On 16 May 2025 the International Law Firms Association (ILF) held a virtual conference which focused on the data protection-related challenges the legal profession faces due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The virtual conference was an excellent continuation of the professional work initiated at the conference held in Budapest in October 2024.
- Keynote panel
The conference was opened by the opening speech of ILF Chair, Tony Maalouli (ProConsult Advocates, Dubai) and the welcoming words of Board Member Yordan Cholakov (Dimitrova, Cholakov and Partners, Bulgaria) organiser of the virtual conference.
In the first part of the conference, in her thought-provoking presentation, Anita Vereb (SMARTLEGAL Schmidt&Partners, Hungary) spoke about the points of intersection between the AI Act and the GDPR. She illustrated with examples the cases in which these two pieces of legislation must be applied together and explained what best practices can be followed during the development phase of an AI system to ensure compliance with the GDPR.
- Onboarding new member
In the first half of 2025, ILF welcomed a new member, Biçak Law Firm from Ankara, Turkey.
The founder of Biçak Law Firm, Professor Dr. Vahit Biçak, presented in a nutshell his law firm, their experience and services.
In his speech, Professor Dr. Vahit Biçak emphasized that he considers the law firm’s joining of the ILF a significant milestone and expressed his confidence that their accession will contribute to the success of the organization.
- Debate and know-hows
The final part of the virtual conference focused on the legal challenges arising from the rapid development of AI.
Yordan Cholakov, for instance, raised the question of how to ensure that employees do not disclose confidential (corporate or personal) data to AI models such as ChatGPT or DeepSeek. He also pointed out the potential problems that may arise in connection with the operation of AI systems / models and the right to be forgotten as provided for by the GDPR.
Charles LECURIEUX-CLERVILLE (SELARL CHARLES LECURIEUX-CLERVILLE, France) drew attention to the copyright-related challenges posed by AI models, while William Shawn (ShawnCoulson International Lawyers Washington, D.C. USA) and Tony Maalouli analysed issues related to international data flows.
- Acknowledgements
ILF extends its sincere gratitude to Tony Maalouli ILF Chair and Board Member Yordan Cholakov for organizing the conference. Further, we thank all members who participated on the conference and provided invaluable insights.