Travel Law Seminar

Early bird prices will expire on 28 March 2025. 

Moderated by Simon Bunce, Director of Legal Affairs at ABTA, and including keynote presentations, panel discussions and case studies, this event for legal professionals in the travel industry is not to be missed.

Over two days you will get an in-depth regulatory update on the proposed changes to PTRs reform, along with changes to employment law, consumer law and AI regulation.

Hear an update on travel claims and litigation including court processes and enforcement of judgements and don’t miss the annual case law update.

During the two days you will also have the opportunity to meet with speakers, fellow attendees and experts during the breaks and the networking drinks reception. 

Further information, including session details and speakers, will be announced in due course.

Use this two-day event to contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development.

Moderator: Simon Bunce, Director of Legal Affairs, ABTA

Simon is a solicitor and ABTA’s Director of Legal Affairs and Company Secretary having joined ABTA as a Legal Adviser in 1996. Simon’s team is responsible for the provision of legal and regulatory guidance to ABTA members; the advice and alternative dispute resolution services to customers of ABTA members; and for the operation and enforcement of ABTA’s Code of Conduct. Simon is co-author, with Professor David Grant and Stephen Mason, of Holiday Law - The Law Relating to Travel and Tourism 6th Ed.

Speakers will include leading experts in travel law; including ABTA, law firms and barristers, regulators and industry representative.

Confirmed speakers include government and regulators:

• Anna Bowles, Head of Consumer Policy and Enforcement, Civil Aviation Authority
• Andrew Powell, Senior Policy Advisor, Consumer & Competition Policy, Department for Business & Trade
• Danielle Gazi, Senior Policy Advisor, Consumer & Competition Policy, Department for Business & Trade

Industry representatives and other speakers including:

• Georgina Hunt, Legal Manager, Kuoni
• Sami Doyle, CEO & Co-Founder, TMU Management

Additional speakers to be announced

Specialist lawyers and barristers:

• Farina Azam, Partner, Fox Williams LLP
• Kate Collocott, Director, Data Driven Legal
• Victoria Edwards, Legal Director, Weightmans LLP
• Tom Emslie-Smith, Barrister, Farrar's Building
• Matt Gatenby, Senior Partner, Travlaw
• Rhys Griffiths, Partner, Fox Williams LLP
• Joanna Kolatsis, Director, Themis Advisory Ltd
• Paula Macfarlane, Senior Solicitor, ABTA
• Claire Mulligan, Partner, Kennedys
• Alex Padfield, Director, Hextalls Law
• Alexandra Pearson, Senior Associate, Clyde & Co
• Sarah Prager KC, Barrister, Deka Chambers
• Daniel Saxby, Barrister, 3 Hare Court
• Mark Smith, Founder & CEO, Purdy Smith
• Rebecca Thornley-Gibson, Partner, DMH Stallard

Package Travel Regulations:

• Package Travel Regulations reform: an update from the Department for Business and Trade
• Selling outside of the UK
• Package Travel Directive – the view from the EU
• Panel discussion: PTR reform and the legal framework for travel companies

Employment law:

• Employment Rights Bill: How will the most significant UK employment reforms since the 1970s impact the travel sector? 

Consumer rights:

• Consumer rights law update – Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
• Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CMA) consumer law update

Corporate governance best practice:

• Contracting outside of the Regulations
• How data protection principles can be leveraged for AI governance requirements
• Legal essentials for working with merchant acquirers 

Claims and litigation:

• Travel claims and litigation update
• Guide to evidence gathering following an incident abroad
• The 2024 Case law update
• Claims and liability Q&A

• Receive trusted advice and guidance from industry leaders and legal experts 
• Gain clarity and hear an update on regulatory issues
• Listen to industry perspectives on updates to the Package Travel Regulations and the legal framework for travel companies
• Network with colleagues and learn how your peers are dealing with the current challenges
• Stay up to date and gain insight into future legal and regulatory issues impacting the travel industry.

The event is ideal for anyone working in the travel industry including large and SME firms, including:

• Legal counsel and in-house legal teams
• Risk, finance and commercial teams 
• MDs and directors 
• Law firms
• Compliance and operations specialists
• Those who have legal, governance or regulatory responsibilities as part of their role.

ABTA member/ABTA Partner rates*

Early bird two day rate – £479 plus VAT
Standard two day rate – £519 plus VAT 

Early bird one day rate – £349 plus VAT
Standard one day rate – £399 plus VAT 

Non-member rates

Early bird two day rate – £699 plus VAT
Standard two day rate – £749 plus VAT 

Early bird one day rate – £489 plus VAT
Standard one day rate – £539 plus VAT 
 

Early bird prices will expire on 28 March 2025. 

This includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day, networking drinks on day one, all delegate materials, presentations and an attendee certificate.

You may attend one day and nominate a colleague to attend the other day. Please register your place for both days then email events@abta.co.uk with the name and job title of your colleague, and which day they would like to attend.

View our booking terms and conditions here.


Group bookings:
If you are interested in sending a group, please contact events@abta.co.uk for a bespoke cost.

_{*To qualify for the ABTA Member/Partner discount you must have a current ABTA Member/Partner number or your application must be in progress when the event takes place.}

CPD 
Attendance at this event can be used by practising solicitor’s to demonstrate continuing competence as defined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), further details here. For Barristers, attendance at this event can be used towards your CPD as defined by the Bar Standard Board, further details here. 

Event partners

3 Hare Court is a leading set with over 40 highly specialised barristers (including silks) providing a range of advocacy and advisory services both domestically and internationally. Known for our travel and cross-border work, our expertise is recognised by the legal directories and clients. We provide specialist advice and representation in all areas of the field. As the only Chambers ABTA partner, we have in-depth knowledge of the travel sector and package travel regulations. Our strong travel team act on behalf of insurers, tour operators, travel agents, airlines, and hoteliers. We pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable, providing unrivalled expertise, with clients’ needs at the heart of all we do.

Clyde & Co delivers legal excellence across aviation, marine, insurance, personal injury, and liability claims. With over 60 offices worldwide and 5,000 professionals, we provide tailored solutions for airlines, tour operators, travel companies, and hotels. Our internationally integrated teams specialise in disputes, regulatory compliance, and transactional law, ensuring seamless service wherever clients operate. For over 90 years, our global partnership has enabled us to offer consistent, efficient legal support, meeting the industry’s evolving needs. At Clyde & Co, we strive to achieve optimal outcomes and set the standard for legal excellence in the travel sector.

Data Driven Legal is a boutique legal practice specialising in data protection advice and AI governance.  We have years of experience working for companies in the travel industry, including cruise lines, tour operators and transport service providers. Data Driven Legal can help ABTA Members with the full range of data protection advice including reviewing and updating contracts, handling complicated data subject requests and advising on cookie compliance. The team audits and supports data protection compliance and AI governance programs and works alongside data protection officers as an extension of the inhouse team. 

Deka Chambers is recognised as the pre-eminent travel law set, offering some of the leading silks and juniors at the travel law Bar. Known for their expertise, the team specialises in the full range of cross-border disputes: private international law, package travel claims, international carriage conventions and contractual recovery. Members are regularly instructed on both sides of the Court, including instructions from leading tour operators, airlines, cruise operators, trade associations, tourist boards, charities and insurers. They are described by the directories as having “a first class knowledge of travel matters and are very approachable and helpful.

DMH Stallard is an award-winning, independent law firm with offices across Sussex, Surrey and London that works in partnership with some of the most successful organisations in the country. We are able to provide multi-disciplinary legal teams with extensive technical knowledge to deliver high quality, tailored legal services to both companies and individuals. DMH Stallard has significant expertise in the travel sector, working with tour operators, travel agents, destination management companies and suppliers, advising on a wide range of commercial matters including package travel and ATOL regulations, booking conditions, agency agreements, supplier contracts and indemnities, as well as employment and corporate issues. We have particular experience in managing international and multi-jurisdictional transactions, with many of our clients operating worldwide.

Our International & Travel Law team specialise in cross-border litigation and matters involving international disputes across all of Chambers’ core areas of expertise, including personal injury, clinical negligence, employment, insurance, professional negligence and product liability.

Our members are recognised by clients as barristers with the ‘full spectrum of expertise’. They are known in the industry for their expert handling of high-value, catastrophic injury and fatal claims relating to sporting accidents, food-borne illnesses, cross-border road traffic accidents and accidents occurring on board aircraft or ships where the Montreal and Athens Conventions are engaged. Our work regularly includes cases involving disputes as to jurisdiction or choice of law. 

“A first-class set” (Chambers UK)

Fox Williams LLP is a City law firm with a leading reputation in specific industry sectors and practice areas, known for its ability to deliver effective solutions. Clients of the Fox Williams travel team include household names as well as with those that are developing their business.

We understand the importance of providing commercial and practical advice and advise our travel clients on compliance with travel law and regulation, both in the UK and overseas. Our clients are also concerned about other areas of regulation, including laws relating to data protection, advertising and marketing and financial services.  We guide our clients through the regulations in a way which is sensible, user-friendly and pragmatic. We also advise on wider commercial issues, including technology and fintech matters, employment issues, dispute resolution, business immigration, intellectual property, real estate and tax.

Hextalls is a specialist law firm offering a wide-range of advice to the travel industry. It can help with regulatory queries, contract drafting, dispute resolution including defending personal injury and other claims, debt recovery and employment law. It can also advise on health and safety and risk management. Hextalls is recognised as a leader in travel law and for its commercial awareness. Its philosophy is to understand its clients business so that it can offer practical legal advice at the right price. It has a dedicated team of specialists and acts for a number of travel agents, tour operators and other travel related organisations.

Kennedys is an international law firm with expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, particularly in the insurance/reinsurance and liability industries. With over 1,500 people worldwide across 26 offices in the UK and Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas, we have some of the most respected legal minds in their fields.We act for insurers, reinsurers, Lloyd’s Syndicates, public bodies and corporates. Our deep sector knowledge means that we understand the impact of proposed regulations and advise our clients on the implications this will have on their business. Every day we make a difference for our clients. We provide answers, recommendations, strategy and tactics. We deliver these in plain English and it’s what we call Legal advice in black and white.

Purdy Smith is a boutique commercial law firm based in London that offers a wide range of legal services to clients in the travel industry.  Our areas of expertise include advertising, consumer, intellectual property and data privacy law as well as the regulations relating to package travel.  We have a history of acting for household name clients, including some of the world's most famous travel brands, and are adept at coordinating legal advice from other jurisdictions whenever needed.  Clients keep coming back to us because we combine offering cost effective, business-focused advice with a friendly and down-to-earth approach.

Themis Advisory was founded by Joanna Kolatsis, a former partner in City law firm, following over 20 years providing legal services to the travel and aviation industries. Following her decision to leave private practice, she founded Themis Advisory which was born out of a desire to provide current, pragmatic legal and business solutions for the modern business world. Joanna began her legal career as group head of legal for a vertically integrated tour operator in 1998. In 2008 she joined the boutique aviation practice, Gates and Partners, before joining Hill Dickinson as partner and head of aviation and travel in 2014 until July 2018. Since qualification Joanna has specialised in the aviation and travel industries and her advice covers all aspects including airlines, tour operators, destination management companies, distribution and accommodation. Her expertise includes aviation and travel law, commercial and regulatory matters including the Package Travel Directive and ATOL compliance, aviation regulatory issues including passenger rights and general company commercial and contractual matters including booking terms and conditions, website compliance, charter agreements and complaints handling. Joanna has specific expertise in risk management, crisis management and criminalisation in air and travel incidents and she speaks frequently on this topic.

Innovative data-led insurance for the travel industry

Customisable end-to-end risk management and mitigation solutions, tailor-made to suit your position and exposure to the travel value chain.

Travel Merchants

Meet your regulatory requirements or help satisfy collateral requirements with your service providers through our market-leading insurance. Our travel-specific solution combines A-Rated insurance with full end-to-end management of traveller funds.

Service Providers

We recognise that the supply of services from non-travel contributors, such as payment institutions and providers of protection, is key to the success and longevity of the travel industry. That is why TMU Management has Orchestrated B2B failure policy products: Manage your risk by plugging in real-time Risk Monitoring; Supply Chain Insurance; Travel Insolvency Chargeback Insurance.

Towergate Travel are recognised as one of the UK’s largest & most respected providers of Travel Bonding and other Travel related Insurance Products to the Travel Industry. We have successfully assisted many Tour Operators, Cruise Companies & Travel Agents to secure new and / or larger bond requirements over the last 25+ years. We continue to add well-known & respected brands to our ever-growing portfolio of happy travel clients. No client is too small to benefit from our expert guidance & professional service.

ABTA Partner+ Travlaw Legal Services Limited are 100% committed to serving the travel and leisure industry – from tour operators and travel agents to airlines, hotel groups, event management companies and their insurers. We pride ourselves on being one of the top travel law firms in the UK. We are a large, experienced team of highly professional yet approachable lawyers who are tried and tested specialists in advising.

At Weightmans we bring together experts from across our full-service business to cover all the legal bases for our travel clients – and to achieve the right commercial outcomes for them. Whether it’s advice on insurance claims, cyber strategies, ESG or commercial contracts, we can help. Through our 9 UK offices we have both the experience and resources to deal with the most complex legal needs, both locally and internationally via Insurance Law Global and our extensive informal network.

Our relationships are based on a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses and consistently delivering results and exceeding expectations. As a leading player in the travel space, we have a proven track record in getting the right results for our clients which include tour and cruise operators, hotel companies, airlines and coach operators – and their insurers. 

For information on how to promote your company at this event, please contact events@abta.co.uk.