Markets: A Return to Regulation?

Coordinator: Jean Brucher, Brucher et Associés - Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Today's worldwide economic crisis, rooted mainly in a banking and financial crisis, has brought to light the limitations of our economic and financial systems and raised the issue not only of the need for greater regulation and control, but also for calling many aspects of our behaviour into question.Two years after the 2008 crash, can we believe that States, legislators and financial authorities – national, European and international – have taken regulatory and control measures that promote a more balanced growth of our financial, economic and social environment?

A Worldwide Code of Ethics?

Coordinator: Michel Benichou, President of the European Bars Federation (FBE), Past President of the French Bar Council (Conseil National des Barreaux), Past President of the Grenoble Bar - Grenoble, France

As a result of globalisation, an increasing number of lawyers from different traditions are practicing outside their borders and getting involved in multi-jurisdictional transactions. Given this phenomenon, several forums have already started drawing up universal rules of practice. Are these initiatives satisfactory? Is it possible to define values that are common to lawyers all over the world, subject to different economic, social, cultural and political hazards? Is this opportune and how can it be done?

Human Rights and Private Enterprise

Coordinator: Leslie K. L. Thiele, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP- Albany, NY, USA

Companies are growing increasingly aware of their responsibilities vis-à-vis the respect of human rights and several of them have already instituted mechanisms enabling it to be taken into account. But what does respecting human rights really mean for a company? What risks does it run if it fails to respect them? What measures can or should it take, either internally, with reference to its staff, or externally, vis-à-vis its co-contracting parties? How can performance and ethical requirements be reconciled?