Annual Conference
Athens, Greece
7 Jun - 9 Jun 2026
Annual Conference 2026
Join us for WAOML’s tenth annual conference, taking place at the Grand Resort Lagonissi on the Athens Riviera from 7 – 9 June 2026.
As with previous years, the conference will open with a welcome reception and dinner on the 7th June, with our full two-day conference programme running on the 8th & 9th June.
A preliminary programme for the conference is available below.
WAOML’s Annual Gala Reception & Dinner will take place on the evening of 8th June.
Please note that this year a cap will apply to the number of delegates. The intention of the Association has always been to ensure that the WAOML Conference provides a unique experience which allows delegates the opportunity to network and truly build strong connections in a more intimate setting which larger conferences struggle to provide in the same way. Once we reach the cap, registration will close so book early to avoid disappointment.
For enquiries on our young professional rates please contact us at: [email protected]
For enquiries on speaking or sponsorship opportunities please contact us at: [email protected]
Conference Programme
WAOML Conference 2026 - Networking Events
WAOML Conference 2026 - Welcome Drinks Reception
WAOML Conference 2026 - Welcome Dinner
WAOML Conference 2026 - Conference Day One
WAOML Conference 2026 - Chair's Welcome Address
Speakers: Peter Wright (Glencore)
Keynote Address: Scramble, Subsidise, Obstruct: How Great Power Rivalry Is Rewriting the Rules of Critical Minerals
Speakers: Sophia Kalantzakos (Global Distinguished Professor in Environmental Studies and Public Policy, New York University)
Mining in Greece: The Eldorado Story - Legal Challenges on the Journey to Production
Speakers: Natalie Kedikoglou (Eldorado Gold) , Constantinos Lambadarios (Lambadarios) , Christina Faitakis (Karatzas & Partners) , Ro Lazarovitch (Bracewell)
Coffee Break
Lessons Learnt from Major Mining Disputes of the Last Decade—and What They Mean for Today’s Deals
Moderator: Dietmar Prager (Debevoise & Plimpton)
Speakers: Lizelle Marwick ( AngloGold Ashanti) , Christopher Harris KC (Gibson Dunn) , Chris Hunter (Torys) , Mark Bolton (Panthera Resources)
Africa’s Mining Future: Geopolitics, Governance, and the Equity Agenda
Moderator: Ntsiki Adonisi (ENS)
Speakers: Jaasi Munanka (AngloGoldAshanti) , Warren Beech (Beech Veltman) , Salimatou Diallo (ADNA) , Bob Bastos (ASAFO)
Networking Lunch
Chinese Mining Companies in the International Mining Sector
Moderator: Shawn Doyle (McCarthy Tetrault)
Speakers: David Johnson (First Quantum Minerals) , David Wei Chen (DeHeng Law Offices) , Monica Sun (Fangda Law) , Liu Yue (Jia Yuan Law Offices)
Coffee Break
Regulation Acceleration in the West & Supporting Critical Minerals: The Reality of Playing Catch-Up in A Less Than Free Market
Moderator: Almira Moronne (Davis Graham)
Speakers: Paul Morton (Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer) , Gabriela Sakamoto (Mayer Brown) , Simon Rear (Gilbert & Tobin) , Bridget Howe (Crestview Strategy) , Josée Gagnon (Nouveau Monde Graphite)
WAOML Conference 2026 - Gala Drinks Reception
WAOML Conference 2026 - Gala Dinner
WAOML Conference 2026 - Conference Day Two
WAOML Conference 2026 - Student Breakfast
Sharing of Facilities Under Different Ownership: Legal Challenges & Lessons Learnt
Moderator: Aymeric Voisin (Linklaters)
Speakers: Julie Blot (Eramet) , Rafael Vergara (Carey) , Ludovic de Talancé (Linklaters)
Managing Litigation Risk in Fragile Environments
Moderator: Julianne Hughes-Jennett (Quinn Emanuel)
Speakers: Nadya Berova (Barrick) , Oliver Stern (Kroll) , Nerilee Rockman (AngloGoldAshanti) , Lucien Bou Chaaya (Mada) , Peter Hood (Fieldfisher)
Coffee Break
Los Países de América Latina: Insights & Trends
Moderator: Fernando Todd (Todd.)
Speakers: Erick Hernandez Gallego (Greenberg Traurig) , Rony Zimmerman (Lembeye) , Carlos Torres (Corral Rosales) , Veronica Dittebrandt (ERG) , Sebastián Vedoya (Bruchou & Funes de Rioja) , Carlos Umaña Trujillo (Brigard Urrutia)
Networking Lunch
Building Trust: Indigenous Engagement and Community Agreements in Mining
Moderator: Frank Mariage (Fasken)
Speakers: Emily Pica (Omnia Strategy ) , Maria Isabel Aillon (Perez Bustamante & Ponce (PBP)) , Sebastián Donoso (Sebastián Donoso & Associates) , Annie Cormier (Gold Fields)
A New Global Metals Super Cycle: Financing, Valuations & Navigating Volatility
Moderator: Andrew Disipio (Bennett Jones)
Speakers: Adam Segal (Torex Gold Resources) , Rachel Speight (Mayer Brown) , Tom Eldridge (Fasken) , David Gossen (Elemental Royalty Corp.)
Coffee Break
Leading from Within: Senior In-House Counsel in Mining
Moderator: Chloe Baldwin (Steptoe)
Speakers: Kelly Carter (Goldfields) , Nonna Crane (Barrick) , Olympe Bory (Endeavour Mining) , Laurence Virtue-Deshaise (Hatch)
WAOML Conference 2026 - Chair's Farewell
Speakers: Peter Wright (Glencore)
