Solicitors Conference

Welcome and Introduction

Janet Taylor FCA, Taylor Mowbray

This regular annual review keeps partners and managers abreast of all the latest developments, developing practice and reporting issues in the SRA Accounts Rules.

The session will include a review and discussion of:

• Any SRA Accounts Rules changes or developments in their Guidance over the last 12 months.
• Risk factors and ongoing common problem areas.
• Any changes to the work approach by Reporting Accountants and/or the number and nature of qualified reports being filed.

Refreshment Break

Zulon Begum, Nick Leale & Corinne Staves, CM Murray

This session will cover:

• How PE and AI are reshaping law firm strategy and service delivery.
• The drivers behind accelerated market consolidation.
• Implications for talent, succession and profitability.
• Risks and opportunities for law firms.

Refreshment Break

Luke Dickinson, Hazlewoods

This session explores the key responsibilities of the COFA and the areas a reporting accountant should focus on when assessing compliance. We will examine what the review of the bank reconciliations can tell us, analyse how the breaches register has been maintained and assess wider compliance controls including policy documents, training schedules and ongoing compliance projects. The session will highlight practical indicators of good financial governance and common warning signs that may require further investigation.

Refreshment Break

Pat Nown, Mercia Group

This session focuses on new and recent developments primarily in Inheritance Tax (IHT) including:

• The changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) for individuals and trusts.
• IHT and pension funds- the story so far.
• IHT and Tax Status.
• Other new developments.

Close of Conference

Janet spent over ten years with a top 20 accounting firm heading up their specialist solicitors’ group. A highly experienced presenter Janet provides relevant and practical training on a number of financial issues for lawyers and accountants. For over 20 years she has regularly presented training on the SRA Accounts Rules to a wide range of accounting and law firms through in-house and public seminars. Clients have included several major international and national law firms as well as their reporting accountants. Janet is the current Subject Matter Expert for the ICAEW’s Solicitors Community Advisory Group and co-author of the current version of the Law Society Solicitors and the Accounts Rules manual.

Luke Dickinson is an experienced legal finance specialist and trainer. He provides practical guidance on the SRA Accounts Rules and law firm financial compliance. With a strong background supporting legal practices across the UK, Luke combines deep technical knowledge with an engaging, real‑world teaching style that resonates with both fee‑earners and finance teams.

He regularly delivers training for leading professional bodies, including the ILFM and MBL, on topics such as prohibited banking facilities, best‑practice client money management and recent regulatory updates. Luke is also responsible for conducting financial reviews for a wide portfolio of law firms, providing concise, actionable insights that help firms strengthen their compliance frameworks.

Pat is a tax consultant lecturer at Mercia Group. Pat originally trained and worked in the profession for Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton and KPMG before moving to the University of Derby as their senior tax lecturer. Her time at Derby included undergraduate and professional tax training as well as being involved in examinations and publishing projects for ACCA and other professional bodies.

This led to a ten-year period with the Financial Training Company (now Kaplan) where she was Tax Product Director for the Midlands as well as becoming well known as a prominent exam-based tax lecturer. Over her career Pat has been actively involved in the tax professional bodies including serving as a Council member for 12 years for the Association of Taxation Technicians.