Lifecycle of an entrepreneur – from personal to personnel // IPCFL Seminar // Annual labour law conference

Cambridge, United Kingdom

26 June 2025 - 28 June 2025

IPCFL Seminar


Thursday 26 June 2025

17:30 Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
  • Address: 52-42 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD, United Kingdom
18:30 » 20:00 Welcome reception at University Arms Hotel
20:00 Dinner at University Arms Hotel

Friday 27 June 2025

08:00 Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
  • Address: 52-42 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD, United Kingdom
08:45 » 09:15 Welcome Address by Kato Aerts, President of AIJA
09:15 » 10:15 Session 1: Raiders of the lost spark – Pitfalls of prenups
Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving got married in 1985 and signed a prenuptial agreement. However, the prenup was written on the back of a napkin, without any lawyers present. Eventually, the prenup was invalidated by Amy Irving in court which lead to a hefty USD 100m divorce settlement.

Against this background, this panel seeks to explore the pitfalls that can be encountered when drawing up prenuptial agreements, not only from a formal perspective, but also from a substantive perspective. In particular, the panel will focus on situations where companies are part of the marital assets. In this regard, the panel will discuss arrangements and solutions aimed at avoiding a split-up of the respective companies. 

Moderator: Lisette Dupre, Stewarts, United Kingdom 

Speakers:
  • Camille Anger, BWG, France 
  • Livio Kaspar, Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd, Switzerland
  • Emmanuelle Bonboire-Barthelemy, Chauveau Mulon & Associates, France
  • Sophie Leeder, Charles Russell Speechly, United Kingdom 
10:15 » 10:30 Small break
10:30 » 11:30 Session 2: (Legal) form and (financial) substance
This panel discusses two main choices which have to be made at the beginning of the life-cycle of an entrepreneur, i.e. the choice of the most suitable legal form (the type of legal entity) and the financing of the business. The panel seeks to explore (new) legal structures in different jurisdictions which offer flexible structuring possibilities, specific tax advantages and/or particularly interesting features for startups. Furthermore, the panel also deals with different forms of financing agreements for startups, with a particular focus on recent trends such as SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity).

Moderator: Sandra Strahm, Schwärzler Rechtsanwälte, Liechtenstein

Speakers:
  • Peter Von Burg, Burckhardt Ltd, Switzerland
  • Lucy Edwards, Penningtons, United Kingdom 
  • Aline Von During, Bonnard Lawson, Dubai  
11:30 » 12:00 Coffee Break
12:00 » 13:00 Session 3: How to navigate the successful business through the waters of divorce
Married couples rarely think about what could happen if they decide to divorce one day. However, there is a wide range of potential negative impacts of divorce on a business. This panel seeks to highlight these potential negative impacts and discuss the protective mechanisms that can be put into place to safeguard the company and to mitigate damage, e.g. prenuptial/postnuptial agreements, pre-emption clauses in shareholders' agreements, transferring the company to a foundation/trust, etc. The panel will also look at how business assets are taken into account on divorce to include how a business may be valued, how the income maybe taken into account (be it salary, dividends, reserves, shareholder accounts), and what to look out for in the financial statements or tax related documentation.

Moderator: Raluca Lolev, Ivoire-France, France

Speakers:
  • Agata Kielczynska, Crido, Poland
  • Joanne Wescott, Osbournes, United Kingdom 
  • Niamh NI GHAIRBHIA (GARVEY),  GARVEY AVOCATS, France
Panel sponsored by Osbornes Law:

13:00 » 14:00 Lunch Break 
14:00 » 15:00 Session 4: When estate planning fails
At the end of the life-cycle of an entrepreneur, the entrepreneur is confronted with the challenge of passing on the company which he or she built successfully over the years.

Many entrepreneurs seek to avoid a fragmentation of the company and are faced with potential future claims of numerous different stakeholders (heirs, creditors, etc.). This panel investigates common risks in succession and estate planning, in particular formal requirements of testamentary dispositions, forced heirship or creditor claims, (inheritance) taxes, capacity issues, etc.

Moderator: Annabel Spearman, Farrer & Co, United Kingdom 

Speakers:
  • Michael Schifferli, Wenger Plattner, Switzerland
  • Bhavesh Patel, Travers Thorp Alberga - Cayman Islands
  • Sabrina Sears, Mishcon de Reya, United Kingdom
15:00 » 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 » 16:30 Session 5: Only two things are certain in life: death and taxes – how to avoid both / or: Steward-ownership for the common good 

In late 2022, it was announced that Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard is giving away his ownership in his company, dedicating all profits from the company to projects and organisations that will fight the climate crisis. Similarly, the founders of the German search engine Ecosia transitioned to steward-ownership by retaining their control rights, but giving up their economic rights (i.e. their right to sell Ecosia or take any profits out of the company). There are many other examples of steward-ownership: Zeiss (Germany), Novo Nordisk (Denmark), Bosch (Germany), Signal (USA) BuurtzorgT (Netherlands), Carlsberg (Denmark) and many more.
 
This panel seeks to explore (corporate) structures and vehicles (such as foundations, trusts, etc.) in different jurisdictions which are used for the purposes of estate planning. The focus of the discussion lies on the tax treatment of such structures and on common-benefit structures which allow the founder/settlor to live on and be remembered by dedicating the proceeds of a company to charitable purposes.

Moderator: Domenik Vogt, Gasser Partner, Liechtenstein

Speakers:
  • Michael Engel, Graf Von Westphalen, Germany
  • Chloe Gossart, Origo Avocat, France
  • Julia Henninger, Borey & Barbey, Switzerland 
16:30 » 17:15 Commission Meetings
19:00 » 23:00 Dinner at Gonville & Caius College
  • Trinity St, Cambridge CB2 1TA, Reino Unido

Saturday 28 June 2025

09:00 Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
10:00 » 11:15 Session 6

Speakers:
  • Ania Tarasiewicz, Mills & Reeve LLP, UK
  • Marco Frigg, Weber schaub & partner ltd, Switzerland
  • Catriona Abraham, Stewarts, UK
  • Lucy Clark, Penningtons Manches Cooper, UK
11:15 » 11:45 Coffee Break
11:45 » 12:30 Session 7
12:30 » 14:00 Lunch Break
16:00 » 16:30 Get together at the lobby to walk to the optional activity: Punting in River Cam
16:30 » 17:15 Optional activity: Punting in River Cam
19:00 Optional dinner
  • More details coming shortly

Annual labour law conference - the latest and greatest in employment and immigration


Thursday 26 June 2025

17:30 Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
  • Address: 52-42 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD, United Kingdom
18:30 » 20:00 Welcome reception at University Arms Hotel
20:00 Dinner at University Arms Hotel

Friday 27 June 2025

08:00 Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
  • Address: 52-42 Regent St, Cambridge CB2 1AD, United Kingdom
08:45 » 09:15 Welcome Address by Kato Aerts, President of AIJA
09:15 » 10:15 Session 1: Attracting top talent in a global marketplace - considerations for entrepreneurs
Covering a range of topics including hiring globally, flexible working policies, and immigration
Moderator: 
  • Luisa Rödemer, RSR, Germany
Speakers:
  • Evelyn Nour Associate, Director ChainLink Labs, Spain
  • Simge Kublay Can, Bozoglu Izgi Attorney Partnership, Turkey
  • Nathalie Weiss, Nägele Rechtanswälte, Liechtenstein
  • Nyasha Gardner, Stevens Bolton, United Kingdom
10:15 » 10:30 Small Break
10:30 » 11:30 Session 2: Employer of Record - facilitator or trouble maker?
Exploring the opportunities and pitfalls of using an employer of record structure.

Moderator:
  • Ohmeed Askari-Behbahani, Fisher Phillips, USA
Speakers:
  • Akshay Chauhan, Goodwin Proctor, United Kingdom 
  • Pilar Baltar Fillol, RocaJunyent, Spain
  • Astrid Caporali, Monard, Belgium
  • Archita Mohapatra, Trilegal, India
11:30 » 12:00 Coffee Break
12:00 » 13:00 Session 3: Scaling up efficiently / Economies of scale ups
Dealing with hiring and redundancy cycles as you scale whilst managing reputational risk.

Moderator:
  • Moira Campbell, Fieldfishers, USA/United Kingdom 
Speakers: 
  • Anu Vuori, Magnusson, Finland
  • Ilaha Muhseni, Rutgers & Posch, Netherlands
  • Delia Castanos, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, Spain
  • Emily Barrett, Endomag, United Kingdom

13:00 » 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 » 15:00 Session 4: Post exit blues? - Managing a workforce post exit
New ownership or becoming public brings new challenges to culture and retention.

Moderator: 
  • Mike Hibberd, Legal Doyle Clayton, United Kingdom
Speakers: 
  • Viviane de Azevedo Rodrigues, Cescon Barrieu, Brazil 
  • Coline Montangerand, DS Avocats, France
  • Aneta Zichova, Accace, Czech Republic
  • Marine Geisler, Borel & Barbey, Switzerland
15:00 » 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 » 16:30 Session 5: Exploring winds of change - a gale force run through of the Geopolitical impact on labour and immigration”
In what we believe to be a ground breaking session format which will keep everyone on their toes.

A truly global discussion on how the changing political landscape has impacted on labour &immigration over the last 12 months

Moderator:
  • Nick Hawkins, Knights, United Kingdom 
peakers:
  • Margarita Egiazarova, Alrud, Russia
  • Ekaterina Zammit, Corrieri Cilia Malta
  • Sonia Cala-Lesina, Farrers, United Kingdom 
  • Virginia Mäurer, Advant Beiten, Germany
  • Marcin Wujczyk, Wardynski & Partners, Poland
16:30 » 01:59 Commission Meetings
19:00 » 23:00 Dinner at Gonville & Caius College
  • Trinity St, Cambridge CB2 1TA, Reino Unido

Saturday 28 June 2025

09:00 Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
10:00 » 11:15 Session 6

Speakers: 
  • Alexander Bork, Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek, Germany
  • Adam Kyte Associate, Russell Speechlys LLP, United Kingdom 
11:30 » 12:00 Coffee Break
11:45 » 12:30 Session 7
12:30 » 14:00 Lunch Break
16:00 » 16:00 Get together at the lobby to walk to the optional activity: Punting in River Cam
16:30 » 17:15 Optional activity: Punting in River Cam
19:00 Optional dinner
  • More details coming shortly