Solicitors Conference

Ideal for partners and senior managers with responsibility for a number of solicitor clients, our one-day conference will cover a wide range of practical issues.

Who should attend the conference

Mercia's Solicitors Conference is a must-attend event for any accountancy firms with solicitor clients.

Through this one-day virtual conference, you will get practical advice about all the latest changes and challenges currently facing the legal sector. Hear from the SRA and legal firms themselves on how you can add value to your clients.

Online Conferences

The on-demand version of this conference is now available to purchase separately from the Mercia Live event. This gives you the ability to catch up on technical updates at your convenience. If you've already registered for the live event, you'll now receive complimentary access to the recording.

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Full conference agenda

9:30am
Welcome and Introduction

9:35am
SRA: Focus on Consumer Protection

Sophie Cisler, Jonathan Bray

This session will cover:
The SRA's current focus on consumer protection. Their recent consultations have looked at how well the public, and their money, is protected and how this can be strengthened. Of particular relevance to accountants will be a review of the reporting accountants’ regime. It will also cover the ongoing discussion as to whether or not solicitors should be permitted to hold client money and how well they deal with matters such as paying over interest generated on client accounts and resolving residual balances.

10:15am
SRA Accounts Rules

Janet Taylor FCA, Taylor Mowbray LLP

This session will cover:

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

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.

11:15am
Refreshment Break

11:30am
Financial stability - Hot topics for law firms

Ian Johnson, Hazelwoods

This session will cover:

Some key performance indicators for law firms – characteristics of higher performing firms.
The impact of the SRA consultation on key areas of financial stability such as client account interest and the ability to hold client money.
Working capital management and the importance of good financial hygiene.
The SRA’s view on financial stability.

12:30pm
Lunch Break

13:30pm
What Law firms want from their accountants

14:15pm
Are we losing interest in holding client money?

Paul McClusky, Gemstone Legal

The ongoing SRA consultation on client protection brings two significant topics to the forefront: the potential for law firms to retain client interest and the possible mandatory use of Third-Party Managed Accounts (TPMAs).
This session will cover:

Fairness in client interest: SRA Accounts Rule 7.1 requires firms to pay a fair rate of interest to clients, but what exactly constitutes ‘fair’?
Balancing income and risk: How can law firms generate income while mitigating the risks associated with handling client money?
Understanding TPMAs: If TPMAs become a mandatory requirement, what key considerations should firms be aware of?

This session will explore these critical issues and provide practical insights for navigating the changes ahead.

15:15pm
Refreshment Break

15:30pm
Solicitors and VAT

James Hurst, Mercia Group

This session will cover:

This session will focus on some of the recurring VAT topics for solicitor practices, including a recap on the Brabners LLP case and how to distinguish between a recharge and a disbursement for VAT purposes. Other aspects of invoicing include navigating the VAT place of supply rules and determining the correct tax point. The session will also highlight several recent VAT cases and developments of relevance to solicitors.

16:30pm
Close of Conference

CPD Hours: 6

Conference speakers

Sophie Cisler

Sophie is Head of Risk and Compliance at Jonathon Bray Limited, a legal compliance consultancy. She originally practised as a solicitor in the Tax and Succession department of a national firm before specialising in law firm risk and compliance, latterly as Director of Risk and Compliance at a regional firm. She sits on the Law Society Committee for Professional Ethics and Standards and has contributed to Law Society working groups, including on the response to the SRA’s consultation on consumer protection.

Janet Taylor FCA

Janet Taylor
Owner, Taylor Mowbray LLP

Janet spent over 10 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.

Ian Johnson

Ian joined Hazelwoods in 2008 and specialises in advising law firms on compliance, business management, auditing and accounting matters. He has previously worked for a Top 4 audit firm in the professional practices team.

Ian is the Chair of the ICAEW Solicitors Advisory Group, he served as ILFM Chair from September 2019 to November 2022 and is still a member of the ILFM’s Council. Ian was awarded an Honorary Fellowship with the ILFM (HonFILFM) in December 2024 for his services to the legal sector.

Paul McCluskey

Paul McCluskey
Managing Director, Gemstone Legal

Paul McCuskey is the former UK Head of Professional Practices at Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank and has worked with law firms of various sizes and complexity across the UK and Northern Ireland. Having seen banks shift away from legal sector specialism, Paul set up Gemstone Legal to offer firms a trusted, independent approach to source finance and improve returns on client monies. Paul is also a Law Society approved Lexcel assessor and consultant and combines his experience to help legal firms to improve their approach to finance and operational risk management. Paul speaks and writes regularly on financial factors impacting the UK legal sector.

James Hurst

James joined Mercia in October 2022 as VAT trainer and consultant. His role involves writing technical material as well as devising and delivering VAT training courses. James has a wide experience of VAT and indirect tax, beginning his VAT career with HM Customs & Excise (as it then was) before moving to the private sector in 1995 and gaining his CTA qualification. Latterly, he had VAT partner and head of VAT roles in Grant Thornton and Mazars. James was actively involved with the Charity Tax Group for a number of years and has presented on VAT topics for the Charity Finance Group.

Outside of work, music remains a keen interest. Aside from playing jazz on the tenor sax, James is a regular member of the trumpet section of the Leeds Project Big Band.

One Day Conference