Schedule of Events

Please note that the schedule is subject to change!

SABA NORTH AMERICA CONFERENCE KICKOFF

On the evening of July 10, ​conference goers are invited to take part in a boat cruise taking in the views of Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline! View the flyer below for more information.
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Register for the cruise here: https://rb.gy/2o12aj

CLE Panels

1. We're Under (Cyber) Attack! Interdisciplinary Best Practices for In-house Counsel

This panel discussion will identify the latest regulatory developments in the US and Canada relating to cybersecurity, not all of which are in harmony. The discussion will model a "tabletop" exercise in working through scenarios from real life examples, and offer suggestions to the audience with the benefit of their own experiences of managing cybersecurity events across complex organizations, including collaboration across finance, information technology and legal departments, senior management, members of the audit committee and other board directors, customers, technology vendors and external counsel and auditors. 



2. What are we doing on Women's Rights?

The SCOTUS’ decision to overrule Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey has far-reaching legislative, legal, and political ramifications. This panel will discuss recent developments, perspectives and the foreseeable consequences of Dobbs on women's healthcare rights in the US, and briefly contrast them with the Canadian legal regime.

3. Unpacking SCOTUS 2024

4. The fight for DEI - Fighting for our Voice

There is a battle on multiple fronts against DEI. Are DEI efforts divisive and destructive? Are such efforts a necessary step towards toward retain top talent and fostering fair and just spaces? This panel will provide US and Canadian perspectives on the state of play, where this debate is headed, and what tangible steps (diversity programming, diversity audits, client studies and DEI events) can be taken to protect and promote positive systems changes. The panel will also provide insights to employers seeking to balance compliance with the evolving law and their DEI objectives.

5. Power in Numbers: How class actions lead to behavioral modification

Class actions have been increasingly used as a wide-scale tool for social change covering issues such as sexual harassment, human rights, mass tort causing personal injury, and beyond. This panel of plaintiff and defence lawyers will explore class action practice in the US and Canada and focus in particular on how class actions have shaped the practices of defendants, leading to behavioral modification that goes well beyond dollars and cents.

6. Entertainment: Legal and Commercial Frontiers in Sports, Media, and Bollywood

This panel will look at the sports, gambling, media and Bollywood industries to discuss the following: (a) the intersection of legal and commercial realities within these industries; (2) the evolving nature of media rights and representation in sports and Bollywood; and (3) the art of strategic deal-making and contract negotiation, all for a global audience.

7. The Transformative & Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence

The rapid and unstoppable march of AI is placing an increased level of responsibility on developers, policymakers and lawyers, with a focus on improving transparency and accountability of AI systems. The panel will focus on what in-house counsel should know about implementing AI and generative AI, and apply the lenses of Ethics/IP/(Data)Privacy law to discuss how society can balance harnessing AI to improve efficiency and innovation, while also respecting its limitations and ethical challenges such as algorithmic bias, dataset sourcing, unintended harm and unethical use of technology.

8. Decoding Workplace Investigations involving DEI issues

This panel will focus on the complex nature of workplace investigations involving concerns around DEI and Microaggressions. The panel will offer practical frameworks and best practices to effectively conduct such workplace investigations. Key topics that will be covered include: (1) recognizing nuances, impact, and manifestations of DEI issues; (2) best practices for conducting fair, impartial, and comprehensive investigations; (3) strategies to identify, address, and prevent microaggressions; (4) overcoming obstacles and biases in workplace investigations; and (5) strategies to cultivate inclusive environments.

9. Hot Topics in Regulatory Enforcement and Internal Investigations

This panel would include private sector and government panelists to discuss (a) trends in white collar matters such as ESG, cybersecurity, record retention cases, crypto, FCPA, plus workplace misconduct investigations, and (b) practical tips on dealing with the regulatory investigations and the current enforcement landscape. The subject area will cater to firm, in-house and government lawyers.

10. Canada & the US - Facilitating Partnership & Cross-Border Investment

This panel will explore the current state of play in US & Canadian merger review with reference to key developments and debates internationally. It will also delve into how US and Canada can improve cross-border collaboration on multi-jurisdictional merger reviews with antitrust/foreign investment issues.

The panel will also explore foreign investment and national security review regime under CFISU (US) and the Investment Canada Act (Canada). In particular, speakers will consider whether the administration of and procedures around the foreign investment should change in light of upcoming mandatory reviews, including mandatory minority reviews, and the repercussions arising from the expansion of jurisdiction, with reference to recent developments in the US & Canada (including high profile divestiture orders in the critical minerals sector) as well as the international context.

11. Bridging the Bench: Canadian and American Judges on Effective Advocacy

In this panel, Canadian and U.S. judges will engage in a critical discussion about the art of effective oral, written and appellate advocacy. While they will touch on important differences in the legal traditions of the US and Canada, this panel will mostly focus on the common threads concerning written and oral advocacy: What are the skills that distinguish an outstanding advocate? What really works? What does not? How might judges on the two sides of the border view advocacy differently? Delve into practical strategies that succeed and pitfalls to avoid.

12. Breaking the stigma of Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Attorney wellness continues to be neglected. This panel will (a) confront the stigmas and harsh statistics of mental health issues and substance abuse among lawyers, (b) explore the true meaning of wellbeing in the legal profession by contrasting commercialized self-care with transformative wellness habits, and (c) table the need for systemic solutions, effective workplace accommodations and the importance of genuine restorative vacations in a profession where work-life boundaries sometimes seem like a myth.

13. The New Age of Open Banking: AI + Privacy Considerations

This panel will dive into the future of open banking, its implications on banking and fintech companies, and blind spots in privacy and AI in the US and Canada. The panel will also address the adequacy of current privacy frameworks and regulatory measures to ensure compliance with existing and proposed rules, while fostering responsible AI innovation and safeguarding consumer protection through, for example, the implementation of robust encryption mechanisms, transparent data governance practices, and robust protections against the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive financial information.

14. Modern Anti-Slavery Requirements for Businesses: Understanding Risks and Requirements on Both Sides of the Border and Beyond

Modern slavery / forced labour is a global challenge. It can be found in nearly every country and across industries. In recent years, several countries, have enacted new legislation to prevent and address these practices. These laws impose various obligations on businesses to address the possible existence of forced labour and child labour in their supply chains. This panel will provide practical insights into such legislation in the US and Canada and make sense of the latest developments in forced labour issues and supply chain due diligence from a cross-border perspective.

15. The SOUL Method: A Neurologist's Guide to Conquering Stress and Reconnecting with Yourself by Balancing the Mind and Gut

16. What's the deal with PE and VC anyways?

Both private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) clients are exploring ways to institutionalize and build durable balance sheets and enterprise-level value, through minority equity stake transactions, preferred equity structures, and a wide range of emerging transactions. This panel will provide an overview of PE and VC investing basics, review recent trends and look ahead, and review the role of outside counsel on a day-to-day basis.

17. What can the Canadian and American criminal justice systems learn from each other?

This panel will compare and contrast the US and Canadian criminal justice systems with reference to specific case studies to highlight similarities and differences in substantive and procedural law and expectations.

18. Where Are We and Where Are We Headed: Immigration Policy & Trends in the US and Canada

After providing appropriate context for the history of South Asian immigration in the U.S. and Canada, this panel will (1) discuss the initiatives being undertaken by both governments to attract the “best and brightest” applicants; (2) hot button issues facing individual and business immigration and (3) emerging trends for immigration in both countries

19. ESG trends and considerations: a primer for private practice lawyers, in-house counsel and corporate decision makers

ESG investing is declining globally. Public companies are emphasizing their ESG credentials much less than they did a few years ago. This panel will review recent trends, provide context for such trends, and posit that the ESG “movement” is not really dissipating -- it’s just evolving. More specifically, the panel will review hot button topics in ESG, provide specific guidance on governance, management and disclosure of ESG matters with reference to practices and approaches adopted by large public companies in Canada and the United States. 

20. Lawyering For Social Change for South Asian Communities

The panel is a call to action: South Asian public interest lawyers have a tremendous impact on their communities but there are not enough of them to meet the need of their communities. This panel will shed light on (a) career options in public interest law, (b) the associated challenges and opportunities, (c) the rich rewards such attorneys achieve when they ensure that their community members are treated with dignity and access justice, and (d) what we can do to improve the ranks of public interest lawyers. 

21. Litigating “bet the company” disputes

How do you litigate a civil or regulatory matter where the very future of the company is at stake? This panel will tell you, using examples from our own practice. “Bet the company” disputes are not just high profile cases that require delicately balancing crisis communications, building narratives for public and court/regulatory activity and client management. They require you to attack/defend what is at the very core of a business model. Settling such cases is notoriously difficult. The litigators on this panel will also discuss lessons learned from “bet the company” cases that can be applied to other litigation.

22. Generative AI challenging the IP Legal Landscape: US and Canadian perspectives

Generative AI is pushing the boundaries of intellectual property laws on issues such as authorship, ownership and infringement of copyright. This panel will review recent cases concerning such issues, discuss the scope of derivative works, the doctrines of fair use (US) and fair dealing (Canada), and provide insights into how the law may develop to catch up rapid developments in Generative AI. Along the way, the panelists will also provide practical takeaways on how to navigate the current uncertainty and protect intellectual property.

23. Grappling with the Employment Ramifications of speech in today’s world

Recent and ongoing geopolitical events have triggered polarizing opinions that are difficult to publicly debate without ramifications.

In the age of social media and “cancel culture,” this panel will assess how (a) North American employers can fairly allow space for respectful debate and the exercise of first amendment rights, even outside the workplace, and (b) employees and applicants for employment can exercise their rights and express their opinions respectfully, while having a firm grasp of the explicit and implicit employment consequences of their speech.

24. Cross-Border Tax and Succession Planning for South Asians: A Difficult Reality Affecting Many Immigrant Families

While South Asians are amongst the highest earning ethnical group in both the U.S. and Canada, there is often little focus given to tax, estate and succession planning in South Asian households. As a result of the disperse diaspora, families with ties to both Canada and the U.S., as well as other jurisdictions, face unanticipated and undesirable consequences. This panel will discuss common tax and succession issues arising in South Asian families with ties to Canada, the United States and “back home,” as well as how to anticipate and address such challenges.