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
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| 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
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 16:30 » 17:15 | Commission Meetings |
| 19:00 » 23:00 | Dinner at Gonville & Caius College
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Saturday 28 June 2025 | |
| 09:00 | Registrations open at University Arms Hotel |
| 10:00 » 11:15 | Session 6 - Case study part 1 These joint sessions will follow the trials and tribulations of a prominent multi-generational entrepreneurial family with substantial business and personal ties across various jurisdictions and allow us to consider the interaction of legal issues which impact both the IPCFL and the labour and immigration commissions. Our session moderators will talk us through the case and we will then call upon facilitators in the audience to encourage contribution from all of our attendees in addressing these issues. Speakers:
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| 11:15 » 11:45 | Coffee Break |
| 11:45 » 12:30 | Session 7 - Case study part 2 These joint sessions will follow the trials and tribulations of a prominent multi-generational entrepreneurial family with substantial business and personal ties across various jurisdictions and allow us to consider the interaction of legal issues which impact both the IPCFL and the labour and immigration commissions. Our session moderators will talk us through the case and we will then call upon facilitators in the audience to encourage contribution from all of our attendees in addressing these issues. Speakers:
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| 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
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Annual labour law conference - the latest and greatest in employment and immigration
Thursday 26 June 2025 | |
| 17:30 | Registrations open at University Arms Hotel
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| 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
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 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:
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| 16:30 » 17:00 | Commission Meetings |
| 19:00 » 23:00 | Dinner at Gonville & Caius College
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Saturday 28 June 2025 | |
| 09:00 | Registrations open at University Arms Hotel |
| 10:00 » 11:15 | Session 6 - Case study part 1 These joint sessions will follow the trials and tribulations of a prominent multi-generational entrepreneurial family with substantial business and personal ties across various jurisdictions and allow us to consider the interaction of legal issues which impact both the IPCFL and the labour and immigration commissions. Our session moderators will talk us through the case and we will then call upon facilitators in the audience to encourage contribution from all of our attendees in addressing these issues. Speakers:
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| 11:30 » 12:00 | Coffee Break |
| 11:45 » 12:30 | Session 7 - Case study part 2 These joint sessions will follow the trials and tribulations of a prominent multi-generational entrepreneurial family with substantial business and personal ties across various jurisdictions and allow us to consider the interaction of legal issues which impact both the IPCFL and the labour and immigration commissions. Our session moderators will talk us through the case and we will then call upon facilitators in the audience to encourage contribution from all of our attendees in addressing these issues. Speakers:
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| 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
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Sponsors
Rechtsanwälte | Attorneys at Law