Our expert speaker panel includes:
Adam Makepeace, practice director, Tuckers Solicitors
Adam is practice director at seven partner firm, Tuckers solicitors, the country's largest criminal legal aid firm with 10 offices in and around London, Birmingham and Manchester, having previously spent four years as practice director of Duncan Lewis, the country's largest civil legal aid firm. He is currently focused on developing a core back office infrastructure that would be scalable for use by any criminal legal aid practitioner, whether as a result of organic or acquisitive growth by Tuckers or as an arms-length service supplied to other criminal defence firms.
Alan Cousins, practice director, Paris Smith
As practice director for Southampton-based firm, Paris Smith, Alan is responsible for the main administration functions of this £10m, 28 partner firm – HR, IT, accounts, compliance and general office. Alan also works with the partners on formulating the firm’s strategy and business plans. He recently undertook a comprehensive review of the firm’s office space strategy with the result that he wants to reduce dependency on accommodation overheads by at least 20% over the next three years. This will require cultural change, using IT to facilitate growth of lawyer teams and capacity whilst maintaining efficiency.
Andrew Hedley, director, Hedley Consulting
Andrew advises law firm leaders on issues of vision, strategy and change. Alongside project engagements, he is a sought after strategy group guide, partner retreat speaker, workshop facilitator and coach. Andrew has been admitted as a fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Strategic Planning Society, the Chartered Management Institute, Cambridge Marketing College and the Royal Society of Art. He is the author of Developing Strategic Client Relationships (2008) and Client Strategy in a Changing Legal Market (2011). Hedley Consulting is recognised as a leading boutique strategy consultancy within the legal sector.
Caroline Davison, operations director, Berwins Solicitors
Caroline joined Harrogate law firm Berwins as practice manager in June 2005 and became one of the first non-lawyer directors in the country, and one of seven directors at Berwins, on incorporation in 2009. As operations director, Caroline heads Berwins’ operations support unit responsible for keeping the rest of the organisation in check, and enabling Berwins’ lawyers to provide the best possible service to its clients. Caroline has more than 20 years’ experience in legal practice management having previously fulfilled the role of practice manager at Ford & Warren.
Christopher Mills, chief operating officer, Schillings
As COO at Schillings, the six partner reputation management firm in London, Christopher is responsible for managing the four business units, the clients and marketing activity, people and talent management, operations, infrastructure and information security. He works alongside the firm’s CEO to develop the strategic direction and also has particular responsibility for driving forward the change management programme to achieve the firm’s vision. Schillings was granted its ABS licence in February and Christopher is currently working on transforming the brand to re-assert itself in the marketplace as an innovative multidisciplinary firm. The licence will also welcome non-lawyer advisers into ownership of the business, a position that Christopher will be appointed to in May 2013.
Clare Flynn, supervision team leader, Solicitors Regulation Authority
Clare joined the SRA in 2006 and currently works within the supervision unit. Clare manages a team of supervisors who are responsible for the risk-based oversight of the entire regulated community and central to the delivery of the outcomes-focused approach to regulation. As part of the management group, Clare also provides coaching support, technical leadership and operational delivery to the unit.
Clive Meredith, practice director, Wollen Michelmore
Clive has many years’ experience of management gained initially in the hospitality and charities sector. With 10 years’ experience in his current role he has overseen two mergers which has resulted in the firm doubling in size having 14 partners and 115 staff, based in four local offices. As practice director he has responsibility for HR, IT, marketing and business development. Clive works closely with the firm’s managing partner to oversee the strategic development of the firm.
Frans Post, chief operating officer, Gates and Partners
Frans joined Clifford Chance in 1990 and spent 17 years as their finance director in Amsterdam and New York. After leaving the States for London, he joined Olswang as CFO before becoming COO at niche aviation firm, Gates and Partners in 2011. The firm has 24 partners and offices in London, Brussels, Dubai and Singapore. Frans has been involved in a number of mergers throughout his career and will be able to provide valuable insights from his current experience.
Jenny Pelling, business director, CILEx Law School
Jenny qualified as a solicitor and practised employment law at a City firm before moving into legal education. Jenny has worked for CILEx Law School since 2004, and is a director of its board. Part of her role involves responsibility for creating in-house paralegal and apprenticeship programmes for legal organisations and helping with their staff development strategies. In the past twelve months, she has been heavily involved in the development work for the new government funded legal apprenticeship qualifications.
Jitendra Valera, chief marketing officer, Advanced Legal
Jitendra (JV) has a wealth of software and legal market experience, having successfully developed and managed enterprise software, services and internet companies in the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific. As chief marketing officer at IRIS Legal, JV has responsibility for setting the strategic direction for the business and the development and marketing of IRIS Legal’s range of software and services solutions for the legal market. Prior to IRIS Legal, JV also served as VP global strategy & marketing for Elite and executive director, legal online at Sweet & Maxwell.
Joanne Ormston, practice manager, Pearson Hinchliffe
Joanne has worked as practice manager for Pearson Hinchliffe since October 2004 having initially been recruited as a legal cashier in 2002. Joanne’s role encompasses everything from strategic planning and implementation, HR, IT, facilities management, compliance (as deputy COLP & COFA) and more recently as the finance director for an eight partner, three office ABS firm in the north-west. Joanne is a chartered management accountant and has a BSc honours degree in business management.
Mandy Suchocki, practice manager, Barker Gotelee
Mandy has been practice manager for Barker Gotelee – a six partner firm in Suffolk – for two years. In her first year she implemented a new practice management system and more recently has led a comprehensive review of the firm’s IT. She works with the partners on the strategy of the firm and is responsible for the finance, HR, IT, compliance, marketing and general office functions. Mandy is a chartered accountant with many years of experience in both practice and industry roles.
Martyn Bateman, practice manager, Breeze & Wyles Solicitors
Martyn is the practice manager for Breeze & Wyles – a nine partner firm with four offices in Hertfordshire and north London. Martyn leads business planning for the firm and heads the administration department which deals with the firm’s premises, people, IT systems and accounts; he is also the firm’s compliance officer for finance and administration and money laundering reporting officer. Martyn’s early career was in the courts service serving in crown and county courts throughout the Midlands before a short spell as a business management consultant.
Matthew Briggs, CEO, Brilliant Law
CEO Matthew Briggs is a non-lawyer business leader with broad experience of running and developing successful consumer-led businesses. A former CEO of Minster Law and Capita Insurance Services, Matthew is also director of Wigster.com – the world’s first and only legal services price comparison business. New alternative business structure Brilliant Law, is the world's first law firm to be founded by non-lawyers, operating a corporate rather than partnership structure and offering a fixed fee service to SMEs, start-ups and consumers at competitive prices. Financially supported by Betfair founder Bert Black, the firm will seek further external investment in 2013 and has not ruled out floating on the stock exchange in the future or making strategic acquisitions.
Osman Ismail, managing director, DPS Software
Osman Ismail is the managing director of DPS Software and has guided the legal software house and specialist hosted IT provider through its 29 year history since he established the company in 1984. His knowledge of the legal market and understanding of the specific needs of law firms when it comes to technology is second to none, as you would expect from someone with such a wealth of experience in this sector. Osman’s continuing enthusiasm to get ‘hands on’ and work directly with clients ensures he is always in touch with new trends in a changing legal market. This allows him to effectively steer the direction of DPS and keep developments in their products and services ahead of the curve when it comes to law firm requirements.
Patrick Hurley, vice president of global expansion, Thomson Reuters Elite
Patrick Hurley is vice president, global expansion for Thomson Reuters Elite. He began his career as an administrator in a litigation law firm in California. He joined Elite in 1993 and has served various roles in product management, development and consulting. He spent 4 years as director of technology at Thomson Reuters in Switzerland, working on Elite’s 3E practice management system, and was most recently responsible for Elite’s operations in EMEA. He served as the vice president of the LEDES Oversight Committee, has had various speaking engagements at conferences including the Law Firm CIO Forum, International Legal Technology Association Conference, and European Law Firm Market Seminar, and has authored numerous articles in publications such as Law Technology News and MSSMart.
Paul Lowe, operations director and head of risk and compliance, Darbys Solicitors
Paul is operations director and head of risk and compliance at Darbys Solicitors LLP, a 23 partner law firm with four offices in Oxfordshire, Essex and Manchester. Having been to The House of Lords and The European Court of Human Rights as a litigation lawyer, Paul decided to switch to full-time management in 2002. Along with being the firm’s COLP, Paul oversees the IT, reception and facilities departments. Paul also chairs the practice management group within Lawnet, the Nationwide grouping of 70 or so law firms.
Paul Hinchliffe, managing partner (non-lawyer), Bott & Co
Paul is a non-lawyer managing partner at Bott & Co, which he co-founded in 2001 with David Bott and Gary Froggatt. In this role, Paul is responsible for all aspects of operations, IT and human resources. With a keen interest in technology, Paul sees his primary role as maintaining and developing the infrastructure necessary to support the firm's key asset – its staff – and their commitment to delivering the highest standards of client care. Prior to establishing Bott & Co, Paul was practice development manager responsible for fee earner training and development at a large Manchester-based road accident compensation claimant practice.
Paula Fowler, managing partner (non-lawyer), QualitySolicitors FJG
Paula has 25 years’ experience in legal practice management and is responsible for finance, premises, marketing, business planning, human resources and IT. QualitySolicitors FJG has six offices and 19 partners. Alongside her role within QualitySolicitors FJG, she is an executive director of the Colchester Business Enterprise Agency which is dedicated to helping new businesses start, grow and thrive. Paula is a LEXCEL accredited consultant, an associate member of CIPD, the firm’s COFA and has a post graduate certificate in legal practice management. She is currently studying for her MBA.
Richard Brown, director, Prime Professions
Richard Brown has now spent over 30 years in the insurance industry with over 20 of those specialising in Professional Indemnity Insurance. Richard is a Director of Prime Risk Solutions with specific responsibility for sole practitioners and manages Prime’s relationship with The Sole Practitioners Group. Richard is a regular speaker at legal conferences and the advice that he gives covers risk management, where claims come from and how to approach renewal to achieve the best outcome.
Robert Talbot, practice manager, Hart Reade Solicitors
Robert joined Hart Reade in January 2013, a nine partner, three office firm in East Sussex. As practice manager, Robert is responsible for the support, IT, finance and facilities departments and plays a key role, along with the firm’s partners, in business planning, compliance and business development. Previously, Robert worked closely with the partners in driving growth in City law firm McGrigors, and then played a major role in the integration of staff and systems in the merger with Pinsent Masons.
Robert Mowbray, owner, Taylor Mowbray
Robert has worked exclusively with law firms for the last 20 years and has worked with close to 1,000 firms in 40 countries. He is a trainer and consultant who helps firms to increase profitability. In a market with severe fee pressure he can help firms to reduce costs without diluting quality and show them how alternative fees can be beneficial to both the client and the firm. He is the author of Maximising the Profitability of Law Firms and has recently undertaken a large financial benchmarking survey for NatWest.
Tim Prior, director, PNCR Legal
Admitted as a solicitor in 1986, Tim is also a fellow of the Institute of Risk Management. He is a specialist in risk management, compliance and professional indemnity insurance (PII). Through his niche consulting company, PNCR Legal, he draws on his many years’ experience of PII, to advise SME firms (amongst others) on their PII strategy and positioning, choice of broker and insurer, coverage issues and negligence claims.
Trevor Dyer, head of finance & administration, Brethertons Solicitors
Trevor joined Brethertons as practice manager over 20 years ago and has been instrumental in driving a growth strategy that has seen the firm change from a small, one location high street practice to a leading full-service 19 partner regional firm employing over 200 staff with four offices in the Thames Valley and West Midlands. As a main board member, Trevor has responsibility for all of Brethertons’ support functions. In addition, he is part of the firms’ strategic development team and also acts as Brethertons COFA and MLRO. Trevor became a non-lawyer partner on the first day that the Legal Services Act allowed such appointments in 2009.
Vincent Denham, chief executive, Verisona
Vincent is chief executive of Verisona, a three office incorporated firm in Hampshire. He began working with the legal profession in 1991 as a consultant and in 1996, became director of franchising for the government’s Legal Service Commission. After two years, he left to become one of the first non-lawyer chief executives at one of the largest barristers' chambers in the UK, St Philip’s Chambers in Birmingham. Since 2001, Vincent has worked exclusively in legal services; holding roles of chief executive, business development and practice director at legal practices located in London, Liverpool, Bristol and Sydney.
If you would like more information about this event, please call Samantha Irvine on 0870 112 5058 or email sami@lsn.co.uk
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