Vertex^® Exchange Europe 2008

Conrad^® Brussels, Belgium - 17-18 September

Guest Speakers

Professor Richard Susskind OBE

Richard Susskind has specialised in legal technology for 25 years. He is an independent adviser to major professional firms and to national governments. He lectures internationally and has been invited to speak in over 40 countries. He has written and edited numerous books, including Expert Systems in Law (OUP, 1987), The Future of Law (OUP, 1996) , Transforming the Law (OUP, 2000) and The Susskind Interviews: Legal Experts in Changing Times (Sweet & Maxwell, 2005) and is a law columnist for The Times.

He has advised on numerous government inquiries and, since 1998, has been IT Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England. In 2003, he was appointed by the Cabinet Office as Chair of the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information. He holds law professorships at Gresham College in London and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

Richard has a first class honours degree in law from the University of Glasgow and a doctorate in law and computers from Balliol College, Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the British Computer Society, and was awarded an OBE in the Millennium New Year's Honours List for services to IT in the Law and to the Administration of Justice.

Richard lives in Radlett, England, with his wife and three children. His hobbies include running, golf, skiing, reading and cinema. If you would like to learn more, visit Richard Susskind's Website.

Stephen Bill (European Commission)

Mr. Stephen Bill joined the European Commission in 1981 and had been working at DG Taxation and Customs Union for 25 years.

At DG TAXUD, he worked as a Fiscal and Customs Specialist until 1991 when he was appointed to be the he Head of Unit for all indirect taxes other than VAT. In 1999, he took up a post as Head of the VAT Unit.

During his 25 years of professional activity, he was responsible for preparation of
legislation relating to VAT on imports and exports, for the negotiation of Fisheries
Agreements between the EC and various African and Indian Ocean countries, for the preparation and negotiation of Commission proposals on the harmonization of excise duty rates, structures and control and movement procedures, on CO2 and Energy taxation and for the development of the "New VAT Strategy" launched in June 2000.

Before joining the Commission, Mr. Bill worked for the UK Diplomatic service. He
obtained a master degree in International Relations at the University of Sussex.
In addition to his native English, he speaks French.