The 15th Annual McGill University / PEOPIL Conference on
International Aviation:
Liability, Insurance & Finance
Comillas University, Madrid
5 – 6 June 2025
10.25 CPD hours
Interested in sponsoring this conference?
Please contact our Sponsorship Liaison
Dr. Donal Hanley, Conference Chair
McGill University Institute of Air & Space Law
email: conference.iasl@mcgill.ca
Please click here for the sponsor opportunities.
Hotel Information:
For a list of hotels in the vicinity of the conference venue, please click here.


Comillas Universidad Pontífica
C/ Alberto Aguilera, 23
28015 Madrid
Spain
This event brings together world-leading aviation liability, insurance and finance experts to address, inter alia, the following topics:
- Recent Developments in Liability of Air Carriers
- Liability of Airports and other Service Providers
- Products Liability of Manufacturers of Aircraft, Engines and Component Parts
- Global Regulatory Update
- Insurance
- Environmental Liability
- Cargo Liability
- Aircraft Finance
- Future Industry Trends
- Data & Technology Liability
- Passenger Rights – Dispute Resolution Trends
- Shooting Down Aircraft
In addition, the conference will host two luncheons and a reception/dinner to facilitate networking among attorneys, insurers, air carriers, manufacturers and government representatives.
This is the fifteenth annual McGill/PEOPIL Conference on International Aviation Liability, Insurance & Finance
Prior conferences have been held in:
- Toulouse 2008
- Montreal 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2024
- Amsterdam 2010
- London 2012, 2014
- Edinburgh 2016
- Dublin 2018
- Paris 2023
Programme
schedule and speakers subject to change
Thursday 5 June 2025
Day 1
09:45 – 10:00

Prof. Dr. Donal Hanley
Conference Chair
McGill University Institute of Air & Space Law (IASL) – Conference Chair
Ana Romero Porro
PEOPIL President
Prof. Dr. Vincent Correia
McGill University IASL Co-Director

10:00 – 11:00
Mia Wouters – GDS Lawyers, Brussels
- Kevin Durkin – Clifford Law Offices, USA
- Enrique Navarro – Clyde & Co, Spain
- Ricardo Pazos Castro – Comillas University, Spain
- Sarah Stewart – Stewarts, England
11:00 – 12:00
Laura Pierallini – Studio Pierallini, Italy
- tbc – Kreindler & Kreindler, New York/Boston
- Pierre Frühling – HFW, Belgium
- Anne-Frédérique Pothier – Eurocontrol, Belgium
- Michael Tegethoff – Munich Airport, Germany
12:00 – 12:30
12:30 – 13:30
Mark Harvey – Hugh James, England/Wales
Panellists
- Max Archer – XXIV Old Buildings, England
- Randal Robert Craft – Holland & Knight (retired), USA
- Stuart Fraenkel – Nelson & Fraenkel LLP, USA
- Veeru Mewa – VictimFirst Attorneys, Netherlands
13:30 – 15:00
Luc Tytgat – former Executive Director European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Belgium
15:00 – 16:00
Tony Payne, DLA Piper, England
- Anita Mosner – Holland & Knight, USA
- Daniel Wand – 4 KBW, Barrister in London
- Philip Weissman – KMA Zuckert, USA
16:00 – 16:30
16:30 – 17:30
Prof. George Leloudas – Swansea University, England
- Maria Cetta – DAC Beachcroft, England
- Dr. Cyril-Igor Grigorieff – Université Paris-Saclay, France
- Ricardo Martinez-Cid, Podhurst Orseck, USA
- Antonio Moura Portugal – DLA Piper, Portugal
- Prof. Abel Veiga Copo, Dean of Faculty of Law, Comillas University, Spain
17:30 – 18:30
Prof. Ludwig Weber – McGill Institute of Air and Space Law, Canada
- Melissa Infusino – Air Canada, Canada
- Grégory Laville de la Plaigne – Clyde & Co., France
- Inmaculada Martínez Caballero – Aeroiuris, Spain
- Patricia O’Shea – Dublin Airport Authority, Ireland
20:00 – 23:00
C/Fuenterrabia,
28014 Madrid
Marc Nichols – partner at DLA Piper; former General Counsel United States Federal Aviation Administration – USA
Friday 6 June 2025
Day 2
09:00 – 10:00
David Short – Balfour + Manson, Scotland
- Dimitri de Bournonville – Bournonville Grigorieff, Belgium
- Katharina de Rességuier – Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein, Germany
- Carlos Villacorta Salís, BCV Lex, Spain
10:00 – 11:00
Donal Hanley – McGill Institute of Air and Space Law, Canada
- Ayșe Akcan – Sun Express, Turkey
- David Bartlett – Aerial, England
- Thomas Schmid – Azorra Aviation, Ireland
- Stefan-Michael Wedenig – McGill Institute of Air and Space Law, Canada
11:00 – 11:30
11:30 – 12:30
Solenn Le Tutour – Le Tutour Avocats, France
- Christopher Odell – Arnold & Porter, USA
- Steven C. Marks – Podhurst Orseck, USA
- Juan Fernando Puerta – Wingo, Colombia
12:30 – 13:30
Urban Olson – Advokatfirman Urban Olson AB, Sweden
Panellists
- Axelle Cartier – Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, France
- Lydia Johanssen – SAS Scandinvian Airlines, Sweden
- tbc
13:30 – 15:00
15:00 – 16:00
Martine de Serres – Air Canada, Canada
- Stephan Eriksson – Astra Law Firm, Sweden
- Diego Olmedo de Cáceres – PionAirLaw, Spain
- James Wiltshire – International Air Transport Asscociation, Switzerland
16:00 – 17:00
Prof. Miguel Martinez Muñoz – Comillas University, Spain
- Joe Fiorante, KC – CFM Lawyers, Canada
- Justin Green – Kreindler & Kreindler, USA
- Peter Neenan – Stewarts, England
17:00 – 17:15
17:00 – 17:15
17:15 – 19:00