Dario Oscos, Senior Partner, Oscos Abogados

Vitro, the Mexican-based glass manufacturer, defaulted on $1.5bn of debt in 2009 – but before so doing ensured its subsidiaries were its major creditors, allowing the company to control its own reorganisation proceedings. Its bankruptcy plan is preliminarily valid in Mexico but in the US it has been rejected: Dario Oscos explains the significance of this decision, its implications for cross-border trade, and the timeframe for a final verdict.

Antonio Giacomini Jr, Partner, Andrioli e Giacomini Advogados

With the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016, Brazil is making huge investments in infrastructure. At the same time, the government is reforming many of its tax laws to attract more international investment partners. Antonio Giacomini explains the strategy behind these reforms, and the ways that Andrioli e Giacomini Advogados assists its international clients through Brazil’s complex system of tax and business legislation.

Gregory P Joseph, Partner, Gregory P Joseph Law Offices

Gregory P Joseph has had an outstanding career in commercial law – litigating highly complex disputes with considerable stakes. In practice since 1975, he has seen significant changes in the way the US judiciary handles commercial cases, and won considerable victories along the way. He discusses the emerging trends in commercial litigation and a recent $268m judgement he secured for City Bank against Morgan Stanley.

Derya Gürerk, CEO, Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası

Participation banking assets have grown twice as fast as Turkey’s overall banking sector during the last 10 years and now represent five percent of the industry. Derya Gürerk of Türkiye Finans believes this growth is sustainable if the required capital is brought in. He discusses the bank’s excellent performance last year, including a 25 percent increase in productivity and 22 percent increase in profits, its investment in infrastructure and developing entrepreneurial skills, and its recently issued Sukuks.

Cahit Kıraç, Chairman of EXPO 2020 İzmir Executive Committee and Steering Board

The host city and theme of the 2020 World Expo will be decided this year. The Turkish city of İzmir, one of the five candidates, is pitching the theme “New routes to a better world: Health for all”. Cahit Kıraç explains why İzmir chose health as its universal theme, the strides that Turkey has made in delivering high quality healthcare, and the legacy he hopes EXPO 2020 can leave in İzmir.

Dominique Uzel, Director of International Operations, Groupama

Turkey’s insurance market has been growing rapidly in recent years, thanks to new laws introduced to liberalise the industry. But it is still underdeveloped compared with other established economies: the market is worth just $120 per capita, while the French insurance sector is worth over $4,000 per capita. Dominique Uzel explains how Groupama is working closely with its extensive agent network to create new products designed especially for Turkey.