Sean West spent years warning Fortune 500 companies about the unpredictable forces reshaping global business. On 2 June, he’ll deliver that message to hundreds of lawyers gathered in Westminster.
The timing is pointed.
West, who co-founded an AI-powered business intelligence platform and served as deputy chief executive of geopolitical risk firm Eurasia Group, will keynote London International Disputes Week’s main conference at the QEII Centre. His appointment, confirmed on Tuesday evening at a launch event at the Law Society, signals the legal profession’s mounting concerns about artificial intelligence, synthetic evidence and geopolitical instability.
The conference theme—”Tradition, trust and transformation in international dispute resolution”—captures the tension. English common law endures. But mass claims are proliferating, deepfakes threaten evidence integrity, and disputes now involve space and deepwater frontiers.
West co-founded Hence Technologies, whose AI-driven legal management platform serves major corporations. He also leads The Unruly Corporation, which helps businesses navigate volatility. His book, UNRULY: Fighting Back when Politics, AI and Law Upend the Rules of Business, examines how technology and political disruption are rewriting the rules for global enterprises.
“We are delighted to announce Sean West as our first keynote speaker for LIDW26. Sean is an expert on how the legal industry must evolve in response to ever-changing technology, geopolitical tensions and global risks. LIDW provides a vital forum for to discuss these transformations and how they shape our approach to international disputes,” said Sophie Lalor-Harbord, co-lead of LIDW’s Main Conference Committee and partner at Stewarts LLP.
The programme reflects those anxieties.
One session will tackle “AI, Authenticity and the Future of Evidence: Trust in a Synthetic World.” Another examines whether mass claims enhance access to justice or stifle innovation. A third addresses how to maintain the rule of law when political actors challenge constitutional norms. There’s even a panel on dispute resolution in space and deepwater—areas where legal frameworks remain skeletal.
By Tuesday evening, representatives from law firms, barristers’ chambers and arbitration institutions had gathered at the Law Society’s headquarters to preview the 2026 programme. The event drew members of LIDW’s board, strategy group and sponsors—a cross-section of London’s dispute resolution community.
Loukas Mistelis, LIDW co-chair and partner at Clyde & Co, hosted the unveiling. “The launch event at the Law Society was a fitting way to come together, reflect on how far LIDW has come, and look ahead to LIDW26. We look forward to welcoming practitioners across the global dispute resolution community as we examine how the industry is transforming, grounded in the enduring strength of English common law and dispute resolution institutions,” he noted.
Tickets for the main conference went on sale immediately. Organisers held pricing at 2025 levels despite rising venue and speaker costs.
London remains a dominant arbitration hub, competing with Singapore, Paris and Hong Kong. LIDW’s growth underscores that position. Last year, the week-long event attracted 10,000 in-person attendees and nearly 30,000 total registrations across physical and online formats. Participants came from 106 countries, with 1,700 international delegates and representatives from 372 organisations.
This year’s main conference expects over 600 delegates. The audience will include senior judges, arbitrators, business leaders, in-house counsel, private practice lawyers, barristers and legal technology specialists.
The programme also features a debate between an arbitrator and a litigator on which forum delivers better value—and how both can cut costs for clients. Another session offers comparative perspectives on access to justice across Africa, Asia-Pacific and the UK, exploring how tradition and transformation coexist in different legal systems.
Mass claims will receive particular scrutiny. These actions—whether group litigation orders in England or class actions elsewhere—are reshaping risk assessments for businesses and investors. The session will examine whether they democratise justice or create a chilling effect on innovation.
The day before the main conference, LIDW will dedicate Monday 1 June entirely to arbitration. International Arbitration Day returns with keynote addresses and panel discussions hosted by three hub organisations: 3 Verulam Buildings at the Inner Temple, Debevoise & Plimpton, and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. It’s the first time a barristers’ chambers has served as a hub for the arbitration day, with 3 Verulam Buildings hosting guests at the historic Inner Temple.
Arbitration remains London’s calling card. The city’s neutrality, expertise and legal infrastructure make it a preferred seat for complex international disputes. Yet competition intensifies as other jurisdictions invest in arbitration-friendly reforms and modern hearing facilities.
LIDW launched in 2019 to cement London’s position as a global dispute resolution centre. The organisation promotes diversity, inclusion and the rule of law whilst exploring how arbitration, litigation and mediation must adapt to technological and geopolitical shifts.
Membership spans law firms, chambers, arbitrators, mediators, litigation funders, legal technology providers and expert witnesses—a broad coalition reflecting the commercial ecosystem around disputes.
The choice of West as keynote underscores how rapidly that ecosystem is changing. A decade ago, legal conferences rarely featured AI platform founders or geopolitical risk specialists. Now such voices are essential.
Whether the profession can preserve trust whilst embracing transformation remains the open question. West’s perspective—formed by advising corporations through upheaval—may offer uncomfortable insights.
The main conference will conclude with a drinks reception, offering networking opportunities across jurisdictions and practice areas. Programme details and registration are available through LIDW’s website, where the full schedule for both the arbitration day and main conference has been published.
For firms and practitioners tracking how technology and geopolitics are reshaping disputes, the June gathering in Westminster will provide a rare concentration of expertise and debate. Whether it yields answers or simply sharper questions will become clear soon enough.
