2026 Academic Conference, Vilamoura, Portugal

The Academic Forum of INSOL Europe will be hosting its 22nd annual conference in Vilamoura, Portugal, on Wednesday 14 – Thursday 15 October 2026, immediately prior to INSOL Europe's main Annual Congress taking place in Vilamoura from 15 - 18 October 2026.

Vilamoura is a fitting location for this year's conference, held under the theme “New Horizons: Insolvency III, Winding-Up of Insolvent EU Inc. and Beyond.” Set on the Atlantic coast of the Algarve, Vilamoura sits at Europe's south-western edge, looking out toward open water — an apt backdrop for a forum dedicated to charting the next generation of EU insolvency law, from the recently adopted directive “Insolvency III” to the proposed EU Inc. The setting invites participants to look beyond established frameworks and consider the horizons still ahead for European insolvency and restructuring law.

Technical Programme
At the INSOL Europe Academic Forum Conference 2026 in Vilamoura, the programme opens on Wednesday afternoon with Session One, “EU Inc.: One Company, One Market, One Insolvency Framework?”, chaired by Jessica Schmidt. Alexandre Soveral Martins will address EU Inc. insolvency proceedings, Alexander Philipp Stern will rethink the function of European corporate insolvency law through the lens of the EU Inc., and Diogo Pessoa will explore the boundaries between corporate law and insolvency law rules under the EU Inc. proposal.

Session Two, chaired by Eugenio Vaccari, turns to “Streamlining Insolvency: New Challenges in Pre-Packs and Simplified Liquidations.” Elda Marques will consider mergers and divisions by acquisition in pre-pack proceedings under Directive (EU) 2026/799 and the question of asymmetric creditor protection, João Pedro Pinto-Ferreira will question the fairness of pre-pack sales to related parties, and José Gonçalves Machado will survey the present and future of simplified liquidation regimes for micro and small enterprises.

The first day closes with the Gabriel Moss Memorial Lecture, chaired by Jessica Schmidt, to be delivered this year by Catarina Serra, followed by a reception and the Academic Dinner.

Thursday opens with Session Three, chaired by Giulia Ballerini, “Who Bears the Loss? Avoidance, Subordination, and Fairness in European Insolvency.” Gerard McCormack will present on the new harmonised EU law on insolvency transactional avoidance, Oriana Casasola will weigh the EU's 2026 transaction avoidance rules against the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide, Rebecca Parry, Dhanya Jha and Aditya Jain will set out a rescue-focused model for shareholder loan subordination, and Cruz Amado de la Riega will ask whether equity-like claims represent a missed opportunity in insolvency.

Session Four, chaired by Gerard McCormack, ventures into “Insolvency Law on New Frontiers: Shipwrecks, Crypto Crashes and Space Debris.” Matthew Chippin will examine the necessary relationship between maritime and insolvency law in the context of marine environmental disasters, Charles Ho Wang Mak will consider the case for a dedicated EU space insolvency instrument alongside the recast EIR and the Insolvency III Directive, and Pier Mario Lupinu and Cayetana Santaolalla Montoya will examine MiCAR’s “burial plans” for crypto-asset service providers and the private international law dimension of their cross-border insolvency.

After lunch, Session Five, chaired by Catarina Serra, addresses “Decision-Making in Insolvency: Courts, Mediators, and Corporate Directors.” Paul Lewis will discuss the U.S. Supreme Court and the public policy exception, Stephen Ware will examine amicable settlement in insolvency, and Diederik Bruloot will present new developments in directors' duties in the vicinity of insolvency, including ESG considerations.

The conference concludes with the Edwin Coe Open Forum in Coordination with the Judicial Wing, chaired by Catarina Serra and open to all delegates of the Vilamoura Main Congress, before a Closing Address delivered by Jessica Schmidt.

Non-member Offer
Please be advised that we have some membership offers that could provide considerable savings should you join INSOL Europe and then register for this event. For further information please email Natasha Sable.

Continuing Professional Education 
A number of CPE points and academic hours of professional education will be awarded for attendance at the conference by the local professional associations. Please contact Harriet Taylor after the conference for a certificate of attendance, which you can forward to the relevant organisation as evidence.  

If you have any queries or would like further information, please contact Harriet Taylor

Membership Rates

Please be advised that we have some membership offers that could provide considerable savings should you join INSOL Europe and then register for this event. For further information, click here. 

This year our Congress will be held at Tivoli Marina Hotel, Vilamoura, Faro, Portugal, 8125-901

Please use this link to reserve a bedroom at the corporate rate. 

Hotel booking note: the online link allows you to reserve bedrooms between 14 - 18 October (Wednesday - Sunday) only. If you wish to extend your stay, please book the maximum amount of days available on the booking link, then send your reference number to the hotel, they will then manually extend your stay. 
 

Availability update: Bedrooms on Wednesday 14 October are now sold out. Please find a list of alternative hotels below: 
 

The draft Technical Programme is available here (subject to change).

The closest airport is Faro International Airport (FAO) located 24km from Tivoli Marina Hotel. 

The most convenient way to reach the hotel is via taxi, the journey time is 30 minutes. There is a taxi rank immediately outside the arrivals hall on the right hand side. The fee is usually €30 - €40 on the meter. 
Insight: a 7 seater taxi will cost 20% more, so if you're travelling alone - skip this one in the queue. 

A cheaper alternative is to use Uber or Bolt, the collection point is in the short term parking zone "Kiss & Fly" outside the arrivals hall on the left hand side. The fee is usually €20 - €30. 
Insight: during busy periods the wait time can be long. If you select "comfort" class, the ride will be a little more expensive with a shorter waiting time. 

We do not recommend public transport, as the route is time consuming and buses are not frequent. 
However please find the breakdown of instructions below: 

- Number 16 bus from Faro Airport to Faro Bus Station
- This journey takes 20 minutes and costs €2.50
- Bus frequency is approximately every 30 minutes
- Then take the number 9 bus from Faro Bus Station to Vilamoura 
- This journey takes 50 minutes and costs €5.40 
- Bus frequency is approximately every 60 minutes
- The hotel is located a 5 minute walk away from the bus stop
Insight: tickets must be purchased before boarding

Sustainable Travel
If you are flying to Portugal, we have published some information about how to carbon-offset your flights on our website here.

Travel & Health Insurance 
It is the attendee's responsibility to be adequately insured in case of claims pertaining to travel/accidents for the duration of their visit.

2026 Vilamoura Academic Conference Technical Committee Co-Chairs:

• Jessica Schmidt, Universität Bayreuth, Germany & Chair of the INSOL Europe Academic Forum
• Catarina Serra, Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, Portugal

2026 Vilamoura Academic Conference Technical Committee Members:

• Emilie Ghio, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• Giulia Ballerini, YANIL Chair, University of Padua, Italy
• Eugenio Vaccari,  Royal Holloway, University of London, England
• Gerard McCormack, University of Leeds, England