Annual General Meeting
April 22-24, 2026
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Local Vibes. Global Vision.
Meritas and local host firm Liskow invite you to lend your unique voice and join the ensemble in New Orleans at the 2026 Annual General Meeting, April 22-24.
Featuring a mix of sessions designed to help navigate ongoing change with collective creativity, and networking opportunities curated with a signature New Orleans flair.
Leverage the power of Meritas and lead your firm's evolution: from solo notes to global symphony.
Jazz Without Borders: Collaborating in Harmony
With over 100 member firms from 50+ countries in attendance, the AGM is a rare opportunity to meet in-person and grow relationships and business referrals in an illuminating, trusted environment.
New This Year!
Grab your passport and get ready to "Tour the World with Meritas" on Thursday, April 23. Discover new regional insights and perspectives with your very own tour group on riveting topics of global interest.
Keynote Presenters
Ivo H. Daalder
His keynote will help attendees step back from day-to-day demands, sparking big-picture thinking and fresh perspectives that will frame conversations throughout the meeting.
Kim Mulkey
Her session will offer powerful lessons on leadership, communication, and teamwork to inspire new thinking on law firm dynamics.
Member Networking Events
Enjoy
Wednesday night's outdoor Welcome Dinner Reception at the Ritz-Carlton and Thursday Night Event at the iconic Sazerac House are both included.
Enjoy an optional Friday night Closing Cajun Feast in the open-air courtyard of famous local institution, Broussard's.
Explore
On Friday, April 24, immerse yourself in the extraordinary National WWII Museum, one of the best museums in the country (with private Meritas guide).
Or experience the city's haunted history and lore during the fun & spooky French Quarter Ghosts & Legends Tour.
Experience
Guests in the Spouse/Guest Program will enjoy an outing on Thursday, April 23 to the New Orleans School of Cooking.
Learn how to prepare (and enjoy) a local Pimm's Cup cocktail, and multiple, authentic dishes by an expert chef. The best cooking class in New Orleans!
Host Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton
921 Canal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
Update as of March 30: As we are now past the booking deadline, the Meritas rate is no longer valid and overall hotel availability is limited.
If you would like to check current rates, please contact Emily Winchester, Ritz- Carlton Group Reservations Coordinator, with your desired travel dates, and she will do her best to assist.
Ritz Cancellation Policy: Reservations must be cancelled seventy-two (72) hours prior to arrival to avoid a one (1) night room and tax penalty.
*** Overflow Hotel Recommendations ***
Below are the closest options to the Ritz-Carlton:
Mobile Event app
Time to enhance your Meritas Annual General Meeting experience with the 2026 Event App!
- Robust attendee search by name, firm, location (city, state, country, and region), title, or practice & sector focus
- Interactive messaging and social feed
- Scheduling meetings with your Meritas peers
Why wait? Install the app now and start preparing for your time in New Orleans.
Step 1: From your mobile device, click the button below to download and install the app. If you already downloaded the app for the 2025 AGM in Mexico City or the 2024 AGM in Charlotte on your current device, you should not need to download it again. The app may prompt you to update it instead.
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Step 2: Access details for the 2026 Annual General Meeting by clicking, "Launch App" |
If you don't have an iOS or Android device the app is available from any browser.
Please note: The app will automatically show the event schedule in your current time zone. If you would like to view the event session details in the event time zone you can make this change in your app preferences. If you do not make any changes the app should automatically reflect time zone changes when you travel.
If you experience difficulty with the app, please contact Krystle Dahl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Emerging Leaders or Women's Leadership Congress meet this year?
The WLC will host a First-Time Attendee Breakfast on Thursday, April 23, as well as an afternoon workshop the same day.
Emerging Leaders can enjoy their own session on Friday, April 24, as well as an optional scavenger hunt activity later that afternoon.
What is the meeting cancellation policy?
Individual cancellations should be completed by Wednesday, April 8, 2026 to receive a refund. Refunds for cancellations received prior to the deadline will be applied to the credit card used for payment.
Appropriate substitutions are allowed by another member of the same firm, at any time. Simply contact Manda Herzing to make a replacement.
Can you provide a Visa invitation letter?
Members can receive a personalized letter from Sona Pancholy, Meritas President, prior to the meeting to present to customs officials, upon request. Please submit your request for a letter to Manda Herzing by Wednesday, April 8, 2026.We look forward to welcoming you to New Orleans!
Meet Our Sponsors
Meritas is delighted to announce our 2026 Annual General Meeting sponsors including local host firm, Liskow,
and legal technology solution providers, Laurel AI, TIQ Time, August, and NetDocuments.
To learn more about Meritas Legal Technology Program, visit the member info page or contact Marti Phillips,
Legal Tech Program Manager.
Meritas is delighted to announce our 2026 Annual General Meeting sponsors including local host firm, Liskow,
and legal technology solution providers, Laurel AI, TIQ Time, August, and NetDocuments.
To learn more about Meritas Legal Technology Program, visit the member info page or contact Marti Phillips,
Legal Tech Program Manager.
Legal Tech Program Manager.
LISKOW
Liskow is a full-service Meritas law firm providing regulatory advice, transactional counsel, and handling high-stakes litigation for regional and national companies. The firm has 120 lawyers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, Louisiana, serving clients in the energy, environmental, and maritime sectors, and businesses in virtually all industries. Contact Mark Latham with inquiries.
LAUREL
Laurel AI is the world’s first AI Time platform for law firms, transforming how you track, analyze, describe, and optimize your most valuable resource: time. By automating work time and connecting time data to business outcomes, Laurel enables firms to increase profitability, improve client delivery, and make data-driven strategic decisions. Contact Folarin "Flo" Okulaja for more information.
TIQ TIME
TIQ Time helps lawyers build a complete and consistent timesheet, helping firms to reduce leakage, increase their bottom-line and optimize insights and transparency in service delivery. Become more productive and obtain better insights into spent time.
Meet TIQ Time in New Orleans or contact Bas Roodbeen via the icon below to
learn more!
AUGUST
August is a legal AI workspace built for modern legal teams. We help law firms and in-house teams review, analyze, and draft complex legal documents more efficiently by combining AI-assisted workflows with structured, auditable outputs — all directly within tools lawyers already use, like Microsoft Word and Outlook.
NET DOCUMENTS
NetDocuments is enterprise content management in the cloud. Transform the way you work with an intelligent DMS platform that automates routine tasks and streamlines workflows - so you can focus on high-value legal work, deliver faster results, and provide better service to clients.
Contact Kaden Smith and Christopher Coleman to learn more!