Europe/Middle East/Africa Regional Conference Recap

The 2008 Europe/Middle East/Africa Regional Conference was held on September 4-6 in Istanbul at the beautiful Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel. There were 110 non-host firm conference participants, 13 speakers and sponsors, and 40 host firm lawyers. We thank our host firm, Pekin & Pekin, for an exceptional conference.

The first day of the conference, Thursday, September 4, featured practice group meetings, a First Time Conference Attendee Overview, and an Opening Reception overlooking the Bosphorus River and a view of the Asian side of Istanbul. Immediately following, attendees gathered and participated in no-host dinners of their choice at some of Istanbul’s most exciting dining venues.

Friday morning programs began with a plenary session on Increasing Inter-Firm Referrals. Panelists included:  Robbie Brown, Partner, Maclay Murray & Spens LLP (Scotland; Albert Dreese, Houthoff Buruma, Partner (Netherlands); Philippe Xavier-Bender, Partner, Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. (France); and was moderated by Michael Molitoris, Partner, Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz (Germany). Kathleen Pope-Sance, Director of Marketing and Communications, Lex Mundi, provided a brief overview on Co-Branding with Lex Mundi. Another panel discussion followed and provided details on Doing Business in Turkey. Panelists from Pekin & Pekin (Turkey) were Fethi Pekin, Managing Senior Partner; Mete Yegin, Senior Partner and Head of Finance; Sezin Okkan Caliskan, Senior Partner and Head of Capital Markets; and Ayça Sevimay, Partner, who served as the moderator. Next, attendees were provided with a brief update by Ben Greer, Vice President of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation and its activities, followed by a presentation from Ibrahim Betil, Chair, Community Volunteers Foundation (Toplum Gonulluleri Vakfi,”TOG” Turkey). Mr. Betil is a social entrepreneur who discussed the work of his organization regarding youth leadership development initiatives as they relate to enhancing Turkish civil society. The lunch speaker was Turkey’s Minister of Finance, Mr. Kemal Unakıtan, who provided detailed data and comments on the Turkish economy and the latest developments on the country. Practice group meetings rounded out the afternoon. Participants enjoyed a cruise to the Golden Horn on the lovely Bosphorus River and enjoyed cocktails and dinner at the Rahmi Koç Museum. 

On Saturday, programs began with a look at Best Practices in Preventing Fraud and Corruption in a Global Business with panelists Michael Molitoris, Partner, Nörr Stiefenhofer Lutz (Germany) Christophe Rapin, Partner, Pestalozzi (Switzerland); and client advisory council member, Dr. Martin Wagener, General Counsel, Audi AG. Professor Charles B. Craver, George Washington University Law School, led an interactive discussion on Building Better Negotiation Skills. Three distinguished, local professors, Prof. Dr. Asaf Savaş Akat, Prof. Soli Özel, Bilgi University and Prof. Dr. Ergun Özbudun, Bilkent University offered insights into various social, political and economic issues facing Turkey as an emerging market in a global landscape. After lunch, participants visited enjoyed a leisure time or a tour of the Hagia Sofyia.