Speakers

   

  • Neil Rose - Legal commentator and editor of Litigation Funding magazine (chairman)

    Neil Rose is an experienced legal journalist, having spent 12 years working on the Law Society’s Gazette, latterly as Deputy Editor and including a lengthy spell as Acting Editor in 2007. A qualified solicitor, he went freelance in January 2008, although remains Editorial Consultant to the Gazette and Editor of Law Society subscription title Litigation Funding.

    Neil’s freelance roles include Editor of the award-winning Legal Executive Journal, the magazine of the Institute of Legal Executives, and of Costs Lawyer, the magazine of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen,

    He writes for a host of legal and other publications, including The Times and CityAM, as well as for law firms, companies and professional organisations. He also provides training on legal topics and media training.

  • Justin Jacobs - Head of Property, Motor and Liability at the Association of British Insurers

    Justin Jacobs is an Assistant Director at the ABI responsible for property, motor and liability insurance issues.  Justin leads the ABI’s work on all issues that directly affect these classes of business.  Key work areas include the future of flood insurance and preparing for the impact of climate change; improving the compensation system for those injured or made ill on the road or at work due to negligence; reducing risk at home, at work and on the road; emergency planning; and tackling uninsured driving.  Before joining the ABI in 2004, Justin worked for HM Treasury, the UK Permanent Representation in Brussels (UKREP) and Accenture.

  • John Spencer - Chairman, Motor Accident Solicitors’ Society

    John Spencer is a well respected solicitor in the field of Personal Injury law.  John has exceptional relationship management skills, has forged good business partnerships and held key positions within the Industry.  He has had high level involvement in Government policy development (new PI RTA process) and is recognised for his commercial knowledge and practical no-nonsense approach.   John is the Chairman of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society, and has held this position since November 2008 and has been a member of the Society since 1993.

    On a more personal level, John is a keen supporter and season ticket holder of Chelsea football club.  He is Trustee and a founder member of the BOAZ Project (www.boazproject.co.uk).  When John’s not working, he also enjoys playing tennis and swimming.  John took a year’s sabbatical from work in 2002/3 to read Biblical Theology at Oxford University.

  • Kevin Rousell - Head of Claims Management Regulation, Ministry of Justice

    Kevin Rousell became Head of Claims Management Regulation at the Ministry of Justice in August 2007. Kevin was responsible for leading the development of the policy and legislation for the claims management regime including the Compensation Act 2006 - and retains this role. Kevin joined the Lord Chancellors Department in 2001 to lead its legal costs reform work, simplification of CFAs and policy on legal expenses insurance and pro bono legal services. Kevin led the Department's attempts to secure a self-regulation solution for unregulated claims management companies prior to statutory regulation. Previously Kevin was a policy advisor on occupational pensions and services for older people at the Department of Social Security.

  • Paul Hurley - ARAG Legal Services

    Paul is the Business Development & Marketing Director at ARAG Legal Services, the UK division of the German legal insurance specialist.

    Having been involved in the legal expenses industry since 1986, Paul is knowledgeable about both Before and After-the-Event legal insurance. Paul is a firm believer in Access-to-Justice and the pivotal role of legal expense providers in supporting clients with the financial security to pursue or defend their legal rights.

    Prior to joining ARAG, Paul worked for 16 years at Allianz Legal Protection, starting in sales before moving into management and eventually becoming head of the division.

    In his spare time, Paul plays golf and also takes a keen interest in regional and international Welsh rugby

  • Kate Carr - Association of British Insurers

    Kate was appointed to the role of Assistant Director, Markets & Regulation in September 2008 with responsibility for issues including financial inclusion, age discrimination, general insurance regulation and financial crime.  The two years prior to that, she worked in the Property, Motor & Liability team on compensation issues.  Before joining the ABI, she held worked in the policy teams at Postwatch and Bexley Council. In her spare time, she enjoys learning languages, running and is (very) slowly writing her first novel.

  • Paul Shenton - Just Costs Solicitors

    Paul Shenton is the Managing Director of Just Costs Limited, the largest and fastest growing solicitors’ costs practise in the UK with offices in Manchester, London and Chesterfield (and Leeds to follow in 2010).  Just Costs was established in 2006 and now employs over seventy staff to service its national client base.

    Paul is dual qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor.  After practising at the Bar in London he joined Eversheds in 1992 and was made a partner in 1997.  Whilst at Eversheds, Paul established and developed the national costs team to a turnover of over £2 million per annum.

     

  • Joe Pendle - Insurance Services Office

    Joe Pendle joined Insurance Services Office (ISO) in February 2004. He is responsible for ISO's Claims Services operation in the UK.  Joe was formerly Group Operations Manager at the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).  At MIB he was responsible for bringing personal injury claims in-house and managing MIB's 120 claims handlers and 75,000 claims per annum.  Joe was involved with the set up of the Motor Insurers' Information Centre (MIIC) and has a good knowledge of the Motor Insurance Database (MID).  He has over 28 years of experience in general insurance claims since starting with the Federated Insurance Company in 1980.  Joe has been responsible for handling personal injury claims for many of the companies that he has subsequently worked for.  Joe was also instrumental in setting up MIB's anti-fraud strategy and Special Investigation Unit.

  • Bippon Vinayak - Doctors Chambers

    Bippon Vinayak is the chairman of DC Corporation and CEO of Doctors Chambers and Bodycare Clinics. Doctors Chambers was established in 1994 and has grown substantially year on year since that time. Bippon is a fully qualified consultant surgeon having trained in both London and Oxford, he specialises in ENT and facial plastic surgery and is considered a pioneer in his field.
     

  • Alan Nesbit - The Association of Regulated Claims Management Companies

    Alan Nesbit set up Nesbit & Co Solicitors in Bury in May 2003. He has worked in the industry since 1996 and qualified as a Solicitor in 1999, and is an APIL Accredited Lawyer at Senior Litigator Level. He has worked on both the Claimant and Defendant Insurance side with various practices both large and small. He now spends his time concentrating on managing and driving forward the practice, now named Nesbit Law Group LLP, which has since opened offices in London, Luton and Leeds as well as Bury, and focuses on developing the sources of work at a corporate level. He has separate specialisations in Compliance and Hire, and earlier in his career, he was heavily involved in dealing with credit hire, both on the Claimant and Defendant side, where he assisted Credit Hire Companies with joining the ABI GTA when it first started and has continued to monitor developments in the industry and assist hire companies at all levels of their operations. He has ensured that Nesbit Law Group is now a member of MASS, an APIL accredited firm and an Associate Member of NACHO.

    Alan has also been actively involved in ensuring that Claims Management Companies are given the correct advice to fit in with both their own regulations through the MOJ and the Solicitors Rules of Conduct which affect the referral of claims. Earlier in 2009, he set up ARC (Association of Regulated Claims Management Companies), which is a trade association representing small to medium sized claims management businesses, providing them with support and guidance and building clear paths of communication between the Regulator and ARC's members.

     

     

  • Dan Cutts - Chairman, Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL)

    Dan is the President of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers and a Partner in Weightmans LLP

    At Weightmans Dan has been Director of Insurance since 2008 and is a member of the Management Board. He is responsible for managing all lines of the firm’s insurance business.

    For FOIL Dan took part in the MOJ Claims Process Review Project Meetings and represented FOIL in the CJC Mediations for Lord Justice Jackson’s Report.

    Major cases include Kaur v CTP Coil Ltd CA (2001) C.P. Rep 34.

  • Will Kintish - Renowned business communication guru

    Will Kintish was a practicing accountant for nearly 30 years.  During most of those years selling, marketing and business development generally were not activities associated with his profession.

    It is only now, in today’s modern and competitive world are the professionals expected, not only to be great technicians but to be able to help bring business in.

    This is often uncomfortable for most people.

    In the last 9 years since leaving the profession he has presented to over 50,000 professionals and business people across Europe.

    Key appointments and Qualifications

    > Advisor, trainer and consultant to major financial and professional organisations
    > Trained and graduated with the Dale Carnegie Organisation
    > Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
    > National Board member of the Professional Speakers Association
    > Approved with the Law Society and Bar Council as an external provider of CPD (continuing
       professional development)
    > Accredited training provider for the IKT

    He makes networking seem so simple and fun. 

  • Nicholas Bevan - Bond Pearce

    Nicholas is a highly experienced insurance and personal injury practitioner. He is a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and a senior counsel at Bond Pearce LLP where he advises both the Insurance and Personal Injury Departments. He writes regularly for the New Law Journal and the Journal of Personal Injury Law. He is the author of Future Loss in Practice and of Division VIII of Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service. Nicholas is currently working on a complete revision of Division I on Damages. He is on the editorial board of three different legal publishers. Nicholas is a well recognised legal commentator, lecturer, trainer and presenter and winner of the Personal Injury Awards 2008 ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’.