AI and geopolitical risk specialist Sean West will deliver a keynote address at London International Disputes Week (LIDW) in June, with this year’s programme unveiled at a launch event held at the Law Society of England and Wales on Tuesday (17 March).
LIDW’s flagship conference will take place on 2 June 2026 at the QEII Centre in Westminster, with this year’s theme focused on ‘Tradition, trust and transformation in international dispute resolution’.
West, who is co-founder of The Unruly Corporation and Hence Technologies, was confirmed as the 2026 conference’s first keynote speaker. He is also the author of ‘UNRULY: Fighting Back when Politics, AI and Law Upend the Rules of Business’ and previously served as deputy CEO of geopolitical risk consultancy Eurasia Group.
Announcing the appointment, Sophie Lalor-Harbord, the main conference committee co-lead and a partner at Stewarts, said: “Sean is an expert on how the legal industry must evolve in response to ever-changing technology, geopolitical tensions and global risks. LIDW provides a vital forum for discussing these transformations and how they shape our approach to international disputes.”
The main conference programme was previewed at the launch event on Tuesday, attended by members of the LIDW board, strategy group, sponsors and representatives from across the disputes community, including Mark Evans, the president of the Law Society. Organisers also unveiled the 2026 website.
Loukas Mistelis, LIDW co-chair and partner at Clyde & Co, said the event marked an important milestone for the organisation, saying it was “a fitting way to come together, reflect on how far LIDW has come, and look ahead to LIDW26”.
Mistelis added: “We look forward to welcoming practitioners across the global dispute resolution community as we examine how the industry is transforming, grounded in the enduring strength of English common law and dispute resolution institutions.”
The main conference will bring together judges, arbitrators, in-house counsel, solicitors, barristers, forensic witnesses, business leaders and legal technology specialists to discuss the future of dispute resolution. Topics on the agenda include the impact of political pressure on the rule of law, the growth of class actions, the reliability of evidence in an AI-driven world and the cost-effectiveness of arbitration compared with litigation.
Other sessions will examine access to justice regionally, and emerging areas of dispute work, including space and deep-water activity.
As in previous years, the week, which GLP supports as a media partner, will open with International Arbitration Day on 1 June, hosted by 3 Verulam Buildings, Debevoise & Plimpton and Gibson Dunn, reflecting London’s continued status as a leading global arbitration centre.
This year’s event marks the first time that a leading commercial arbitration set has hosted International Arbitration Day. LIDW25 saw Linklaters, Simmons & Simmons, and Squire Patton Boggs host the day, while 2024 saw Kirkland & Ellis, Covington & Burling and Clyde & Co act as the hosts.
Last year’s LIDW keynote speaker was former judge and ex-president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Joan Donoghue. LIDW 2025 attracted 10,000 in-person attendees across the week, alongside 29,950 in-person and online registrations, including 1,700 international delegates from 106 different countries.
LIDW was founded in 2019 to promote London as a hub for dispute resolution and expects more than 600 delegates at the main conference, with participation from organisations across the global disputes market.
The Global Legal Post is a media partner of London International Disputes Week and has joined LIDW as a member firm in order to participate in the week for the first time. Further details will follow in the coming weeks.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
