Transatlantic Legal Conference 2024

On March 1st, Germany’s banking metropolis, Frankfurt am Main, hosted the inaugural event in the DAJV annual calendar – the Transatlantic Legal Conference #tlc24. With the active engagement of close to 100 legal professionals dedicated to transatlantic affairs, the conference became a dynamic platform for insightful discussions and the exchange of expertise.

This was made possible by the DAJV expert groups focusing on Arbitration, Litigation, Mediation (ALM), Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Law (M&A), Antitrust, Regulated Industries, Media (ARIM), as well as the experts who prepared a theme for ‘Regulation & Compliance’. The detailed sessions unfolded as follows:

The ALM track featured “Attorney Client Privilege Reloaded,” delving into cross-border disputes between US common law and civil law jurisdictions. The session explored the challenges and best practices for German companies navigating the intricacies of US litigation. In “A Tale of Two Stories,” the session underlined the strategic communication needed when court proceedings impact public opinion. Here, experts discussed trends and do’s and don’ts, comparing the relatively young discipline in Germany with the well-established practices in the US.

M&A sessions explored cutting-edge topics. “AI in M&A – Legal Tech on Steroids?” dissected the impact of Artificial Intelligence on deal strategies, due diligence automation, and post-merger integration. The second M&A session, “Forced shareholder exits in restructurings – how sharp is the blade?” took up a hotly disputed topic in the re-invigorated scene of restructuring transactions and discussed, in particular, situations that involve a revamp of the shareholder composition in a contentious procedure. In doing so, the experts explored StaRUG’s implications for distressed M&A deals and concluded that a court-approved pre-insolvency restructuring is a modern tool that the United States does not (yet) provide.

In the “Regulation & Compliance” track, the session “Market Autonomy vs. State Regulation: Whistleblower Protection and Supply Chain Due Diligence across the Atlantic” analyzed Germany’s evolving stance on corporate governance, comparing it with the US emphasis on market-driven self-regulation and corporate responsibility.

The ARIM track focused on the practical application of AI and legal tech in law firms. The session “Use of AI and Legal Tech in Law Firms” provided real-world scenarios to make abstract terms like “AI” and “Legal Tech” tangible, while also discussing the different regulatory frameworks in the EU and the USA.

As in previous years, the traditional festive dinner that concluded the event was very much enjoyed by all participants. In fact, the numerous engaging conversations in an excellent atmosphere went on long beyond the official closing hour of the event.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Institute for Law and Finance (ILF) for their invaluable support as our cooperation partner and Consul General Norman Thatcher Scharpf and Hessian Minister of Justice Christian Heinz for their inspiring participation. Looking forward to the next conference, #tlc25, we express gratitude to everyone for contributing to the remarkable success of #tlc24 in the field of transatlantic legal discourse.

Download program in PDF

Find the speakers presentations below.