The Scottish Government will publish its Legal Services Regulation Reform Bill sometime between now and June 2023. However the 2021 consultation on reform revealed striking differences of opinion on the way forward, particularly - though not exclusively - between practitioner and consumer interests. So how will the new Bill seek to deliver open, transparent regulation and enhanced accountability and consumer rights? How can this be balanced with concerns about avoiding political interference in the legal profession and legal services and perhaps higher costs to consumers? Most importantly what will this mean for the way the legal profession, legal practices and all those fall within the definition of legal services are scrutinised, regulated and held accountable in future?
The First Minister committed to the new Bill in launching the 2022/23 Programme for Government in Parliament on 6th September. The Bill is intended to ‘provide for a modern regulatory framework designed to promote competition and innovation while also improving the transparency and accountability of legal services regulation and the legal complaints system in Scotland.’
Ministers have been complimentary about Scotland's legal services and practitioners, speaking of their value and importance. However they have also been explicit in their desire for reform. Ash Denham MSP, Minister for Community Safety in the Scottish Government has stated “...however improvements to the regulatory structure and delivery are needed to further support access to justice in modern Scotland. We want a modern, forward-looking legal services regulation framework for Scotland that will best promote competition, innovation and the public and consumer interest in an efficient, effective and independent legal sector.” So how far does the Scottish Government want to go in shaking up legal services regulation in Scotland?
The conference will discuss the implications of the Bill, what is needed in respect of regulatory reform and whether there is a way of meeting the broad consensus on concerns about the current system with consensus on the solutions to be implemented. How will this change in the regulation of legal services affect you and your work? What do you need to know to prepare for new regulatory processes and burdens which you may have to comply with? What is the timescale in which change could take place and what are the prospects for influencing the content and nature of the Bill as it makes its parliamentary passage?
This conference examines the core challenges - and perhaps opportunities - legal services regulation faces with the imminence of new legislation. The conference will focus on three broad themes:
Benefits of attending - themes to be covered
Who should attend
This conference will be relevant for everyone working in and closely with the field of legal services whether as legal practitioners, directors, owners or managers of legal entities, those involved in advocating and representing on behalf of consumers and all those more widely who may fall into a broader definition of legal services deliverers. It will be particularly relevant for those whose interests sit at the centre of the legal profession including practitioners under descriptions such as lawyers, solicitors, KCs, partners, associates and paralegals and all those who work with those practitioners.
Minister for Community Safety
Scottish Government
Regulatory Committee Convener
Law Society of Scotland
Co-Founder
Hook Tangaza
Founder and CEO
Inksters
Conference Chair
Chief Executive
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
Executive Director of Regulation
Law Society of Scotland
09:25 Chair's opening remarks
Paul Sinclair, Conference Chair
Session 1: Where should the Bill take us?
09:30 Keynote speaker
Elena Whitham MSP, Minister for Community Safety, Scottish Government
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09:45 Question and answer session
09:55 Moving from review to reform
10:10 The impact of intended and unintended consequences
David Gordon,Regulatory Committee Convener, Law Society of Scotland
Lawscot
10:25 Question and answer session
10:40 Comfort break
Session 2: What does the Bill need to achieve and why?
10:55 On being ambitious in regulatory change
Brian Inkster, Founder and CEO, Inksters
inksters BrianInkster
11:10 'No great mischief in the regulatory system' - what change is proportionate?
Rachel Wood, Executive Director of Regulation, Law Society of Scotland
Lawscot
11:25 Question and answer session
11:40 Comfort break
Session 3: Broader perspectives on regulation, accountability, competition and consumer interests
12:05 Legal services and governance in a time of disruptive change
Alison Hook, Co-Founder, Hook Tangaza
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12:20 A complaints practitioner's perspective
Neil Stevenson, Chief Executive, Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
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12:35 Question and answer session
12:50 Chair's closing remarks
Paul Sinclair, Conference Chair
Elena Whitham MSP
Minister for Community Safety
Scottish Government
Prior to entering elected politics, Ms Whitham worked in community youth and homelessness roles and ran three businesses as a sole trader, in addition to spending over a decade as a Women’s Aid worker in Ayrshire, supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse.
More recently, she served as the Depute Leader of East Ayrshire Council and was also COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, where her remit included housing and homelessness.
David Gordon
Regulatory Committee Convener
Law Society of Scotland
David is an actuary, who works for his professional body, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, where he leads the Actuarial Monitoring Scheme.
Having previously worked as a pensions scheme actuary for over 30 years, he brings a wealth of relevant experience and a successful track record of balancing client service whilst following detailed regulations.
David has worked with solicitors in a multitude of professional and family matters, providing him with extensive first hand knowledge of the impact of the work of solicitors; and a clear understanding of what excellence in customer experience looks like.
David is Convener of the Law Society of Scotland Regulatory Committee which oversees all aspects of the regulation of Scottish solicitors and comprises solicitor and non-solicitor members.
Alison Hook
Co-Founder
Hook Tangaza
Alison is the co-founder of Hook Tangaza following the merger of Hook International and Tangaza Advisory Services in 2016. Alison leads on Hook Tangaza’s technical assistance, trade and regulatory work.
Before setting up Hook International in 2011, Alison was the Director of International at the Law Society of England and Wales where she played a leading role in advocating for more open legal markets and working with government to develop an export promotion strategy for UK legal services.
Earlier in her career, Alison worked for the European Commission, both in London and Brussels and for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and Lagos. She graduated in economics from the University of Edinburgh and holds a Masters in Economics from Warwick University and an MBA from the Open University. In 2008, she was recognised in the Lawyer ‘Hot 100’.
Brian Inkster
Founder and CEO
Inksters
Brian Inkster is the founder and CEO of Inksters. He is a Solicitor and Notary Public.
Brian originally comes from Shetland where he still maintains strong business and personal links. He has lived in Glasgow since 1991 but travels regularly on business throughout Scotland and especially the Highlands and Islands. He has established offices for Inksters in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Eigg, Forfar, Glasgow, Inverness, Lerwick, Portree, Thurso and Wick.
Brian was referred to as ‘a one man Scottish legal institution’ in the Recommended Law Firm Guide 2010.
He is an award winning lawyer including being named Solicitor of the Year in 2006 and Managing Partner of the Year in 2014.
Brian as a lawyer concentrates on property related work and specialises in particular in crofting law and the law of servitudes (easements).
Brian also has an active interest in entrepreneurship, marketing, technology and corporate social responsibility in relation to running a law firm. He is often asked to speak on these topics at conferences, summits and retreats.
Paul Sinclair
Conference Chair
Paul Sinclair has been a provider of senior level counsel, messaging and speechwriting to British Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and CEOs. He is a former journalist with expertise in crisis management.
Neil Stevenson
Chief Executive
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
Neil joined as the Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission in July 2015.
His previous background combines significant experience of regulation and complaints, and of the Scottish legal services market. Neil currently sits on the Council of the Advertising Standards Authority, involved in both the governance of the organisation and in adjudication on complaints within the £20 billion UK advertising industry. He is the Senior Independent Director and Chair of their Audit and Risk Committee.
In 2009 he was appointed by the Privy Council to sit on the General Dental Council, the regulatory and complaints body for 104,000 dental professionals in the UK and he served two terms on the Board (demitting in September 2017) as well as chairing the Remuneration Committee. Between 2004 and 2015 Neil worked with the Law Society of Scotland, latterly as their Director of Representation and Professional Support. He has previously held a number of other Executive and Non-Executive Director roles in organisations spanning the legal sector, healthcare, consultancy, and oil and gas. He holds a Law degree from Edinburgh University, and a Masters in Quality Management from Birmingham University (focussing on a comparative analysis of regulatory quality systems for doctors and lawyers). He has just stepped down (August 2022, following a six-year trustee term) as the Chair of Changing the Chemistry, a peer network of over 700 members supporting diversity of thought on UK boards.
Rachel Wood
Executive Director of Regulation
Law Society of Scotland
Rachel joined the senior leadership team of the Law Society of Scotland as Executive Director of Regulation on 18 May 2020. Rachel is a qualified solicitor and has worked in private practice in Scotland for more than 25 years, initially as a Corporate solicitor before moving into risk and knowledge management. For the last 15 years she has held senior leadership positions in several firms, including as Director of Risk and Knowledge of a large Scottish firm. Rachel has also served on various Boards and was a volunteer on the Law Society of Scotland Education & Training Committee.
This conference will take place online.
How to book
You can book to attend, or order the video only, in 3 ways:
Conference fees
Group discount – organisations booking 3 or more delegates will receive every third delegate place free of charge (please complete further forms if necessary)
Payment
We do not currently accept payments online and will send you an invoice.
You have the option of paying by BACS or card.
BACS details will be included on the invoice.
If you wish to pay by card, please tick the appropriate box on the booking form and a member of our staff will contact you by telephone to take the payment. Alternatively you may call 0131 556 1500.
Terms and conditions
By placing this booking, you agree to the full terms and conditions found via the link at the foot of our website.
Book delegate places or purchase video recording.