ACC Europe Annual Conference kicks off in Barcelona

The highly anticipated ACC Europe Annual Conference returns this year, scheduled from May 21-23 at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, in media partnership with LegalcommunityGERMANY, Legalcommunity.it, LegalcommunityCH, Inhousecommunity.it and Iberian Lawyer.

The central theme of the 2025 edition is “Future-Focussed Legal: Embracing Tomorrow’s Opportunities”: a forward-looking perspective on the legal profession’s future, challenging general counsel to address the challenges and opportunities in a constantly evolving global context. In this landscape, the ability to anticipate technological, geopolitical, and regulatory changes becomes crucial for in-house legal departments to guide organizations through upcoming transformations.

The conference will officially open on Wednesday, May 21, with the Joint Keynote Session with the CLO Summit titled “Regulation in the Crossfire: The Global Legal War Over Tech and More”, which will focus on growing global regulatory tensions in the technology sector, with particular attention to the race to regulate artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Speakers for this keynote include: Anu Bradford, Henry L. Moses Professor of International Law and Organizations, Columbia Law School; Javier Fontcuberta, Managing Partner, CUATRECASAS; and Eva Argíles, General Counsel, Applus Services. The panel will address the main regulatory conflicts reshaping the future of global business, focusing on divergences between the United States, European Union, and China.

The ACC Europe conference is an essential event for members of the international association of corporate lawyers, as well as for companies, law firms, and academic institutions from across Europe and beyond. The 2025 edition features over 30 meetings, workshops, and roundtables focused on key topics for the corporate legal function: from using AI to increase legal team efficiency to managing global compliance, sustainability, diversity & inclusion, antitrust, and corporate governance strategies.