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Programme
Day one provides opportunities to socialise with colleagues whilst day two and day three are full of practical, technical content as well as networking opportunities.
08:30 onwards
Golf
Taking place at The Welcombe Hotel, this immaculate 18-hole, par 70 undulating course is a great opportunity to play golf and network with fellow SPG attendees. Join us from 08:30 for a light breakfast, before tee times begin at 09:30. Afterwards there will be a lunch and prize-giving at the 19th hole.
Sponsored by:
14:30 onwards
Walking tour of Stratford-upon-Avon
The walking tour is a great way to discover Stratford and its fascinating relationship with William Shakespeare. During the tour (all outdoors) you will see Shakespeare’s Birthplace and some of the main sights for example New Place, Hall’s Croft, Harvard House, the Royal Shakespeare theatres, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, Guild Chapel, a range of architectural gems and Holy Trinity Church. The guides tell captivating stories of Stratford’s history and Shakespeare’s life and times through fire, flood, and plague, wrapped up in old-fashioned sayings, medieval medical cures and amusing anecdotes. The duration of the tour is c.90minutes and attendees will meet at 14:30 in the Crowne Plaza hotel reception.
15:00 onwards
Costume Tour at the Royal Shakespeare Company
Get up close to fabulous costumes and discover the expert tailoring and craft techniques that go into making them. You will see around the state-of-the-art Costume Workshop to see at first-hand how the costumes are made from cutting, tailoring and stitching to finishing techniques such as dyeing, printing and beading. After seeing the workshops where the costumes are made, you will visit the Costume Hire at The Other Place where the RSC store and hire out more than 60,000 items of costume. There you will get close to the huge selection of gowns, crowns and many other items and you will also get the chance to handle and even try on original RSC costumes.
19:00 – Onwards
Welcome drinks and informal dinner
We are pleased to host all colleagues arriving at the forum for a welcome reception where you will be able to meet and network with colleagues while enjoying welcome drinks and an informal dinner.
Sponsored by:
09:30 – 09:45
Welcome and opening remarks
Stephen Rome, SPG Committee Chair, will welcome guests to the R3 SPG Forum 2025.
Speaker:
Stephen Rome
Chair, R3 SPG Committee and R3 Midlands Region.
Partner, Commercial Dispute Resolution,
Penningtons Manches Cooper
09:45 – 10:25
Keynote: Courage in the face of change and uncertainty: Finding purpose, positivity & perspective
Simon Weston CBE shares a powerful story of resilience, transformation, and leadership. Severely injured during the Falklands War, Simon’s journey is a testament to mental strength, dignity, and humour in adversity. In this inspiring session, he explores rebuilding identity, leading through uncertainty, fostering inclusive and courageous teams, and embracing change with optimism. With warmth and wisdom, Simon shows how adversity can shape—not define—us, and how purpose and perspective are vital for personal and collective wellbeing.
Speaker:
Simon Weston CBE
Keynote speaker
Sponsored by:
10:25 – 10:35
Hear from Pythagoras Capital
Hear from our main sponsor Pythagoras Capital.
Speaker:
Rachel Jones
Business Development Manager,
Pythagoras Capital Limited
10:35 – 10:50
SPG insights
Hear from speakers from across the SPG community in these bite size sessions.
A boutique firm’s view of the sanctions regime and insolvencies (plus legal update on managing sanctions risk)
Jo will explain how Buchler Phillips became involved in one of the first administrations of a company directly affected by the sanction’s regime following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. She will also discuss the difficulties this caused Buchler Phillips with the UK banking system, despite Court and OFSI involvement. Alex will then provide a headline practical approach for an IP to take when faced with sanctions.
Speakers:
10:50 – 11:20
Refreshment break
11:20 – 12:05
Interview with the Insolvency Service
Caroline Sumner will interview the Insolvency Service.
Speakers:
Justin Dionne
Director of Official Receiver Services,
The Insolvency Service
Claire Hardgrave
Co-Director for Strategy, Policy and Analysis,
The Insolvency Service
Tom Russell
Director,
James Cowper Kreston
12:05 – 12:15
Hear from Postworks
Hear from our main sponsor Postworks.
12:15 – 12:55
“My time to shine!” – The giving of evidence by office-holders
This interactive session, featuring mock witness examinations by the Serle Court barrister team, will provide insights as to the giving of effective written and oral evidence, and the avoidance of potential pitfalls.
Speakers:
Lance Ashworth KC
Barrister,
Serle Court
Lara Kuehl
Barrister,
Serle Court
Giselle McGowan
Barrister,
Serle Court
Matthew Morrison KC
Barrister,
Serle Court
Rob Mundy KC
Barrister,
Serle Court
12:55 – 13:05
Director’s remuneration – Is it legal, is it reasonable?
Manolete’s Rachel McCahill provides an essential session exploring the legal boundaries and practical considerations around how directors are paid and whether such remuneration is reasonable.
Speaker:
Rachel McCahill
Associate Director,
Manolete Partners
13:05 – 14:05
Lunch
14:05 – 14:10
Welcome back
14:10 – 15:10
Ethics
This engaging one hour session will test your knowledge as well as cover your ethics requirements.
Speaker:
Miles Hacking
Director,
Freeths LLP
15:10 – 15:20
SIP2 and the duty to get in assets
An officeholder’s duties include using reasonable endeavours to realise assets for the best price. Failure to do so can lead to professional embarrassment, or much worse. In impoverished estates, meritorious legal claims often risk not being brought for want of affordable insurance cover to pay adverse costs if the case is lost. If only it were possible to pay the insurance premium at the end of the case and only if it were successful. John Pennie will outline a way of achieving just that, and thereby helping you fulfil your SIP2 obligations.
Speaker:
John Pennie
Senior Vice President,
Marsh Limited
15:20 – 15:50
Refreshment break
15:50 – 15:55
Welcome back
15:55 – 16:25
SPG insights
Hear from speakers from across the SPG community in these bite size sessions.
Vexatious Litigants – What’s in the armoury?
A practical insight into the tools available to professionals to deal with the most difficult of individuals.
Speaker:
Jon Titmuss
Barrister,
Gatehouse Chambers
16:25 – 17:05
Insolvency litigation: A practical approach to asset recovery
Joel’s session will work through the fundamentals of bringing proceedings against directors of companies in insolvent liquidation. The seminar is intended to cover the legal framework and assessment of evidence with an emphasis on practical utility to IPs. The hot topic of this year will be arguments over reclassifying payments to directors as remuneration.
Speaker:
Joel Finnan
Barrister,
Exchange Chambers
17:05 – 17:10
Closing remarks
Speaker:
Stephen Rome
Chair, R3 SPG Committee and R3 Midlands Region.
Partner, Commercial Dispute Resolution,
Penningtons Manches Cooper
From 19:00
Networking drinks and gala dinner
We will welcome all colleagues to our networking evening. Starting with a drinks reception followed by a celebratory dinner. Dress code: smart casual.
Sponsored by:
09:15 – 09:30
Welcome back and CEO update
Caroline Sumner will provide an update on all things R3.
Speaker:
Caroline Sumner
CEO,
R3
09:30 – 09:55
Technical Update
An overview of the work undertaken by R3’s technical team so far this year together with some key reminders for members.
Speaker:
Beth Redfern
Technical Manager,
R3
10:00 – 10:50
Breakout session one
All three breakout sessions run simultaneously. Delegates can attend one in this timeslot and one at 11.10 as all breakout sessions are repeated twice.
Breakout session one: HMRC
Breakout session one: HMRC
Hear from HMRC on their latest updates as well as time to pose your questions.
Speaker:
Alan Bean
Business Advisor Lead,
HMRC
Breakout session two: RPBs
Breakout session two: Updates from your RPBs
This session will cover current hot topics for the RPBs as well as time to pose your questions.
Speakers:
Allison Broad
Head of Insolvency Monitoring, Professional Standards,
ICAEW
David Holland
Chief Inspector,
Insolvency Practitioners Association
David Menzies
Director of Practice,
ICAS
Breakout session three: Deep fakes
Breakout session three: Deep fakes
This session will cover the impact of deep fakes and how technology is making it easier than ever to falsify evidence.
Speakers:
Charlotte Hill
Partner, Commercial Dispute Resolution,
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Tristan Jenkinson
Head of Forensics and Investigations,
Sky Discovery
10:50 – 11:10
Refreshment break
11:10 – 12:00
Breakout session two
All three breakout sessions run simultaneously. Delegates can attend one in this timeslot and one at 10.00 as all breakout sessions are repeated twice.
Breakout session one: HMRC
Breakout session one: HMRC
Hear from HMRC on their latest updates as well as time to pose your questions.
Speaker:
Alan Bean
Business Advisor Lead,
HMRC
Breakout session two: RPBs
Breakout session two: Updates from your RPBs
This session will cover current hot topics for the RPBs as well as time to pose your questions.
Speakers:
Allison Broad
Head of Insolvency Monitoring, Professional Standards,
ICAEW
David Holland
Chief Inspector,
Insolvency Practitioners Association
David Menzies
Director of Practice,
ICAS
Breakout session three: Deep fakes
Breakout session three: Deep fakes
This session will cover the impact of deep fakes and how technology is making it easier than ever to falsify evidence.
Speakers:
Charlotte Hill
Partner, Commercial Dispute Resolution,
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Tristan Jenkinson
Head of Forensics and Investigations,
Sky Discovery
12:00 – 12:05
Back to main room
12:05 – 12:45
UK economy: Challenges & opportunities
In this session, Julien will explore the current state of the UK economy, offering a balanced perspective on its strengths as well as the areas of concern. He will examine key domestic indicators and trends, highlighting both the challenges facing the UK and the opportunities that lie ahead. In addition, Julien will consider the broader global context—looking at how international developments are shaping the UK’s economic outlook.
Speaker:
Julien Lafargue CFA
Director, Chief Market Strategist,
Barclays
12:45 – 12:55
SPG Forum closing remarks
Speaker:
Stephen Rome
Chair, R3 SPG Committee and R3 Midlands Region.
Partner, Commercial Dispute Resolution,
Penningtons Manches Cooper
12:55 – 13:55
Informal lunch
A chance for delegates to enjoy an informal lunch before leaving the forum.
Please note programme sessions, times and speakers are subject to change.