Lisbon to host first international conference on Technology and Law

Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and the connection between Law and Technology will be up for discussion at the first edition of Lisbon, Law & Tech, an international event organised by Abreu Advogados’ Knowledge Institute, to be held on the afternoon of 29 October, in the Auditorium at Abreu Advogados, Lisbon.

The focus of the conference is the impact of technology on economics and law. One of the prominent international specialists attending is Daniel B. Rodriguez, president of the American Bar Association Center for Innovation, the former Dean of Northwestern School of Law in Chicago, and previously a professor at Harvard and Stanford.

In the words of Luís Barreto Xavier, coordinator of the Knowledge Institute and Innovation consultant at Abreu Advogados, “Like Fintech in the financial sector, Lawtechs have caused disruption in the practice of Law, and we need to understand and debate the potential and the risks of this current innovation. Lisbon, Law & Tech will contribute to this debate. We are very pleased to be able to debate, during an afternoon, some of the topics that are at the forefront of innovation. What is more, we will have renowned international specialists to present and discuss these.”

Of particular note is the debate on new skills of professionals in the legal sector, as part of a conversation with Victor Cabral, from Think Future, a unit of Tozzini Freire, one of the largest Brazilian firms. Alexandre Zavaglia, Co-founder of the Brazilian Future Law, will then take the floor to speak about Data Science and Artificial Intelligence applied to Law.

Helder Galvão, Founder of the Brazilian technology company N8, will also be a guest at the event. Following a career in which he has been closely linked to innovation and start-ups, he will speak about Advocacia 4.0 and the potential role of lawyers in the future. Next up will be Rita Branquinho Lobo, from Novabase, who intends to reflect on whether legal departments will be a cost centre or a business unit in corporations.

The afternoon will continue with the topics of fundraising for start-ups, with managing partner of Cionet, Rui Serapicos, and the secrets behind successful exit cases, with Rodrigo Vieira, from PG Advogados. To complete the programme, Marco Fernandes, CEO of PME Investimentos, will take the stage to talk about Venture Capital operations and spin-in transactions between traditional companies and start-ups.

The conference will also see a partnership announced between Abreu Advogados and Future Law, to highlight the relationship between the two and with the aim of bringing to Portugal the most up-to-date knowledge on technological innovations in Law.

The conference is the high point of the Abreu Tech Week, a week dedicated to Law and Tech, with the inauguration of an art exhibition by Jorge Santos, which includes two interactive digital works, and exhibitions and events around the topic of innovation and the application of new technologies to Law. Some of the most influential and recognised players in the sector, including firms and legal tech start-ups, have already confirmed their attendance. Further information will be available soon on the event’s webpage.

Attendance at the conference is free, but advance registration is required. Places are limited to the maximum capacity of the auditorium.