Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP held the third edition of its Davies Summit: International Investigations and White Collar Defence event on November 21.
The global one-day event took place in Montreal and was attended by 200 members of the Canadian and international business community. Former President of the French Republic François Hollande was the guest of honour.
Ex-Québec premier and current Davies partner Lucien Bouchard made the introductions as Hollande joined Léon Moubayed, a partner in the dispute resolution and investigations and white-collar defence practices at Davies, in a discussion that touched on the highlights of Hollande’s five-year run as president. The talk, described by Davies as a “frank and unprecedented conversation,” also delved into Hollande’s anti-corruption efforts and measures and their international impact. In addition, Hollande spoke on critical global concerns.
Other speakers at the event included former Québec Supreme Court Judge Michel Yergeau, Bredin Prat’s Eric Dezeuze (Paris), Cravath, Swaine & Moore’s Jennifer Leete (New York), Bär & Karrer’s Saverio Lembo (Geneva), ex-US federal prosecutor Frederick Davis, and Cameron Field, former officer in charge of the financial crimes unit at the Toronto Police Service Vidocq Group. Panels included a talk on high-stakes cross-border investigations and prosecutions.
“The success of this summit demonstrates the importance of bringing the business community together to better understand and manage the issues involved in international investigations and the fight against corruption,” Moubayed said. “These issues are no longer contained by borders and require both extreme vigilance and the use of specific approaches. Thanks to our extensive experience in this area and our strong relationships around the world, we can share this expertise with our clients and the business community in general.”
In addition to Moubayed, Davies partners Chantelle Cseh and Corey Omer served as moderators.
The previous edition of the Davies Summit: International Investigations and White Collar Defence event was held in May 2022, and former US Attorney-General Loretta Lynch was the keynote speaker.