CCLS 45th Anniversary Celebration
On Thursday 6 November 2025, the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) celebrated its 45th anniversary with a special event held at Queen Mary University of London’s Mile End Campus.
The celebration brought together faculty, students, alumni, and distinguished guests to commemorate over four decades of academic excellence and international influence in commercial law. The programme featured two thematic panel discussions and a keynote speech by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales, who discussed the work of the International Jurisdiction Taskforce (IJT). Sir Geoffrey explained the IJT’s aim of reducing international legal barriers to the use and development of innovative digital asset technologies, such as blockchain and smart contracts, and considered the wider implications of technological progress for civil justice and cross-border legal systems.
Following the keynote, Professor Sir Roy Goode, founder of CCLS, reflected on the Centre’s origins and development, emphasising its enduring aim to promote legal education, research, and policy innovation worldwide.
The event then included two insightful panel discussions chaired by Professor Rosa M. Lastra and Professor Ian Walden, examining the themes of Commercial Law as Development and Regulation.
Professor Lastra, Sir John Lubbock Chair in Banking Law at Queen Mary and Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee, led a discussion on the relationship between commercial law and economic development with Professor Ignacio Tirado (Secretary-General, UNIDROIT), Professor Wend Wendland (University of Cape Town; former Director, WIPO), and Professor Emilia Onyema (SOAS University of London).
Professor Walden, Professor of Information and Communications Law at Queen Mary, chaired the second discussion, which focused on regulatory innovation. Panellists included Dr Apostolos Gkoutzinis (Partner and Practice Group Leader, Milbank LLP), Gwilym Roberts (Patent Attorney, Kilburn & Strode LLP), and Christina Demetriades (Global Sales and Delivery Lead, Accenture).
Together, the panels demonstrated how international commercial law serves as a catalyst for sustainable development and how regulatory frameworks continually adapt to technological change, data governance, and the growing convergence between digital commerce and financial regulation.
The programme ended with closing remarks by Professor Ioannis Kokkoris, Director of CCLS, who reflected on the Centre’s ongoing dedication to academic excellence, innovation, and engagement with global legal practice.
The event concluded with a drinks-and-canapés reception, offering students, alumni, and faculty members the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with the distinguished speakers and guests.
By José Enrique Cordero, Queen Mary Banking and Finance Law LLM student.
More information:
- Learn more about the CCLS 45th Anniversary Celebrations.
- Study postgraduate law at Queen Mary.