The destination for the 2026 North American and Offshore Meeting is Rome!

Rome is wonderful in May. The weather is warm, but not too hot, the light is golden, and city life spills out onto the streets late into the evenings.

This conference is the highlight of COMBAR’s year, bringing together commercial barristers of all seniorities with our guest Judges, top North American and offshore lawyers and legal leaders from Rome.

This year we will be joined by Lord Leggatt of the UK Supreme Court and Mr Justice Henshaw, Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court in London as our UK judicial guests of honour.

The conference will be held at The Westin Excelsior a historic grand 5-Star hotel near the Villa Borghese Gardens, a short walk from some of Rome’s finest historical attractions and restaurants. We have arranged a highly preferential group rate for a block of rooms (starting at €390 per night (exc. taxes) for single occupancy and €420 per night for double occupancy).

The conference will be packed with sessions on recent commercial topics, debates, Q&As, interactive talks and lots of networking time and fun.  The programme will include an exclusive evening reception on the rooftop terrace of the Hassler Hotel  (recently featured on the BBC) overlooking the Spanish Steps and the skyline of Rome.  We conclude with a gala dinner in the spectacular 16^th century  Chiostro del Bramante Rome, surrounded by modern art and with live music. The conference is designed for partners and families to join us for evening events and enjoy a special day out exploring the delights of Rome.

Junior COMBAR members are particularly encouraged to join us with a private breakfast organised between the Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court and junior barrister attendees.

Families are Welcome

Members are encouraged to bring their families and a walking tour and lunch will be arranged for the Thursday.

Room Booking

Hotel bookings using the group rate can be made here (and are fully refundable until 26 April 2026).

Room Booking Details

The hotel has asked us to draw guests’ attention to the right-hand side of the booking page which includes step by step instructions on how to book the room, which dates to select, the cancellation policy, and other important details.

Staying longer?

If you wish to book your stay outside of the core conference dates, the hotel has agreed to apply the group rate, where availability allows.  Please note that you will need to book the core dates through the link before contacting the hotel to book your extended dates:  Once you receive the email confirmation, you can send your request to: 00070.eventsales@westin.com  Please don’t try to select dates that are wider than the core period, this will indicate non-availability.

Room rates and taxes

Please note the room rates will have the 10% VAT and the room tax applied to the booking total. For example, a €530 Grandluxe room will have €53 VAT added and tourist tax per person of €10 euro .  This makes a Grandluxe room for one person €593 inc taxes.

• Deluxe Single: €390 / Double: €420 + 10% VAT
• Grandluxe Single: €530 / Double: €560 + 10% VAT
• Third bed: + €110 + 10% VAT

Breakfast included. City tax of €10 per person, per night not included. 3rd bed Euro 110 + 10% VAT

Room Cancellation Policy

• From 27 April to 12 May 2026: 50% penalty
• From 13 May to 20 May 2026: 80% penalty
• From 21 May to arrival day (27 May 2026): 100% penalty

Dress Code
Delegates often ask about the dress code for the meeting and the social events. The welcome reception and conference meetings are fairly informal, so we suggest smart casual. We suggest business attire, (ties optional due to the anticipated warm weather) for the reception at the Hassler Hotel and for the dinner at the Chiostro del Bramante.

Please note: this meeting is for COMBAR members only unless by specific invitation.

The destination for the 2025 North American and Offshore Meeting is Montréal.  We are fortunate to be joined by The Rt Hon. Mr Justice Wagner P.C, the Chief Justice of Canada and The Hon. Mr Justice Henshaw, The Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court, as our Judicial Guests. Canadian Supreme Court Judge, the Honourable Suzanne Côté will be in attendance as the Canadian judicial guest of honour.

The meeting will be held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel a hotel which offers historic charm and modern sophistication coupled with a prime location in downtown Montréal.

The conference will begin with a welcome reception on Wednesday 28^th May 2025 that will be held on the Oval Terrace of the Ritz Carlton.

The panel sessions will run over the Thursday and Friday in the Gold and Grey room event spaces. Welcome breakfasts will be held in the Blue Room and Mezzanine on the Thursday and the Friday to start the conference days.

The conference will consist of sessions addressing contemporary issues for commercial litigators.  There will also be a breakfast for Juniors kindly hosted by Mr Justice Henshaw.

On Thursday 29th May 2025, the evening cocktail reception will be held in the le9e (The Ninth Floor), a recently restored 1930’s Art Deco gem located on the ninth floor of Montreal’s Eaton Centre.   Members’ families / children are warmly welcomed.  The events will culminate with a gala dinner on the evening of Friday 30 May 2024 that will be held in the historic turn-of-the-century St-James Theatre, in the heart of Old Montreal, the dinner will be held in the Imperial ballroom; the White Star Vault room where tickets were sold for the Titanic and the Princess Grace Mezzanine will be available for guests to explore.

Families are Welcome

Members are encouraged to bring their families and a walking tour has been arranged for those who want to see a little of Montréal on the Thursday.  The tour will culminate with a lunch after taking in many of the main sites. Details of the tour and how to book will be published closer to the event.

Room Booking

A group booking rate has been agreed with the Ritz-Carlton, Montreal for their deluxe and signature rooms. Please book here.  The hotel has said that it will endeavor to honour the group booking rate for 3 days either side of the conference stay while availability allows – so please book early. The last day to book the group rate is Sunday, April 28th, 2025, one month out from the meeting.

A reduced rate has also been agreed for their Junior Suites while availability allows.  To book a junior suite or extend your stay please email groupreservations@ritzmontreal.com directly quoting “COMBAR” or Call 514-842-4212 to secure your booking.  We encourage you to book early.

Details of the price inclusive of taxes are below:

*Indicative exchange rate as at 11 Dec 24.

Dress Code
Delegates often ask about the dress code for the meeting and the social events. The welcome reception and conference meetings are fairly informal, so we suggest smart casual. We suggest business suits for the reception at the le9e and for the dinner in St James Theatre.

Please note: this meeting is for COMBAR members only unless by specific invitation.

The European destination for the 2024 North American Meeting is Stockholm.  We are fortunate to be joined by The Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Sue Carr, DBE, PC, and The Hon. Mr Justice Foxton, The Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court, as our Judicial Guests.

The meeting will be primarily held at Hotel At Six, a modern, stylish hotel set in the centre of Stockholm, save for the Friday morning session which will take place at the nearby Nordic Light Hotel.  Although it is only a 10 min walk between venues, free transport will be provided by the Hotel At Six to take guests from the At Six to the Nordic Light Hotel, and back again.

The conference will begin with a welcome reception on Wednesday 29^th May 2024 that will be held at the Nest rooftop bar and spa.   Members’ families / children are warmly welcomed. Please note that the pool will not be open for use.

The panel sessions will run over the Thursday and Friday in the Hotels’ conference facilities. Both conference venues have been exclusively hired for each day.  After the success of the breakfasts at the conference in Boston in May 2023, welcome breakfasts will be held at the Six Hotel on the Thursday and the Nordic on the Friday to start the conference day.

The conference will consist of sessions addressing contemporary issues for commercial litigators including Law and Technology, Issues in Cross-Border Litigation, and Perspectives in Advocacy at both first instance and appellate level. On the Thursday morning there will be a breakfast for Juniors kindly hosted by our Judicial Guests.

The Thursday evening cocktail reception will be held in the spectacular Vasa Museum and will include a tour of the 17^th century Swedish warship, for those that wish to.  The events will culminate with a gala dinner on the evening of Friday 31^st May 2024 that will be held in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall, (Golden Hall  – Wikipedia), a beautiful historic venue which lives up to its name.

Families are Welcome

Members are encouraged to bring their families and a walking tour has been arranged for those who want to see a little of Stockholm on the Thursday.  The tour will culminate with a lunch in the old town after taking in many of the main sites. Details of the tour and how to book will be published closer to the event.

For those members with young families, babysitting facilities are available through Hotel At Six, by private arrangement, at a reasonable hourly rate of approximately £50 inc VAT and for a minimum of 3 hours. Please email info@hotelatsix.com directly to make arrangements.

Accommodation

We always try to secure a favourable rate with the conference hotel direct so that members can take advantage of a good rate.  However, currently the hotel is offering very favourable room rates when booking direct.  While we can’t guarantee that these rates will not increase as availability decreases, we can highlight the very favourable policy which allows guests to cancel without any charge up to 24 hours before the date of check-in.  We would therefore encourage you to book rooms with the hotel now to take advantage of both the current excellent rates and the favourable cancellation policy, even if you are not yet sure whether you can attend the conference.   Rooms in Hotel At Six can be booked here.

Dress Code
Delegates often ask about the dress code for the meeting and the social events. The welcome reception and conference meetings are fairly informal, so we suggest smart casual. We suggest business suits for the reception at the The VASA Museum and for the dinner in the Golden Hall at City Hall.

Please note: this meeting is for COMBAR members only unless by specific invitation.

The conference will be hosted at The Langham Hotel, a beautiful venue located in the heart of downtown Boston, and will be accompanied by a variety of cultural and social events for members, their partners and families.

The North American meetings are always valuable and hugely enjoyable occasions. The meeting is attended by COMBAR barrister members of all seniorities, as well as senior litigators from leading  US and Canadian firms, and it provides an unrivalled opportunity for people to meet and discuss matters in convivial and relaxed surroundings. This year, our guest of honour will be Mr Justice Foxton, the Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court. Boston will, we have no doubt, provide the perfect location for our first event in North America since 2019, and we are particularly excited that colleagues practising in offshore jurisdictions will be in attendance too, bringing an even broader international perspective to the sessions.

Accommodation
The Langham Hotel has offered conference attendees a group rate discount on their rooms which expires on Monday 15th May.  This is for the nights of 31^st May through Saturday 3rd June, and bookings can be made at this link. However, the hotel have said that subject to availability, the discount will also apply up to 3 nights either side of the core dates.   They will also offer a preferential rate for those members who wish to upgrade their room.  For any upgrade requirements or bookings outside the core dates, please call the in-house reservations team on 1-617-451-1992 or email the Group Reservations Specialist, Hannah Lee on: Hannah.Lee@langhamhotels.com. Please note the Langham offers a free cancellation up to 6pm, 1 day before arrival, so attendees are encouraged to secure their room booking.

Dress Code
Delegates often ask about the dress code for the meeting and the social events. The welcome reception and conference meetings are fairly informal, so we suggest smart casual. We suggest business suits for the reception at the The Langham Hotel and for the dinner at the Moakley Courthouse.

Please note: this meeting is for COMBAR members only

As well as the usual array of presentations, Thursday will feature a special a special panel event. Three current or former Commercial Court judges – Lord Hamblen (Justice of the Supreme Court), Sir Julian Flaux (Chancellor of the High Court and the Supervising Lord Justice of the Commercial Court) and Mrs Justice Cockerill (Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court) – will give us the benefit of their collective (and substantial) experience, and speak on advocacy in the Commercial Court – and in commercial litigation at all levels of the judicial system more generally. They will also be joined by some of our Honorary Overseas Members to reflect upon similarities / differences in practice, and in what constitutes effective advocacy in commercial litigation, from a North American perspective meeting.

Please note: this meeting is for COMBAR members only

COMBAR is pleased to announce that on 8 March 2022, at 5.30 p.m. in the Ashworth Theatre, Lincoln’s Inn, Mr Justice Foxton will deliver a lecture in memory of Edmund King QC. Edmund was a distinguished member of Essex Court Chambers and of COMBAR who died in December 2020; he is much missed. The title of the lecture will be “What did the French ever do for us? Historic and prospective French influences on English law.” The lecture will be live streamed but it will also be possible for members of COMBAR to attend in person, and we anticipate that many will wish to do so. Please indicate your intention to attend by registering at admin@combar.com

As well as the usual array of presentations, Thursday will feature a special a special panel event. Three current or former Commercial Court judges – Lord Hamblen (Justice of the Supreme Court), Sir Julian Flaux (Chancellor of the High Court and the Supervising Lord Justice of the Commercial Court) and Mrs Justice Cockerill (Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court) – will give us the benefit of their collective (and substantial) experience, and speak on advocacy in the Commercial Court – and in commercial litigation at all levels of the judicial system more generally. They will also be joined by some of our Honorary Overseas Members to reflect upon similarities / differences in practice, and in what constitutes effective advocacy in commercial litigation, from a North American perspective meeting.

Please note: this meeting is for COMBAR members only