As businesses navigate accelerated transformation, evolving stakeholder expectations, and a shifting regulatory landscape, the role of the in-house legal team has never been more central – or more visible.
Returning in May 2026, the Corporate Counsel Summit is once again uniting the in-house legal profession to confront the issues redefining business today.
Momentum Media’s legal brand, Lawyers Weekly, will once again bring the nation’s in-house community together for one of the profession’s most anticipated gatherings: the Corporate Counsel Summit, run in partnership with Principal Partner Lawyers On Demand and Consilio, and will be held at The Star, Sydney, on Thursday, 14 May 2026.
Now entering its next evolution, the 2026 summit will confront the forces redefining corporate risk and organisational strategy. From cultural accountability and digital disruption to ESG scrutiny, crisis management and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, in-house teams are operating at a pace and scale unmatched in previous years. The summit has been designed to meet that moment head-on.
This year introduces a significantly expanded streamed agenda, giving attendees the ability to tailor their experience across multiple content tracks – a direct response to the growing scope of in-house responsibility. With more than 250 legal professionals expected to attend, delegates will be able to deep-dive into sessions spanning AI governance, legal operations and sustainable resourcing, digital transformation risk, ESG defence, culture and people leadership, and cyber incident response.
In a major highlight for 2026, Deborah Im, head of legal in APAC at OpenAI, will deliver the keynote address, leading a session on legal leadership insights from inside one of the world’s most influential AI organisations. As AI continues to reshape workflows, governance expectations and competitive strategy, her perspective will offer invaluable guidance for in-house leaders seeking to harness emerging technologies with confidence and accountability.
Across the day, delegates will gain practical intelligence on:
With CPD opportunities available, attendees will leave equipped with frameworks, playbooks, and strategic insights ready for immediate implementation.
The summit is designed for general counsel and chief legal officers, legal operations and transformation leads, senior in-house counsel across private and public sectors, compliance and risk professionals, and business leaders looking to better understand and empower their legal functions.
As the in-house role continues its shift from adviser to strategic architect, the 2026 Corporate Counsel Summit offers a rare opportunity to regroup, rethink and re-energise. For those steering organisations through complexity, this is your forum to stay ahead.