Mishcon de Reya recently held its first firmwide Disputes Conference, bringing together 350 disputes practitioners from across the firm, alongside colleagues from MDR Discover, the Cyber Risk and Complex Investigations team, claims management business Somos and the firm’s international offices.
The conference reflected the breadth and depth of the firm’s disputes practice, with litigators and arbitration specialists from across the business sharing perspectives on the changing disputes market, client expectations, innovation in delivery, and the increasingly international nature of disputes work.
Sessions throughout the day highlighted the scale of Mishcon’s disputes offering across a wide range of court systems, tribunals and arbitral seats worldwide, and showcased the strength of the firm’s cross-practice and cross-border collaboration.
The conference also explored the strategic priorities shaping the future of the practice, including talent acquisition and retention, international growth, and the use of technology and AI in disputes.
A strategy session led by Daniel Naftalin, Managing Partner Elect, and Hugo Plowman, Chair of the Dispute Resolution Department, placed disputes at the centre of Vision 2030 and reflected on the role that landmark litigation has played in shaping the firm’s identity - from its earliest disputes heritage through to more recent significant matters including the Gina Miller constitutional cases, the Hiscox COVID litigation, the case for the Federal Republic of Nigeria against P&ID and the work that the firm has done advising the liquidators on the collapse of China Evergrande.
A separate session led by Nick West, Chief Strategy Officer, focused on the role of technology in disputes, including the way AI and structured workflows are beginning to reshape how complex matters are delivered.
The conference concluded with a discussion on the future growth of the practice and the importance of deeper collaboration across teams and jurisdictions.
Hugo Plowman said: “We’re a disputes powerhouse, but our ambition is to make Mishcon an internationally recognised leading disputes firm. To do this, we need to present our collective strength to the outside world and continue to drive value for our clients across teams, disciplines and offices. This event was an important step in revitalising our shared identity as a firmwide disputes team and in developing a common understanding of the strategic direction of this important part of our business.”