Business & Management · Summit
General Counsel Summit 2026
The Economist's annual summit for general counsel and senior in-house lawyers on risk, AI and the business of law.
12 November 2026 · Thu 8am – 6:45pm GMT+1
Convene 133 Houndsditch · London, United Kingdom
Registration open · on events.economistenterprise.com
About this event
The General Counsel Summit is the 23rd annual gathering of senior in-house legal leaders run by The Economist Group's events business (Economist Impact, now Economist Enterprise). Under the banner 'Assessing global risk: geopolitics, technology and the business of law', the 2026 edition brings more than 600 legal leaders, including GCs from FTSE 100 companies, to the City of London for a day of candid discussion held under the Chatham House Rule.
What's covered
The programme looks at how the GC role is changing as business decisions get faster and riskier, and where legal teams should focus in 2027 and beyond.
- AI adoption, governance and measurable value in legal teams
- Geopolitical instability, sanctions and supply-chain pressure
- Regulatory change, employment law reform and ESG
- M&A, antitrust and shareholder activism
- The future of the law firm model and legal talent
- Crisis management and contingency planning
Format
More than 60 speakers across 20+ sessions in strategy and innovation streams, mixing panels, fireside chats, case studies and briefings from Economist editors and EIU experts. Invite-only breakfast briefings and roundtables run alongside the main programme, with a networking lunch, exhibition and closing drinks. The summit is accredited by the CPD Certification Service.
Who attends
General counsel, chief legal officers, heads of legal, deputy GCs and legal operations leaders from multinationals across finance, technology, healthcare, energy, retail and manufacturing. Law firms, legal tech providers and consultancies attend as sponsors or on the non-GC pass.
Sponsors
Harvey is lead sponsor for 2026, with Eversheds Sutherland, Gowling WLG and Konexo as platinum sponsors and Eudia, FTI Consulting, Luminance and Wordsmith as gold sponsors.
Tickets & passes
- General Counsel or in-house legal — GBP 1,099: Plus VAT. For GCs, CLOs, heads of legal and in-house counsel at corporates, government and non-profits; all sessions, networking, meals and drinks
- Non-General Counsel — GBP 1,699: Plus VAT. For law firms, legal tech, consultancies and legal service providers
- Recruitment: For recruitment firms; enquire with the team
- legal leaders expected in 2026
- 600+
- speakers in 2026
- 60+
- sessions in 2026
- 20+
- annual edition
- 23rd
General Counsel Summit 2026 is a Business & Management event taking place 12 Nov 2026 at Convene 133 Houndsditch, London, United Kingdom.
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Speakers22
- Helen Barraclough
Group general counsel and chief risk officer, Smith & Nephew
- Chris Prevett
General counsel, Competition Markets Authority (CMA)
- Tina Wilson
General counsel & chief operating officer, BAE Systems
- Henry Gardener
Chief risk officer, Markel Insurance
- Svetlana Walker
General counsel & company secretary, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
- Sumeet Seam
Chief legal officer, National Geographic
- Theresa Casey
Group general counsel & company secretary, JD Sports
- Emily Smith
General counsel, SGN
- Claude Bahoshy
Legal director, global procurement & legal operations, Reckitt
Agenda
Thursday, November 12
8:00 AM – 8:40 AM
Registration and networking breakfast
8:40 AM – 8:45 AM
Opening remarks by The Economist
8:45 AM – 9:05 AM
Briefing. Global economic trends from Economist Enterprise
9:05 AM – 9:45 AM
Panel. The GC in a disrupted environment: legal risk and business impact
9:40 AM – 10:20 AM
Panel. The beginning of the end of leverage? Reframing the law firm model
10:10 AM – 10:45 AM
Panel. The talent vacuum: who becomes the next GC?
11:40 AM – 12:00 PM
Fireside chat. The changing role of the lawyer in an AI-driven in-house legal function
12:05 PM – 12:40 PM
Fireside chat. Pro bono: responsibility and impact
12:25 PM – 12:50 PM
Fireside chat. M&A and antitrust: has the UK really become more deal-friendly?
12:50 PM – 1:50 PM
Networking lunch and exhibition
1:50 PM – 2:30 PM
Panel. What matters when everything matters? Crisis discernment in the age of polycrisis
1:50 PM – 2:30 PM
Case studies. AI fatigue, but the bill is due: what AI value creation looks like
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Panel. Who signed that contract? Liability in the age of AI agents
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Panel. ESG in flux: navigating UK uncertainty and EU direction
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Panel. Navigating litigation in the age of AI
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Panel. Supply-chain contract failures & legal liability
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Panel. Data, power and control: the legal risks behind AI infrastructure
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM
Panel. What if…? Contingency planning for the unthinkable
4:15 PM – 4:35 PM
Fireside chat. Shareholder activism: navigating a more assertive landscape
4:15 PM – 4:35 PM
Fireside chat. Beyond human lawyers: rethinking how the legal function scales
4:35 PM – 4:55 PM
Fireside chat. Judicial independence and the rule of law
4:55 PM – 5:30 PM
Panel. Looking to 2027: the boardroom choices that lie ahead
5:30 PM – 5:35 PM
Closing remarks by The Economist
5:35 PM – 6:45 PM
Networking drinks
Partners23
Location
Convene 133 Houndsditch
133 Houndsditch EC3A 7DB, London, United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions
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Details are collected from the organizer’s official site, events.economistenterprise.com.
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12 November 2026
General Counsel Summit 2026
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