2026 IBA/IFA Joint Conference Agenda

View the 2026 IBA/IFA Joint Conference event schedule below.

Event Schedule

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Time Session
3:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Legal Symposium Basic Track: International
Speakers: Abhishek Dube, Partner, Baker & Mckenzie LLP, USA
Jeff Hellman, Corporate Counsel, Papa Johns, USA
Frank Robinson, Partner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Canada
6:00 pm
Reception and Dinner (RARE Steakhouse & Tavern at 1595 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006)
The off-site restaurant will be a short walk from the Grand Hyatt Washington.
Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Dinner will be served at 7:00 pm.
* One ticket to this reception and dinner is included in the IBA/IFA Conference registration fee. Tickets to just the reception and dinner are also available for purchase.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Time Session
7:30 am – 4:00 pm Registration Desk Open
7:30 am – 8:00 am Continental Breakfast Available
8:00 am – 8:10 am
Welcome & Introduction
Welcome and Introduction by the IBA International Franchising Committee Co-Chairs and IFA.
Speakers: Lee Plave, Partner, Plave Koch PLC, USA
Dagmar Waldzus, Partner, BUSE Rechtsanwälte, Germany
8:10 am – 9:25 am
Plenary 1: Hot Topics in International Franchise Laws
A series of roundtable discussions on various topics of interest to franchise lawyers from around the world.
Session Chair: Peter Snell, Partner, Cassels LLP, Canada
  • Table 1: Common law vs. Civil law forms: why does it matter?
    Moderators: Sophie Peasley, Partner, Hamilton Pratt, UK; Alessandra Sonnati, Partner, FVA Law, Italy
  • Table 2: Master franchising vs direct franchising
    Moderators: Khushbu Sundarji, Partner, Stewart Germann Law Office, New Zealand; Samantha Lopes, Corporate and Finance Associate, Nixon Peabody, USA
  • Table 3: Going big – or going smart? Countrywide vs regional grants
    Moderators: Michael Laidhold, Partner, Plave Koch PLC, USA; Daniel So, Partner, Dale & Lessmann LLP, Canada
  • Table 4: Mastering Post-termination aspects (non-compete, indemnity claims, know-how protection, etc.)
    Moderators: Julien Rivet, Founding Partner, Allium, France; Craig Trachtenberg, Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP, USA
  • Table 5: Digital Marketing in franchise systems: typical pitfalls
    Moderators: Olivia Gast, Managing Partner, Gast Avocats, France; Ania A. Gonzalez, Attorney, Larkin Hoffman, USA
  • Table 6: Pricing: how free is the franchisee to set prices?
    Moderators: Anders Thylin, Partner, Thylin, Sweden; Peter Viitre, Partner, Sotos LLP, Canada
  • Table 7: Establishing and Maintaining an International Compliance Program for Franchising
    Moderators: Jennifer Dolman, Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Canada; Tanja Hens, Attorney, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, USA
  • Table 8: Using and controlling AI in international relationships
    Moderators: Alan Greenfield, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, USA; Brian Schnell, Partner and Chair, Faegre Drinker, USA
9:30 am – 10:45 am
Plenary 2: Pre-contract: There Is So Much More Than Just The Franchise Agreement
Description: The Franchise Agreement is only one (but important) document to be drawn up before entering into a franchise relationship. Other documents need skillful drafting, too, in order to build a solid foundation of each party’s expectations and rights, including letters of intent; heads of terms; arrangements on deposits; FPRs; letters of credit; guarantees; and many more.
Moderator: Beata Krakus, Partner, Greensfelder, USA
Speakers: Faisal Daudpota, Senior Partner, Daudpota International, UAE
Jennifer Shayko, Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP, Canada
Shaun Temby, Partner, Maddocks, Australia
10:45 am – 11:05 am Refreshment Break
11:05 am – 12:05 pm
Concurrent Interactive Workshops
  • Workshop #1: FPRs in International Transactions
    A practical framework to design, substantiate, and present FPRs across key jurisdictions, emphasizing data hygiene, translation/localization, franchisee comparability, advertising substantiation, and alignment between contracts and disclosures to mitigate regulatory scrutiny and litigation risk.
    Moderator: Stephanie Zosak, Partner, DLA Piper LLP, USA
    Speakers: Luiz Henrique Amaral, Partner, Dannemann Siemsen, Brazil
    Regina Amolsch, Partner, Plave Koch PLC, USA
    TBD
  • Workshop #2: Fulfilling disclosure obligations in Europe: how to deal with 27+ jurisdictions
    This session will provide a broad review of disclosure requirements in European jurisdictions with a discussion of scope, format, language, and requirements that bear understanding before transactions are contemplated.
    Moderator: Dagmar Waldzus, Partner, BUSE Rechtsanwälte, Germany
    Speakers: David Bond, Partner, Fieldfisher LLP, UK
    Anders Fernlund, Partner, Astra, Sweden
    Olga Sztejnert-Roszak, Partner, SWKS, Poland
  • Workshop #3: Under Attack: How To Protect Franchise Networks Against Cybercrimes
    Establish systemwide security baselines, conduct vendor diligence, and implement breach playbooks and ransom decision frameworks. Align contractual risk allocation, insurance, cross border reporting, and data localization to meet multinational requirements and reduce exposure for franchisors and multi-unit operators.
    Moderator: Esmari Jonker, Attorney, Smit & Van Wyk, South Africa
    Speakers: Gustavo Alcocer, Partner, Olivares y Compañía, S.C., Mexico
    Dominic Mochrie, Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Canada
12:05 pm – 12:45 pm Luncheon
12:50 pm – 1:35 pm
Dispute Resolution: How to Handle Pre-Dispute Negotiations
This session will address issues relating to factors that should be considered when assessing whether it is worth pursuing a claim. Additionally, the panelists will discuss drafting considerations, including choosing between arbitration and litigation (is arbitration always the right choice, e.g., where contracting parties are both in common law jurisdictions? Or in two civil law jurisdictions?) The session will also look in general terms at the availability of injunctive relief in the international context.
Moderator: Lee Plave, Partner, Plave Koch PLC, USA
Speakers: Paula Mena Barreto, Partner, Campos Mello Advogados, Brazil
Pablo Hooper, Partner, Pérez-Llorca, Mexico
Dominic Hui, Partner, Ribeiro Hui, China
Derek Ronde, Partner, Cassels Brock and Blackwell LLP, Canada
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Concurrent Interactive Workshops
  • Workshop #1: FPRs in International Transactions
    A practical framework to design, substantiate, and present FPRs across key jurisdictions, emphasizing data hygiene, translation/localization, franchisee comparability, advertising substantiation, and alignment between contracts and disclosures to mitigate regulatory scrutiny and litigation risk.
    Moderator: Stephanie Zosak, Partner, DLA Piper LLP, USA
    Speakers: Luiz Henrique Amaral, Partner, Dannemann Siemsen, Brazil
    Regina Amolsch, Partner, Plave Koch PLC, USA
    TBD
  • Workshop #2: Fulfilling disclosure obligations in Europe: how to deal with 27+ jurisdictions
    This session will provide a broad review of disclosure requirements in European jurisdictions with a discussion of scope, format, language, and requirements that bear understanding before transactions are contemplated.
    Moderator: Dagmar Waldzus, Partner, BUSE Rechtsanwälte, Germany
    Speakers: David Bond, Partner, Fieldfisher LLP, UK
    Anders Fernlund, Partner, Astra, Sweden
    Olga Sztejnert-Roszak, Partner, SWKS, Poland
  • Workshop #3: Under Attack: How To Protect Franchise Networks Against Cybercrimes
    Establish systemwide security baselines, conduct vendor diligence, and implement breach playbooks and ransom decision frameworks. Align contractual risk allocation, insurance, cross border reporting, and data localization to meet multinational requirements and reduce exposure for franchisors and multi-unit operators.
    Moderator: Esmari Jonker, Attorney, Smit & Van Wyk, South Africa
    Speakers: Gustavo Alcocer, Partner, Olivares y Compañía, S.C., Mexico
    Dominic Mochrie, Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, Canada
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Refreshment Break
3:00 pm – 4:13 pm
Plenary 3: News from the World
A panel of expert franchise law practitioners from selected countries around the world will discuss recent and topical legal developments affecting franchising in their countries.
Moderator: Kendal Tyre, Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP, USA
Speakers: Alessandra Sonnati, Partner, FVA Law, Italy
Iain Irvine, Partner, Vardon Legal, Australia
TBA: Canada, China, Japan, Uganda
4:15 pm
Closing
Speakers: Lee Plave, Partner, Plave Koch PLC, USA; Dagmar Waldzus, Partner, BUSE Rechtsanwälte, Germany

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