The key ingredients conducive to international trade are under attack as political populism sweeps through the US and Europe. This session will explore the following: • Will geopolitical instability and the reversal of decades of liberalisation of trade and investment damage international legal services? • To what extent will business lawyers be able to rely on existing legal protections and institutions to protect and promote their clients’ global trade interests? • Can our existing legal institutions defend against the development of arbitrary and ad hoc government, for example, by introducing trade tariffs or restrictive practices? • As it becomes harder for companies to plan for the future, will the approach to business risk and business strategic decision-making change to become more risk averse? • How can law firms respond and what strategies are available to protect against the uncertainties in the market? Is it better to focus on core markets and business? Will the global law firms see a rise in activities from the availability of cheap financing and mega-mergers?