On June 25, 2021, the 18th SCLA Global Forum – Global Forum on Building Internet Systems for Law Firms and Dispute Resolution Organizations was successfully held online. The legal profession is undergoing tremendous changes and challenges. These challenges have surfaced with the issue of the new crown epidemic. On the one hand, how to use artificial intelligence to better maintain client relationships, preserve client relationships, and address the challenges posed by multiculturalism. In addition, law firms expanding globally face data security and data compliance challenges. As a result, their data handling norms and how to handle data compliance for their clients worldwide are increasingly drawing widespread attention. The forum provided an in-depth discussion on how law firms should better plan ahead for resilient and scalable system designs that can anticipate future challenges on a global scale.
The forum began with a review of the development of the Swiss-Chinese Law Association and the Geneva Mediation Center in June. Next, Norman Clark, founder of Walker Clark LLC, shared artificial intelligence and relationship management, highlighting the practice of artificial intelligence for client relationship management, which sparked a lively discussion. This was followed by a roundtable discussion on practices in law firm management moderated by Dr. Hermann Knott, co-founder of the Geneva International Dispute Resolution Institute, with roundtable guests Rob Millard, Director of Cambridge Strategy Group, Guangzheng Cao, CIO of King & Wood Mallesons, Kowit Somwaiya, Founder of LawPlus, Partner of KKG, Poland Pawel Sikora, Jiang Jiaxi, Founding Partner of the Jurisino Law Firm, and Cheng Fang, Partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm, discussed the future of law firm development from different perspectives, especially from an international perspective, and discussed the practices of law firms in building Internet systems and law firm management.
The second part of the forum discussed the data security of law firms. First, Olga Tsiptse, Chair of the Greek Committee of Experts on Data Protection, discussed data security in the EU Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the challenges it poses for law firms, followed by Joseph Lazzarotti, Partner at Jackson Lewis. He shared industrial thinking on data security and law. He pointed out that data compliance issues in law firms should be viewed from an industry perspective. Finally, Chen Jian, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China Arbitration Law Research Association, discussed the development of data protection legislation in China.
The third part of the forum explored the practice of institutional management issues in the construction of Internet systems. First, Feng Yuyi, Guangzhou Arbitration Commission (GAC), first introduced the online dispute resolution platform launched by GAC, which aroused strong interest among the participants. Next, John Lowe, former President of the Association of Corporate Counsel, discussed the coping strategies made by different arbitration institutions in the face of new challenges since the new crown pneumonia, especially the extensive use of technology in arbitration institutions.
The forum concluded with John Chigbu, Partner at Chigbu&Co, LLP on business-to-business transfer pricing research, specifically exploring the practice of artificial intelligence in transfer pricing issues in tax law.
More than 40 participants from over 15 countries and regions attended this year’s forum.
A detailed forum report will be released soon, so please stay tuned.
