XLNC Focus Groups
- read the latest updates
Discover what's new in our Focus Groups and read what to expect during the upcoming Focus Group meetings in Montréal.
Focus Groups have been listed in alphabetical order by group name. For those meeting in Montréal, we have only listed the Meeting Chair(s) rather than the Global Chair(s).
Friday, 19 September 2025, 14:00 – 15:00 Meeting Chair: Laurens Nijssen and Oscar Torres
Our session in Montréal will be an informal meeting, where participants will get the opportunity to get to know each other (better). This is a splendid opportunity to strengthen your global network of like-minded professionals.
Laurens and Oscar will discuss organisational matters, such as Focus Group (FG) development, cooperation within the FG, benefits and opportunities from joining the FG. They also will touch upon recent developments in the field.
Email Laurens.
Email Oscar.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 11:00 – 12:00 Speakers: Jonathan Fitzgarrald, Richard Kleiner & Martin Sharp
The goal of the XLNC Best Practices Focus Group (BPFG) is to foster the continued exchange across countries and professions on several topics, such as remuneration for team members, staff retention, how to tackle inflation, cybersecurity, financial issues including protocols around billing and credit control, HR matters, and so on.
The programme at the upcoming conference in Montreal features a plenary session dedicated to the XLNC Best Practices Focus Group, during which the discussion on different professional topics will be moderated by the following participants: Jonathan Fitzgarrald (Scali Rasmussen, USA) will be sharing on "Succession Planning"; Richard Kleiner (Gerald Edelman, UK) will follow by discussing "Exit for the equity partners/owners of the professional services firms"; lastly, Martin Sharp (XLNC Ltd) will focus on "Getting the most from network membership".
Should you or your colleagues be interested in moderating any discussion topics in occasion of the upcoming XLNC in-person and/or online conference, please do reach out to Marco Izzo at the XLNC Head Office.
The XLNC team is pleased to announce that Michael Skaarup, ELTEA Avocats, Paris, France, and Mathijs van Logten, Clairfort Advocaten, Zeist, Netherlands, have jointly established the XLNC Employment Law Focus Group.
Employment law is a vital area of legal practice designed to regulate the relationship between employers and employees in the ever-evolving world of work. However, employment law is much more than just a set of legal rules and compliance, and this group aims to foster continuous discussion and an exchange of best practices between members on this topic.The practice of employment law is challenging, requiring a delicate balancing between the operational needs of employers and the rights of employees in order to ensure a fair, safe, and productive work environment. In an era marked by globalisation, technological advancement, and evolving economic landscapes, employment law constantly adapts to meet new challenges and emerging issues such as remote work regulations, digital labour platforms, AI, and more.
If you are interested in joining the XLNC Employment Law FG, please email the XLNC head office.
The first in-person meeting of this group will take place at the upcoming XLNC autumn conference in Montréal, Canada, taking place on 18–20 September 2025. We would of course like to encourage you to attend the conference and sign up for the session, but regardless of whether you are able to join us there or not we would still welcome you to our focus group.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 14:00 – 15:00 Meeting Chairs: Michael Skaarup & Mathijs van Logten
Don't miss the inaugural meeting of our newly established XLNC Employment Law Focus Group in Montréal. The Focus Group meeting is set to be a dynamic and collaborative session, bringing together employment law experts from across the XLNC world.
The primary goal of our interactive session is to provide a platform for legal professionals to exchange insights on the latest trends, legislative developments, and emerging challenges in Employment Law across various jurisdictions. Topics may include regulatory changes, remote and hybrid work policies, cross-border employment issues, labour disputes, diversity and inclusion regulations, and more.
This agenda will cover :
Presentation, goals, and expectations of this new Focus Group;
Starting building up a synthetic comparison tool of main Employment Laws aspects across XLNC’s different jurisdictions : call to the participant for their input;
The Labour law quiz.
Why attend:
Be part of the first-ever meeting of this new Focus Group;
Gain up-to-date insights into employment law developments from around the globe;
Exchange knowledge with peers from diverse legal and regulatory environments;
Establish and strengthen international connections with fellow employment law specialists;
Help shape the future direction of the group’s activities and initiatives.
Who should attend:
Employment and labour law professionals, and all XLNC members with an interest in labour and workforce-related legal matters.
This meeting offers a unique opportunity to broaden your professional network, share best practices, and foster cross-border collaboration with like-minded professionals within the alliance.
We warmly invite you to join us and contribute to building a strong, engaged, and forward-thinking Employment Law Focus Group.
Contact Michael Skaarup.
Contact Mathijs van Logten.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 15:30 – 17:00 Global Co-Chair: Christian Scali
Join our Legal Focus Group meeting, led by co-chair Christian Scali, for an engaging discussion on timely regulatory and compliance developments with global impact. This session will examine the implications of California’s rollback of its electric vehicle mandate, evolving anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules in Europe with a focus on doing business in Italy, and recent SEC and NASDAQ initiatives affecting foreign private issuers.
These topics will be explored through a practical lens, offering insights into how members can advise clients, navigate regulatory change, and identify new opportunities in an increasingly complex legal environment.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 12:00 – 13:00 Speaker: Bert Rasmussen
The XLNC M&A and Corporate Finance Focus Group is a platform for XLNC members to discuss M&A topics and to exchange best practices on transactional services and deal-making activities.
The next in person meeting of the XLNC M&A and Corporate Finance Focus Group is scheduled in occasion of the upcoming conference in Montreal. The programme will feature contributions from various XLNC members, starting with Bert Rasmussen (Scali Rasmussen, USA) who will present on “US Real Estate in M&A: Local Taxes and Hidden Deal Breakers”. This will be a sampling of local real estate issues that can complicate US mergers and acquisitions, including municipal taxes such as Los Angeles’ “Mansion Tax,” along with select zoning, environmental, and permitting quirks that may affect deal values and structures. The focus will be on practical examples rather than an exhaustive survey. Further contributions for this session are currently being confirmed. In case you are participating in the upcoming Montreal conference and would like to contribute to this session, please reach out to Marco Izzo at the XLNC Head Office.
Have you joined the XLNC Deal-Sharing Platform?
XLNC members can also leverage the XLNC Deal-Sharing Platform (DSP), accessible for all members, in order to easily circulate M&A deal opportunities with all fellow members worldwide. In case you would like to have access to the XLNC DSP please contact Marco Izzo at the XLNC Head Office.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 15:30 – 17:00 Speakers: Jorge Borrás Minetti and Juliana Borrás Puig, Rajsing Gopaul, and Susan Kaplan
The XLNC International Tax Focus Group (TFG) regularly meets in person in occasion of the XLNC conferences.
The current programme for the TFG session in Montreal features various contributions by XLNC members worldwide, and specifically: Jorge Borrás Minetti and Juliana Borrás Puig (VERTEX, Uruguay) will provide an overview of the Uruguayan market and tax landscape; Rajsing Gopaul (Dale International Trust Company Limited, Mauritius) will provide a presentation from the Mauritius’ perspective; Susan Kaplan (Fuoco Group - TFG Accounting & Tax, USA) will share on "Tariffs, Taxes, & Tackling Pillar 2"; Vinay Khosla (Bateman MacKay, Canada) will deliver a presentation on “Major developments in inbound taxation considerations about doing Business in Canada”; lastly, more contributions are expected to be confirmed soon.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 12:00 – 13:00 Meeting Chair: Oscar Torres
Join our Technology Focus Group meeting for a forward-looking, solutions-oriented session that brings together tech-minded professionals from across our global XLNC alliance.
This meeting is designed to explore how technology is transforming the legal, audit, accounting, and tax professions—and how your firm can stay ahead of the curve.
Whether your firm is just starting its digital journey or already on the cutting edge, this session offers ideas, connections, and practical insights to take your technology strategy to the next level. Don’t miss it!
Friday, 19 SeptemberMeeting Chair: Louise Lecanda
There will be an opportunity for the XLNC women (as part of our Women in Business Focus Group) to meet up for lunch prior to the start of the conference, on Thursday 18 September 2025. If you are attending the conference and would like to join, you will be hearing from Louise Lecanda directly so as to confirm your attendance.
This Focus Group may be small, but it is a fantastically connected group that has grown from strength to strength.
