Eastern Forum 2024

Time     

Session

Registration opens

Coffee, pastries & networking

09:35

Welcome and Opening of Eastern Forum

Hayley Watson, Chair of R3 in the Eastern region will welcome our guests to the R3 Eastern Forum 2024

Speakers:

Hayley Watson, R3 Eastern Region Chair, McTear Williams & Wood - view bio

Fiona Stuart, R3 Eastern Region Vice Chair, Ashtons Legal LLP - view bio

09:40

How email transformed A&M's communication game

Ctrl+v, Ctrl+v… Feel familiar? If manually copying and pasting emails into Bcc is your go-to for emailing creditors or it just isn't easy enough, you’re not alone. A&M faced a similar challenge—but on a bigger scale. When they had to reach 600,000 creditors within 24 hours, they needed an email solution, fast. Join Postworks for an insider's look at how we're taking the pain out of emailing creditors.

Speakers:

Marvee-Lisa Booker, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Postworks - view bio

R3 Presidents Address

Speakers:

Tim Cooper, Addleshaw Goddard, R3 President - view bio

10:00

Spotlight on R3 - Looking East

Caroline Sumner, R3's CEO, will bring you an update on the first 100 days of the new Labour Government and how their plans may impact on the insolvency and restructuring profession going forward. Caroline will also bring you up to date on work being undertaken across the R3 teams on behalf of members, including technical, policy and membership.

Speakers:

Caroline Sumner, CEO, R3 - view bio

10:30

Insolvency Service Update

A recap of the year, and an overview of current policy projects.

Speakers:

Simon Whitling, Official Receiver and Head of Official Receivers' Property Team, Insolvency Service - view bio

11:00

The good, the bad and the ugly : legal  trends in hospitality

A canter through some recent cases relevant to the theme of this year’s forum. It will include a discussion of recent trends in cases seen and how we are framing claims.

Speakers:

Alison Kirby, Associate Director, Manolete and Partners - view bio

11:10

Morning break and networking 

11:35

Worrying aspects of anti- money laundering 

Bill will focus on the bits of anti-money laundering that he and other reviewers see being done poorly. Bill will touch on the Whole Firm Risk Assessment, Screening, and Case-specific risk assessments, with the latter focussing mainly on timing, and the CCAB guidance about risk. Expect war stories, fear and misery, with the odd tip to help avoid regulatory attention.

Speakers:

Bill Burch, Compliance on Call - view bio

12:05

The top cases of 2024 so far 

Ali will provide his analysis of the most high-profile and influential judgments in 2024, together with top tips for practitioners on how to best utilise the points arising from them. The session will not involve dense recitals of judgments, and will instead concentrate on providing incisive commentary, and practical take-aways.

Speakers:

Kirsty White, Barrister, St Philips Chambers

Ali Tabari, Barrister and Mediator, St Philips Chambers - view bio

12:40

Employment Law Update: Back to the Future?  Labour Government’s First 100 days and beyond

Employment Law has always been a political football but, after 14 years of Conservative government trying to curtail employment protections, the new Labour Government made some fairly radical proposals for change as part of its manifesto.  These may increase the labour cost and regulation of UK plc and add to the burden of an already overstretched Tribunal service in dealing with claims.  Ross will take you through the main areas of change that you need to be aware of and suggest how best to navigate these new developments.

Speakers:

Ross Strowger, Partner, Ashtons Legal - view bio

13:00

Networking lunch

14:10

Pitfalls in insolvency appointments

Pitfalls in insolvency appointments and practicalities of dealing with those issues.

Speakers:

Joe Curl KC, Barrister, South Square - view bio

Andrew McTear, Director and Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, McTear Williams & Wood Ltd - view bio

Christopher Osborne, Partner, Head of Forensic Services, FRP - view bio

Fiona Stuart, Partner, Ashtons Legal - view bio

14:40

Pub & Restaurant Sector – Glass half full or half empty…

A resume of the state of the hospitality sector post Covid, how it has evolved to meet the challenges in a changing environment. The casualties, the survivors and the direction of travel going forward.

Speakers:

Simon Chaplin, Senior Director Pubs- Restaurants- Franchise, Christie & Co - view bio

15:10

BHS: wrongful trading or trading in breach of duty?

Judgment was handed down earlier this year in the long-running proceedings brought by the liquidators of BHS. The liquidators obtained judgments against some of the directors of BHS for both wrongful trading under s.214 and for continuing to trade in breach of duty under s.212 (so-called “misfeasance trading”). This session will examine the basis for the two species of liability, the influence of Sequana in the judge’s reasoning on the breach of duty aspect of the decision, and discuss the possible implications of the decision. 

Speakers:

Joe Curl KC, Barrister, South Square - view bio

Afternoon break and networking

16:20

An update from Marsh: Restructuring and Insolvency video

Keynote - Story of a Niche start up

A dynamic and experiential session, with the thought-provoking storytelling of a business’s origins and future market domination plans.

Speakers:

Rob Breakwell, CEO, Niche Cocktails

Closing remarks

Hayley Watson to close the Eastern Forum 2024.

Forum dinner

Dinner animated by Master of Ceremonies and Magician: Colin Phillips