Sorin Chirița was announced as the winner of the ELI Young Lawyers Award 2026 for his essay, ‘From Disclosure to Loyalty: A European Duty of Loyalty for Consumer AI Agents.’  The award ceremony formed part of the Annual Conference opening events, bringing together legal scholars and practitioners from across Europe.

Sorin Chirița is currently pursuing an LL.B. at the Moldova State University, Faculty of Law, where he is in his third year of studies. Alongside his academic work, he serves as a Junior Associate at MELNIC | BERCU Legal Advisors and participates in the prestigious Willem C. Vis Moot competition. His experience also includes internships with MAIB (Moldova Agroindbank) and the Chișinău Court of Appeal, as well as participation in international arbitration, mediation, and legal research programmes.

The winning essay addresses a question closely connected to ELI’s work (more here) on AI and consumer protection: how legal systems should regulate AI agents that increasingly act on consumers’ behalf. It argues that traditional disclosure-based consumer-protection rules are no longer sufficient where consumers delegate decisions to AI-powered digital assistants.

The Young Lawyers Award is proudly sponsored by Interleges, which has supported the prize since 2018. Founded in 1989, Interleges is one of the world's earliest international legal networks and today comprises a closely connected alliance of independent law firms across the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. Through its network, Interleges provides businesses and private individuals with access to experienced legal professionals who can collaborate across jurisdictions to deliver effective legal solutions. 

The award ceremony was formally opened by Walter Doralt, Chair of the Young Lawyers Award and Professor Dean and Vice-Dean at the University of Graz, who welcomed attendees and introduced the competition. Following the winner's presentation, the award itself was presented by John North, member of the Young Lawyers Award jury and representative of the Interleges Executive Committee.

By recognising innovative contributions such as Sorin Chirița's work, the ELI Young Lawyers Award continues to highlight and encourage emerging legal thinkers whose ideas contribute to shaping the future of European law.