Leading figures from Northern Ireland’s commercial litigation sector have said a forthcoming commercial law conference will be a highlight of the coming year for legal professionals.

Delegates from across Great Britain and Ireland will visit Northern Ireland to discuss the use and relevance of technology in the courtroom and in litigation at the British Irish Commercial Bar Association’s (BICBA) annual law forum.

The flagship event will be held in Belfast for the first time at the Royal Courts of Justice in April 2016.

Lord Neuberger, president of the UK Supreme Court, and Lord Kerr, justice of the Supreme Court and former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, will be among speakers at the event.

Michael Humphreys QC, chairman of the Commercial Bar Association, said: “The increasing influence of technology has left no area of business untouched; legal services is no different. As lawyers, we need to be offering the most innovative solutions to our business clients whilst embracing the latest technology to ensure the courts are as efficient and effective as possible.”

Jonathan Forrester, director at Cleaver Rankin Fulton, said: “Developments in technology are clearly having a significant impact upon both the substantive law and the litigation process, and the conference will focus on commercial law and practice in the digital age.

“The conference promises to be one of the highlights of the year for the legal profession in Northern Ireland. Cleaver Fulton Rankin is delighted to be associated with the event, which will undoubtedly raise the profile of the Northern Irish legal profession throughout the four jurisdictions and Europe.”

David Kirkpatrick, partner at Pinsent Masons, added: “As one of our four key sectors Pinsent Masons has considerable experience advising local and international clients across a whole spectrum of technology issues, everything from data protection to intellectual property. Therefore it’s important we maintain a close eye on developments and trends in other jurisdictions, and learning from others at major conferences builds that knowledge-base.

“We are particularly pleased to welcome colleagues from other Pinsent Masons offices who were successful in one of the landmark technology cases in 2015. This will be a valuable opportunity for the NI legal profession to learn about the key issues at play, and how these could influence the direction of travel over the coming years. Technology is transforming business everyday, and the legal profession must work hard to keep pace.”

The conference takes place on Thursday 21 April 2016.

You can download more information from the BICBA website.