IPEBLA's 19^th biennial conference taking place in Milan, Italy from 26 to 29 May 2024

ADAPTING TO CHANGE: ENSURING RETIREMENT SECURITY IN A DYNAMIC AND UNCERTAIN WORLD   

IPEBLA’s 19^th Biennial Conference, taking place in Milan, Italy from May 26 to May 29, 2024 will be a working conference by members for members. Under the conference theme of Adapting to Change: Ensuring Retirement Security in a Dynamic and Uncertain World, the conference will explore current issues related to retirement security in a post-pandemic world.  Globally, countries are facing a demographic cliff due to rapidly aging populations and low birthrates, raising serious questions about the adequacy of retirement systems and current structures, and the future of pensions and benefits.  Over the years, there has been a global shift away from traditional defined benefit schemes and a move toward defined contribution arrangements, leaving individuals responsible for ensuring that they have adequate financial resources to last throughout their retirement.  For many, the dream of a secure retirement is now being disrupted by high inflation, while others can barely afford to save for retirement. Group benefit plans and healthcare are also not immune to these disruptions. Yet now, stakeholders such as plan sponsors, retirees, unions, regulators, and politicians are exerting competing pressures like never before.    

How can we design, deliver, and sustain secure retirement solutions for all generations considering these changing demographics, labour relations, polarized politics, and uncertain economic conditions?

STRUCTURE

IPEBLA’s 2024 Conference will bring together a diverse group of practitioners and pension plan professionals to discuss notable pension law developments, explore common issues faced across jurisdictions, and share best practices for addressing risks and mitigating barriers to a secure retirement.  Discussion topics will include retirement security proposals, plan design and funding issues, significant litigation and regulatory updates, fiduciary and plan administration issues, privacy, cybersecurity, and other risks in a rapidly evolving digital world, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and other investment-related issues.

Attendees must be a member in good-standing of IPEBLA. Qualifying for membership are any individuals holding a law degree or other recognized professional legal qualification and who have practical experience advising for at least 50% on a range of legal aspects of pensions or other employee benefits (as a lawyer in private practice, as an employed lawyer, as an academic or as a qualified paralegal, as a supervisor or judicial or other government worker or retired from such office).. This conference provides unique networking opportunities for lawyers practicing or interested in these areas of the law. The two and half days of the conference will consist of plenary sessions and topical workshops of regional and global significance and are designed to encourage delegate participation.  

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE CHAIR & VICE CHAIRS

Michael Wolpert, Canada (Chair)

Constance Donovan, U.S (Co-Chair)

Camille Castro, U.S (Co-Chair)

Nicolette van Vuuren, South Africa (Co-Chair)

CONFERENCE LANGUAGE   

The language of the conference will be English. All conference papers or presentations should be in English and digitalised. If a paper or presentation cannot be submitted in English and is submitted in another language, a short summary must be provided in English.

LOCATION

The conference will be held at the Hilton Milan located at short distance from the heart of Milan, at walking distance of Milan Central Station.

DRESS CODE

Dress code for the conference sessions during the day will be business casual (no ties or jackets necessary).  Dress for evening activities will be casual for the Sunday evening welcome reception and dinner as well as on the Monday dinner, and business formal for the gala dinner on Tuesday evening, full details to be shared soon.

PAST BIENNIAL CONFERENCES

Aug. 2022	Amsterdam, Netherlands
May 2019	Lisbon, Portugal
May 2017	Prague, Czech Republic
May 2015	Brussels, Belgium
May 2013	Rome, Italy
May 2011	Berlin, Germany
May 2009	Athens, Greece
May 2007	Seville, Spain
May 2005	Vienna, Austria
June 2003	San Diego, U.S.A
June 2001	Bordeaux, France
May 1999	Florence, Italy
June 1997	Barcelona, Spain
June 1995	Vancouver, Canada
June 1993	Budapest, Hungary
June 1991	Cascais, Portugal
June 1989	Apeldoom, Netherlands
June 1987	London, England