SPEAKERS
Sean Hankin - SRA, Head of Forensic Investigation and Intelligence - Sean will update us on everything Accounts Rules and Consumer Protection
Sean has been with the SRA and previously The Law Society for over 20 years. His Forensic Investigation teams conduct on-site investigations with a focus on compliance with the Standards and Regulations including the Accounts Rules. The Intelligence team liaises with other regulators, law enforcement and various government departments. Sean specialises in the Accounts Rules, Anti-money laundering and financial stability. As a Chartered Accountant, Sean has previously worked with EY and PKF.
Aisling O’Connell - SRA, Head of Innovation Policy "AI and risk management" a focus on AI and its opportunities and risks.
Aisling O'Connell is Head of Innovation Policy at the SRA. Prior to joining the SRA, Aisling worked as the Technology and Innovation Policy Lead at the Legal Services Board, the oversight regulator for legal services in England and Wales. Aisling has also worked on complex projects as part of the HMCTS Reform programme and as part of the Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Justice.
David Weaver, Head of Professional & Business Services at NatWest
David will be imparting the insights and feedback from the annual law firm benchmarking survey that NatWest runs each year with PKF Francis-Clark.
David is the Head of Professional & Business Services at NatWest, a sector which continues to be hugely important within NatWest. Having completed an Economics Degree and gained the Associate Membership of Corporate Treasurers (AMCT) qualification, David has worked within Corporate and Commercial banking for 22 years. David has undertaken a number of roles whilst at NatWest and covered a variety of sectors including Insurance, Lenders & Brokers, Funds, Commodity Traders and most recently Professional Services. Prior to his current appointment in 2018, David headed the Large Corporate Portfolio Management Team for the Insurance Sector.
Andrew Allen from PKF Francis Clark
Andrew will be co-presenting with David Weaver from NatWest on their collaborative companies' Law Firm Benchmarking Survey.
Andrew is is head of PKF Francis Clark’s specialist national legal sector team and currently advises in the region of 100 law firms across the UK, ranging from Top 100 firms to sole practitioners. Andrew's specialist advice includes profit improvement, tax planning and business structuring. As a past chair of the ICAEW Solicitors’ Special Interest Group, Andrew still works closely with national bodies that both represent and support the legal sector, and is a committee member of the Law Management Section of the Law Society.
Bob Quick, Managing Director, GSA Global
Bob spent 32 years with the British Police Service specialising in counter terrorism, anti-corruption and tackling organised crime. Bob served as Chief Constable of Surrey Police and then Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations at The Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard London where he was responsible for the protection of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers and visiting Heads of State. During his career he oversaw the investigations into some of the most complex terrorism cases that took place in the UK.
Ian Quayle, CEO of IQ Legal Training
Ian qualified as a solicitor and worked in private practice for 12 years specialising in property law matters including residential development work, commercial acquisitions and disposals.Since becoming a full-time trainer Ian has delivered over 2500 property-related training courses for city and regional firms, local law societies and local authorities.
In addition to training qualified legal staff, Ian has taught a number of training courses aimed at support staff and often undertakes work as a consultant for legal software providers. Ian currently works for numerous professional bodies, government organisations, and law firms.
Ian will be speaking on the subject of law firm leadership and management.
Uwais Iqbal, Founder & CEO of simplexico - The Legal AI Consultancy
"The Fundamentals of AI"
Uwais Iqbal is an AI Practitioner with the best part of a decade's worth of experience designing and building AI systems in the legal sector. He has held roles as a Machine Learning Engineer and a Senior NLP Data Scientist at leading legal tech startups as well as a corporate innovation lab. He has published academic research papers and industry journal articles on Legal AI, delivered AI Education to international law firms as well as to the general public at the prestigious Royal Institution, and regularly speaks about Legal AI at international conferences. He is on a mission to demystify AI for the legal profession so they can step into a future of collaboration with AI.
Uwais will be speaking on the subject of fundamentals around AI and will impart what he and his team are hearing and seeing when it comes to law firms engagement with AI.
Ali Evans
Deputy Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager - Support Through Court
Every year, thousands in the UK face court alone, often representing themselves in life-altering situations like divorce, eviction, or child custody. The courtroom can be stressful and confusing, especially without legal representation.
We provide free support across England and Wales, helping people navigate the legal system with dignity. Our 600+ volunteers offer guidance before, during, and after court. Though we can't provide legal advice, we help individuals understand court processes, prepare statements, and accompany them to hearings. Last year, we delivered over 50,000 support sessions.
Ali will be talking about how law firms can help by donating residual client balances. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) allows up to £500 of unclaimed funds to be donated without permission. Just £50 can support two people through court. For more information, visit: supportthroughcourt.org/company
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