Senior figures at an island law firm were among more than 250 professionals who attended a conference in Barcelona.

‘Thinking outside the box’ was the theme of the TAG Alliance International Conference.

DQ Advocates’ managing director Mark Dougherty and head of the regulatory and compliance team, Sinead O’Connor, represented the Douglas company at the three-day event.

Sinead was asked to chair a panel of global experts and Mark was invited to present an introduction about the Isle of Man, ahead of the island hosting a European regional conference of TAG members in July.

DQ is a member of TAG Alliances which comprises professional associations with both legal and accounting expertise and has more than 290-member firms worldwide.

Hosted by TAG law firm Bufete Esqura, organisers said it was the best attended TAG Alliance conference of all time with representatives from all continents.

Mark said: ‘With technological changes and the professional services industry ever evolving, it’s imperative we consider new ideas and innovations.

‘The alliance provides DQ and our clients with an immediate global support network offering jurisdictional expertise worldwide. The conference was the ideal platform to share ideas and experiences to seek new strategies to implement into our own practices and has certainly helped expanded our knowledge even further on a global perspective.’

Mark’s presentation showcased the island to all attendees, partly using the new Department for Enterprise promotional video, and was well received. The impact of the digital revolution, specifically blockchain technology, was explored and debated at a panel led by Sinead, comprising lawyers and accountants from Thailand, Gibraltar and San Francisco.

Each shared recent experiences of blockchain in their practice.Sinead had been asked to join the panel as a result of DQ’s leading team in the fintech technology.

A speech by Hamish Taylor, the former head of brand management at British Airways, boss of Eurostar and Sainsbury bank, who now specialises in marketing consultancy, was said to be among the highlights of the conference.

There was also a range of presentations and talks on using the digital marketplace, building cultures of teamwork and collaboration, exploring innovative ways and opportunities to transform practices and a number of breakout groups on topics such as GDPR, recent tax legislation and women in leadership. Each evening, members were treated to receptions with Spanish themed culture and food on display, along with networking breakfasts and lunches.

Mark said: ‘These receptions allowed Sinead and me to share our thoughts on the island, as well as build entrenched relationships with our fellow worldwide TAG members. Both presentations received very positive feedback from members and put the Isle of Man at the forefront of attendees’ minds. We look forward to welcoming many of them to the Isle of Man this summer.’