Compiled by Barbara Whittle

Do you advise clients who are considering expanding in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region? Are you looking for a correspondent or associate in one of the SADC countries?

The 2016 SADC Lawyers Association annual conference and general meeting (SADC LA ACGM) is the premier event for lawyers in the 15-member SADC region and will provide an opportunity for practitioners to network with colleagues from the region. This is only the second time this conference is being hosted in South Africa. The venue for this year’s conference is the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 17 to 19 August.

The event has grown over the years in profile and relevance to the legal community, the governments of SADC, civil society partners, citizens of SADC and the business community. From attendance by a handful of lawyers at inception, the SADC LA ACGM now attracts an average of 500 participants annually. Participants are drawn from practising lawyers and advocates, Ministers of Justice, the Attorneys General, members of the judiciary, human rights advocates and civil society actors.

Special networking session

Open only to registered conference delegates, the networking session will provide an opportunity for practitioners seeking to learn more about practising in the SADC region or seeking to meet and network with practitioners in specific SADC countries.

How the networking session will work:

• Separate registration is essential for this (included in your conference registration).
• Firms will complete a registration form, which includes all their contact information and areas of specialisations.
• Firm profiles will be included in a prospectus that will be circulated to all those registered for the networking session before the conference.
• Contact a firm or practitioner prior to the conference and arrange to meet at the networking session in Cape Town.
• Or just attend the networking session and meet your colleagues there.

Conference topics

Conference sessions over the two days will cover topics that are relevant and critical across the region and include –

• environmental regional challenges;
• wildlife poaching – legislative frameworks;
• prosecutions;
• closing trafficking routes;
• lessons from Kenya: Developments in commercial arbitration in the region;
• finding a balance between the free movement of persons (immigrants, asylum seekers, migrants) and combatting human trafficking; and
• the appointment of judicial officers: How selection processes contribute towards independent, impartial and accountable judiciaries.

The plenary session on Thursday, 18 August will be a keynote address by His Excellency, Festus Mogae, Former President of the Republic of Botswana, who is an internationally acclaimed economist.

The plenary session on Friday, 19 August will focus on economic protection and the role of African multilateral institutions (the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development, the SADC and the African Union), in particular the impact of economic partnership agreements and regional integration processes in the SADC region.

Social functions

An opening cocktail will be held on Wednesday evening, 17 August. Separate registration is required for the opening cocktail. The conference closing gala dinner will be held on Friday evening, 19 August in the Ballroom at the CTICC. Gala dinner attendance is included in the conference registration.

Accommodation

Accommodation has been negotiated with a number of hotels within easy access of the CTICC.

Sponsorship opportunities: Showcase your firm or products to the SADC legal community

Sponsoring the event provides an opportunity for firms to showcase their services to their colleagues in the region. Service providers to the legal profession will have the chance to exhibit and demonstrate their products. A range of sponsorship options are available to suit all budgets.

• More information on the conference can be viewed on the LSSA website at www.LSSA.org.za. Alternatively e-mail barbara@LSSA.org.za or prudence@sadcla.org

Compiled by Barbara Whittle, communication manager, Law Society of South Africa, barbara@lssa.org.za

This article was first published in De Rebus in 2016 (June) DR 22.