A national conference exploring the key issues facing smaller insolvency practices who are tackling an upsurge in business insolvencies was opened by one of the Midlands leading lawyers.
Stephen Rome, a director in the Dispute Resolution team at Thursfields Solicitors, is the incoming chair of the R3 Smaller Practices Group (SPG) committee, which held a three-day meeting at the Belfry, near Sutton Coldfield from 2 to 4 November.
Mr Rome explained how the event was the first face-to-face session of the SPG following several years of virtual meetings because of Covid-19.
He said: “After a period of virtual events, I was delighted to welcome members back together for our first face-to-face SPG Forum for three years, focusing on the key issues facing smaller practices in our profession.
“So much has happened in all our lives in that intervening period, with one of the biggest challenges in our history thanks to the pandemic.
“We now face new challenges, both in our society and business community, as we begin to feel the impact of higher interest rates to tackle inflation, cost of living pressures and the wider economic turbulence.
“The Forum provided plenty of opportunities to debate these issues, as we considered what may be in store in the weeks and months ahead, and how we as a profession can respond to support businesses across the country.
“The programme offered all the unmissable technical and regulatory content, with speakers from the Insolvency Service, Recognised Professional Bodies, the Financial Conduct Authority and HMRC.
“Attendees also received practical insights and experiences for smaller practices on areas including contentious insolvency legal updates, witness familiarisation, cryptocurrencies and the restructuring plan for SMEs.”
Mr Rome said the meeting also welcomed as its keynote speaker Professor Geoff Thompson, a five-times former world karate champion and sports administrator who was one of the directors on the board of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He added: “It was fascinating to hear Geoff speaking about the success of hosting the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, including the positive legacy impact on the lives of young people and the wider community.”