
• Share strategies for amplifying legal voices, highlighting successful approaches for engaging leadership and employees in compliance efforts.
• Discuss how the Right to Disconnect laws have influenced workplace culture, employee rights and organisational practices over the past year.

As workloads in the industry surge, legal teams are aspiring to transformative change. However, to truly unlock the future of legal practice, it's crucial to integrate AI-driven strategies that enhance efficiency, streamline workflows, and foster innovation. Many assume that cloud-based, proprietary AI solutions are the only options available. But what happens when you take AI in-house?

In this interactive session, Paul Cowling and Mitch Scott will share our journey towards using open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) in our existing environment—learn what worked, what didn’t, and the key insights we gained from our clients along the way. We’ll address common questions, from “Do open-source LLMs work for legal tasks?” to “What are the environmental impacts?”—giving you practical, experience-backed answers to inform your own AI strategy.

3 Key Learnings:

1. Can open-source LLMs perform as well as proprietary models? – Discover how right-sized, self-hosted models like Deepseek and Llama can match or even outperform cloud-based solutions in legal-specific tasks, response quality, and efficiency.
2. What does it take to bring AI in-house? – Learn what’s involved in deploying open-source LLMs within a secure local environment, including infrastructure, costs, and operational considerations.
3. Should you build, buy or partner? – Explore whether deploying your own AI makes sense for your organisation, or if partnering with vendors who offer self-hosted AI solutions can provide the right balance of control, security, and efficiency. We’ll discuss key factors like technical capacity, compliance needs, and strategic goals to help you determine the best approach.

This session will provide an in-depth exploration of the current state of AI within the in-house legal sector. We will discuss the evolving regulatory landscape, professional conduct obligations, and the ethical considerations that rise as AI technologies become integrated into legal practices.

You will hear about real-world case studies that highlight best practices and lessons learned in AI implementation and learn from successful and challenging implementations of AI within in-house counsel, identifying key takeaways for future applications.

Our speakers will explore current and emerging regulations surrounding AI in legal contexts, including compliance requirements for in-house teams, and analyse how AI affects the professional responsibilities of legal practitioners, including issues of confidentiality, accuracy, and bias.

Join us for a comprehensive analysis of recent regulatory actions taken by ASIC, ACCC and other regulatory bodies as we discuss the business implications of these actions, focusing on how organisations can navigate the regulatory landscape and implement effective compliance strategies to mitigate risks in the current climate.

Our specialist speakers will:

• Examine key initiatives and enforcement actions by ASIC, ACCC, and other regulatory bodies.
• Discuss common compliance pitfalls and challenges businesses face in light of heightened regulatory scrutiny.
• Explore best practices for protecting your business from regulatory risks and ensuring compliance.

Get an in-depth exploration of the current technology landscape as we focus on how you can effectively examine, evaluate, and optimise your tech stacks.

With an abundance of tools and platforms available, it’s crucial for time poor in-house counsel to identify what’s working, what’s not, and how to streamline operations to enhance efficiency and maintain a competitive edge.

You will walk away with:

• A solid understanding of the latest trends and innovations in technology that are shaping various industries.
• The skills to critically assess existing technology tools and platforms to identify strengths and weaknesses.
• The best practices for optimising your tech stack to drive efficiency and reduce costs.

Rama Lingard will draw on his quarter-century in-house career to illustrate how this is more than a phrase but a philosophy for good business. Being the perceived “Ethical Barometer” or the “Moral Compass” of an organisation requires an in-house counsel to balance what is permitted under the law with what is the right course of action to take. The court of public opinion knows no mercy and at times you need to be that dissenting voice in the room on matters that do not involve what is legal or illegal, but rather what is right or wrong.

When Stuart and his partners began fermenting the idea of Four Pillars Gin before start-up in 2013, they had the foresight to hire the best legal counsel they could afford. In this exclusive keynote address, Stuart will explain why that decision proved invaluable. By charting the journey of Four Pillars Gin from its inception to their eventual exit in late 2023, Stuart brings a genuine, co-founder's perspective to the role that general counsel play in ensuring businesses grow with consistency and integrity.