Singapore, 5 September 2019 — About 1,500 members of the global entrepreneurship, technology and legal communities are expected to gather in Singapore today for TechLaw.Fest 2019. In its second year, the law-of-tech and-tech-of-law event is drawing ever more participants as it anchors conversations around the use and misuse of data in today’s digital world.

Organised by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), Singapore’s Ministry of Law and MP Singapore, TechLaw.Fest 2019 will be opened by Minister for Home Affairs and Law Mr K Shanmugam this morning. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the World Wide Web, will deliver the keynote address at the signature law and technology event being held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands.

Themed “The Net Effect of Data: Commerce, Connectivity & Control”, the conference will encourage delegates to consider the legal issues surrounding the heavy use of data in today’s world. It will also explore the legal and regulatory issues around responsible data use, access and control of data, data security and 5G, and the role of data in commerce.

Delegates will witness the launch of two initiatives that will change how lawyering is done, both in Singapore and across the Asia-Pacific. The first is LawNetPLUS, a portal that will seamlessly integrate the legal industry’s services, including those offered by SAL and third-party solution providers. LawNetPLUS will tie together the growing number of services targeting the legal community, giving firms and practitioners a bird’s-eye view of solutions available to them.

The second is the Asia-Pacific Legal Innovation and Technology Association (ALITA), which will be inaugurated by the chair of SAL’s Legal Technology Cluster, Justice Lee Seiu Kin. Set up to advance the region’s legal tech sector, the body will promote both the development and use of legal tech. It is the first international body committed to promoting cross-border collaborations and knowledge-sharing in legal tech and innovation.

Besides these launches, delegates will also benefit from the experience and opinions of some 100 local and international speakers who will take to TechLaw.Fest 2019’s various stages over the two days. They will discuss everything from automation in the law firm to venture capital for legal tech. One of these sessions is a complimentary eDiscovery workshop that aims to help small- to medium-sized law firms introduce and craft eDiscovery plans. Fast-growing in popularity, eDiscovery dramatically increases the speed and efficiency of the legal discovery process.

Delegates will also be introduced to other legal technology solutions they can adopt. These are displayed at the festival’s exhibition area, which features booths from 32 exhibitors, including DXC Technology, Thomson Reuters, Apple, Clifford Chance and Luminance. Besides solutions, delegates were also linked up with like-minded partners both in and outside the legal profession, thanks to an exclusive matchmaking programme.

TechLaw.Fest 2019 will also host the finals of TRIgnite, which will be held tomorrow. This pitching competition will give eight start-ups a chance to secure up to US$250,000 in funding. Qualifying start-ups will be offered a place on GLIDE, SAL’s legal tech accelerator.

Commenting on the suite of activities and events, Ms Serene Wee, Chief Executive of SAL said, “Together, all these initiatives support tech enablement for legal professionals and businesses. TechLaw.Fest was first envisioned as a platform to expose how legal technology was accelerating change in the law —and this year’s edition promises to do just that.”

ENDS

NEWS REPORTS
The Straits Times — New Body to Promote Tech Use in Professionals
LianHe ZaoBao — LawNet PLUS结合服务科技应用等资源 法律资讯一站式平台助业者提高效率 (LawNet Plus integrates Services, Technology and Applications for the Legal Industry)
Yahhoo.sg — Second Edition of TechLaw.Fest Addresses Challenges Surrounding Data Access and Control, Data Security, 5G, and the Role of Data in Commerce

About TechLaw.Fest
TechLaw.Fest is a signature Law & Technology event hosted annually in Singapore. TechLaw.Fest brings together the international community to debate, deliberate, act and innovate in both the law of technology (policies, regulations, legislation, case law and governance) and the technology of law (infrastructure, business transformation and people development). It is co-organised by the Singapore Academy of Law, Singapore’s Ministry of Law and MP Singapore. More information can be found at www.techlawfest.com.

About the Singapore Academy of Law
The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL)’s vision is to make Singapore the legal hub of Asia. SAL works with our stakeholders to set new precedents of excellence in Singapore law through developing thought leadership, world class infrastructure and legal solutions. Our mandates are to build up the intellectual capital of the legal profession by enhancing legal knowledge, raise the international profile of Singapore law, promote Singapore as a centre for dispute resolution, and improve the standards and efficiency of legal practice through continuing professional development and the use of technology. More information can be found at www.sal.org.sg.  

About Ministry of Law, Singapore
The Ministry of Law is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for ensuring that Singapore’s legal infrastructure is clear, efficacious and transparent. It is currently led by Minister for Law K Shanmugam. The Ministry of Law formulates and reviews legal, intellectual property, land, insolvency, public trustee, moneylending, pawnbroking, legal aid and community mediation policies, as well as legislation and strategies under MinLaw’s purview; provides legal and policy input for other Ministries’ proposed Bills and programmes; develops the legal services, alternative dispute resolution and intellectual property sectors; and regulates and licenses all law practice entities and registers foreign-qualified lawyers in Singapore, amongst other its other functions. More information can be found on www.mlaw.gov.sg.

About MP Singapore
Trusted since 1987, MPI embodies more than a quarter century of event building, marketing and management experience in both Eastern and Western cultures, practices, and business philosophies. We bring world-class talent, industry expertise, and incredible enthusiasm into the design and management of extraordinary online-to-offline experiences for your organisation. MPI is part of Pico Group, a global group of agencies specialising in engaging people, creating experiences and activating brands for businesses, institutions and governments. As part of the Pico group, MPI has unlimited access to a wide network of industry contacts and resources. Pico Far East Holdings has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1992. For more information, visit www.mpinetwork.com.