Madrid Seminar a Success

On 18th April 2008, DRI Europe hosted its inaugural public event - a conference on "Product Recalls and Claims - facing the new challenges", held at the Ritz Hotel Madrid.

The conference saw a full house of delegates from some 14 countries around the world travel to Madrid for this event. With speakers from both sides of the Atlantic, the programme provided a unique insight into the particular challenges facing the world's product manufacturers in a global marketplace. As was borne out by the discussions during the course of the conference, those challenges in Europe are very different to those that arise in the United States, but there are many lessons be learned from the experiences on both sides of the Atlantic, and increasing globalisation of markets dictates that lawyers who are involved with businesses affected by these developments need to take an equally global view.

As well as providing a unique educational experience, the event also provided an important opportunity for delegates to meet like-minded colleagues from countries around the world, to share experiences with each other, and to continue to build relationships that are vital for international lawyers. With the beautiful Ritz hotel as a backdrop, the social and "networking" opportunities, which included a guided tour of the stunning Prado Museum, were a particular highlight of the event for all delegates.

Most importantly, the Madrid conference demonstrated beyond question the importance of the role that DRI Europe will play in the corporate legal world in Europe in the future. The subject matter of the conference presented an excellent example of the importance of viewing legal issues affecting international businesses from a global perspective, and the enthusiasm shown by delegates for the social interaction opportunities demonstrated the great value of being involved in DRI Europe's activities.

Prior to the conference, the Leadership Council of DRI Europe met to discuss and start planning the activities of DRI Europe over the next year. A number of exciting initiatives are now in the pipeline, including a major international conference in the second quarter of next year - most likely in Munich, Germany.

Stay tuned for further details of DRI Europe activities. In the meantime, be sure to join DRI Europe if you have not already done so, to ensure you stay in touch and take full advantage of the opportunities that will be available. Urge your colleagues to do likewise, and be part of the rewarding experience that comes with being involved with DRI Europe.

Rod Freeman
Chair European Leadership Council