As part of our ongoing commitment to grow and expand our relationship with foreign law firms, is thrilled to be sending a 17-person team of business litigation, corporate, international trade, real estate, labor & employment, luxury brands, maritime, and white collar defense and investigations professionals to the International Bar Association’s (“IBA”) 2026 Annual Conference, being held October 4 through 9, 2026, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Blank Rome senior counsel Richard V. Singleton II will serve as session chair for “Where Is the U.S. Supreme Court? What Are the Contrasts with the Supreme Courts of Canada and Mexico in Terms of Safeguarding the Constitution, Fundamental Principles of Democracy, and the Rule of Law?” which will take place on Tuesday, October 6, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
About the Session
Many of the recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court appear to favor the Trump administration—and have been decided on the “shadow docket.” Important well-established precedents have been reversed or curtailed to be more in line with the Trump administration’s views. Mexico recently underwent a radical restructuring of its Supreme Court. What does all of this mean? Are the Supreme Courts of the United States and Mexico becoming more politicized and moving toward effectively becoming an arm of the executive branch of government? And what is the situation in Canada?
The session will explore these questions and more, including the effect of the recent decisions/events on the rule of law, the dangers (or not) these decisions/events present to our constitutional democracies, and what all this means for those doing business in North America. The speakers are a highly regarded constitutional law professor from Georgetown University School of Law, a retired Justice of the Mexican Supreme Court, and a former Minister of Justice of Canada.
Panelists:
- Session Chair: Richard Singleton, Blank Rome, New York, New York, USA; Chair North American Regional Forum
- Dr. Michele Goodwin, Georgetown University School of Law, Washington, D.C., USA
- Justice Alfredo Gutierrez Ortiz Mena, Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación, Mexico City, Mexico
- Hon Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena, Gutierrez Ortiz Mena Abogados, Mexico City, Mexico
- Hon Arif Virani KC, Torys LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
For more information and to register, please visit the event webpage.