02nd January 2017 | Management Training

SRA Account Rules - Your Essentials Date:  24 September 2026 Time:  9:30am - 12:30pm Venue:  TBC, Exeter Speaker:  Janet Taylor   Course Outline:  Why you and your staff should attend these sessions? We’ve had lots of recent consultations on/discussions around these Rules, some changes are coming, some are still being considered. It is vital that firms are fully up to date, including on current principles and best practice. The protection of client money remains is the joint and several responsibility of all principals in a law firm. This responsibility extends not only to their own compliance but that of all employees. Effective compliance depends upon everyone in the firm understanding their role and responsibilities, the firm’s own procedures and communicating information effectively. These two sessions are designed for everyone in a law firm to keep up to date, with a good understanding of the key rules and common pitfalls. The sessions will be practical and participative and will use case study exercises and examples.   Morning session - Your essentials Aimed primarily at staff with little or no knowledge of the Accounts Rules and those who are returning to this area and need to get back ‘up to speed’ and will cover: The SRA Standards and Regulations Where are we now? Where the SRA Accounts Rules fit in Areas of the Codes of Conduct which impact on the SRA Accounts Rules? Who is covered by the Rules The Accounts Rules Fundamental principles All the key definitions Client versus non-client money. Disbursements Holding and dealing with client money Bank accounts Receipts and payments Transferring money for costs Dealing with balances Accounting records requirements Client account reconciliations an overview Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates:  Half Day:  £145 plus VAT  Full Day:  £225 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the afternoon session) Non Members: Half Day:  £165 plus VAT  Full Day:  £250 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the afternoon session)    Janet Taylor FCA, Partner Taylor Mowbray LLP and Consultant, PKF Francis Clark Janet has been joint owner of Taylor Mowbray LLP for over 15 years. Prior to that she spent over 10 years with a top 20 accounting firm heading up their specialist solicitors’ group. She currently acts as a consultant to a PKF Francis Clark as part of their specialist solicitors group. A highly experienced presenter of over 20 years’ experience, she has also become known as a specialist on the SRA Accounts Rules. She presents to a wide range of law firms through in-house and public seminars. Clients have included several major international and national law firms as well as accountants. Janet is the current Subject Matter Expert for the ICAEW’s Solicitors Community Advisory Group and co-author with Andrew Allen of the current version of the Law Society Solicitors and the Accounts Rules manual.    ...

02nd January 2017 | Management Training

SRA Account Rules - Key Risks & Common Problem Areas Date:  24th September 2026 Time:  1:30am - 4:30pm Venue:  TBC, Exeter Speaker:  Janet Taylor   Course Outline:  Why you and your staff should attend these sessions? We’ve had lots of recent consultations on/discussions around these Rules, some changes are coming, some are still being considered. It is vital that firms are fully up to date, including on current principles and best practice. The protection of client money remains is the joint and several responsibility of all principals in a law firm. This responsibility extends not only to their own compliance but that of all employees. Effective compliance depends upon everyone in the firm understanding their role and responsibilities, the firm’s own procedures and communicating information effectively. These two sessions are designed for everyone in a law firm to keep up to date, with a good understanding of the key rules and common pitfalls. The sessions will be practical and participative and will use case study exercises and examples.   Afternoon session – Key Risks & Common Problem Areas While the SRA Accounts Rules allow some ’flexibility’ this can bring its own challenges. This session will look at some of the high risk areas and common problems.  Aimed at those with or needing a wider knowledge of and responsibility for compliance, particularly partners and COFAs, and will cover: Latest Guidance from the SRA Responsibility for compliance and the role of the COFA (and those who support them) Higher risk areas and the latest SRA guidance on these issues, including: The prohibition on providing banking facilities through the client account Dealing with residual balances; Reviewing reconciliations; Money held in the Client’s own bank account ‘Suitable’ systems and procedures and written policies Changes we have seen so far Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates:  Half Day:  £145 plus VAT  Full Day:  £225 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the morning session) Non Members: Half Day:  £165 plus VAT  Full Day:  £250 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the morning session)    Janet Taylor FCA, Partner Taylor Mowbray LLP and Consultant, PKF Francis Clark Janet has been joint owner of Taylor Mowbray LLP for over 15 years. Prior to that she spent over 10 years with a top 20 accounting firm heading up their specialist solicitors’ group. She currently acts as a consultant to a PKF Francis Clark as part of their specialist solicitors group. A highly experienced presenter of over 20 years’ experience, she has also become known as a specialist on the SRA Accounts Rules. She presents to a wide range of law firms through in-house and public seminars. Clients have included several major international and national law firms as well as accountants. Janet is the current Subject Matter Expert for the ICAEW’s Solicitors Community Advisory Group and co-author with Andrew Allen of the current version of the Law Society Solicitors and the Accounts Rules manual.    ...

02nd January 2017 | Management Training

Time recording and Pricing Masterclass  Date:  Tuesday 29th September 2026 Time:  9:45am - 1:00pm Venue: Exeter Racecourse, Exeter Speaker:  Robert Mowbray Course Outline:  Attending this seminar will provide you with simple and practical advice on how you can charge for more of your time and at higher rates.  Time recording The many benefits of recording all of your time Grey area questions to illustrate best practice Writing narratives that show “the value delivered to the client” Using billing notes to deal with a range of things including out of scope work Pricing strategies How will AI impact on pricing?” Understanding pricing windows and recognising that you can charge more and have happier clients Understanding the full range of pricing mechanisms and when they should be used Learning from other industries with fierce price competition Identifying ways of quoting that are better for the firm and the client Learning how to negotiate fees with greater confidence Managing discounts and asking for something in return Trading instead of discounting Using conditional offers Setting a walkaway point Action planning Fees DASLS Members/Affiliates:  £130 before 31/08/26 then £145 plus VAT  Non Members:  £165.00 plus VAT  3 for 2 offer! Book 3 places on this seminar and get the cheapest FREE!   Robert Mowbray BSc FCA Robert is an accountant who has worked in and with professional service firms for 30 years and who is an expert on law firm profitability and management. He has provided training and consultancy services to over 1,000 firms across 40 countries. His clients have included everything from the largest City and Global firms, through large regional firms and down to the most entrepreneurial smaller firms. He is regularly asked to help with a wide range of issues including time recording, pricing and fee negotiation, project management, accelerating cash flow, strategy, profit sharing arrangements and improving the quality of management information. He also helps lawyers to understand the financial statements of their clients. Robert is the author of “Maximising the profitability of law firms” and was the author of the Law Society’s annual financial benchmarking survey from 2006-2009. He is also the author of the annual NatWest financial benchmarking survey which is done for both solicitors and accountants. He has been voted “Trainer of the year” by the Legal Education & Training Group and is an Industrial Fellow of the Business School at Kingston University. Robert trained in the early 1980s with PWC and spent 20 years as a partner at Macintyre Hudson LLP before setting up Taylor Mowbray LLP with Janet Taylor in 2009 to be a niche and independent advisor to professional service firms.  ...

01st January 2017 | Management Training

Leadership & Management Training (2 days)Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th October 20269:45am - 5:15pm each day Venue: TBC   Four sessions providing an introduction to the nuts and bolts of Law Firm Management    Monday 05 October 2026 9:45am – 1:00pm - Session 1 – Law Firm Financial Management – Jason Mitchell, Francis Clark Accountants Understanding the financial accounts and KPIs for law firms to include the mechanics of finances , funding and benchmarking A review of the profitability drivers and monitoring within a law firm to include a review of the methods to monitor and improve financial performance and adding value from time recording 2:00pm – 5:15pm – Session 2 – Regulation & Compliance – Trevor Hellawell A review of all the main areas of compliance and regulation SRA Standards & Regulations Codes of Conduct – key parts: costs, conflicts, confidentiality & undertakings Rules for the alternative ‘profession’ Accounts Rules – should we still be allowed to hold client money? AML, CTF, CPF & Sanctions Tuesday 06 October 2026 9:45am – 1:00pm – Session 3 - Great Customer Experience – Rhian Huxtable, Insight 6 Understand how customer experience in the legal industry has changed in 2024 and how it will evolve into 2025 How client-focused is your firm? What promises do you make to your clients today and where do client conversations start with your law firm? What conversations are you having with your clients and do you know who your key clients are?  The importance of highlighting the individual's / firm's advantages to proactively reach out to clients as it will not be expected? How to overcome the issue of handling price-sensitive enquiries and build your client's trust How are the key touchpoints in your client journey costing you money How to get great feedback  Outputs: Form a clear understanding of the wider “change trends” in the legal industry Be clear on how to have open and productive conversations with clients Understand the key tips to reach out to clients in tricky situations Learn key open-questioning techniques to uncover a legal need and understand your client jurney better How to develop a 'why me / why us mindset Several tips on how to promote the firm, how to present price, and how to manage price objections 2:00pm – 5:15pm Session 4 – Using Leadership to Inspire, Motivate and Influence – Jess Wiggins, impact coaching Understanding Leadership styles Appreciating your own style Understanding the need for flexibility in leadership Knowing how to define and communicate an inspiring vision Understanding how to use leadership skills to influence, motivate, inspire and challenge others   Fees for the two days: DASLS Members/Affiliates: £360 plus VAT before 04.09.26 then £395 plus VAT Non-Members: £420 plus VAT   Jason Mitchell is a partner within the PKF Francis Clark legal team that has been working within the accountancy industry, specialising in the legal sector for more than 20 years, having initially trained as an accountant in industry before moving into accounting practice and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant.  Jason has also had the benefit of working directly within numerous law firms on secondment and has an understanding of the day to day issues that law firm's face. In addition Jason is an active committee member of ICAEW Solicitors Community Group and actively provides support to other sector specific institutions on topical matters including the SRA.    Trevor Hellawell is a solicitor and legal training and management consultant working with  major law firms, local law societies, many legal training providers and other clients. Until going freelance in 1999 he was a full time lecturer with the University of Law, ending his career as a Principal Lecturer at the York Branch. U...

02nd January 2017 | Management Training

SRA Account Rules - Your Essentials Date:  24 September 2026 Time:  9:30am - 12:30pm Venue:  TBC, Exeter Speaker:  Janet Taylor   Course Outline:  Why you and your staff should attend these sessions? We’ve had lots of recent consultations on/discussions around these Rules, some changes are coming, some are still being considered. It is vital that firms are fully up to date, including on current principles and best practice. The protection of client money remains is the joint and several responsibility of all principals in a law firm. This responsibility extends not only to their own compliance but that of all employees. Effective compliance depends upon everyone in the firm understanding their role and responsibilities, the firm’s own procedures and communicating information effectively. These two sessions are designed for everyone in a law firm to keep up to date, with a good understanding of the key rules and common pitfalls. The sessions will be practical and participative and will use case study exercises and examples.   Morning session - Your essentials Aimed primarily at staff with little or no knowledge of the Accounts Rules and those who are returning to this area and need to get back ‘up to speed’ and will cover: The SRA Standards and Regulations Where are we now? Where the SRA Accounts Rules fit in Areas of the Codes of Conduct which impact on the SRA Accounts Rules? Who is covered by the Rules The Accounts Rules Fundamental principles All the key definitions Client versus non-client money. Disbursements Holding and dealing with client money Bank accounts Receipts and payments Transferring money for costs Dealing with balances Accounting records requirements Client account reconciliations an overview Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates:  Half Day:  £145 plus VAT  Full Day:  £225 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the afternoon session) Non Members: Half Day:  £165 plus VAT  Full Day:  £250 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the afternoon session)    Janet Taylor FCA, Partner Taylor Mowbray LLP and Consultant, PKF Francis Clark Janet has been joint owner of Taylor Mowbray LLP for over 15 years. Prior to that she spent over 10 years with a top 20 accounting firm heading up their specialist solicitors’ group. She currently acts as a consultant to a PKF Francis Clark as part of their specialist solicitors group. A highly experienced presenter of over 20 years’ experience, she has also become known as a specialist on the SRA Accounts Rules. She presents to a wide range of law firms through in-house and public seminars. Clients have included several major international and national law firms as well as accountants. Janet is the current Subject Matter Expert for the ICAEW’s Solicitors Community Advisory Group and co-author with Andrew Allen of the current version of the Law Society Solicitors and the Accounts Rules manual.    ...

02nd January 2017 | Management Training

SRA Account Rules - Key Risks & Common Problem Areas Date:  24th September 2026 Time:  1:30am - 4:30pm Venue:  TBC, Exeter Speaker:  Janet Taylor   Course Outline:  Why you and your staff should attend these sessions? We’ve had lots of recent consultations on/discussions around these Rules, some changes are coming, some are still being considered. It is vital that firms are fully up to date, including on current principles and best practice. The protection of client money remains is the joint and several responsibility of all principals in a law firm. This responsibility extends not only to their own compliance but that of all employees. Effective compliance depends upon everyone in the firm understanding their role and responsibilities, the firm’s own procedures and communicating information effectively. These two sessions are designed for everyone in a law firm to keep up to date, with a good understanding of the key rules and common pitfalls. The sessions will be practical and participative and will use case study exercises and examples.   Afternoon session – Key Risks & Common Problem Areas While the SRA Accounts Rules allow some ’flexibility’ this can bring its own challenges. This session will look at some of the high risk areas and common problems.  Aimed at those with or needing a wider knowledge of and responsibility for compliance, particularly partners and COFAs, and will cover: Latest Guidance from the SRA Responsibility for compliance and the role of the COFA (and those who support them) Higher risk areas and the latest SRA guidance on these issues, including: The prohibition on providing banking facilities through the client account Dealing with residual balances; Reviewing reconciliations; Money held in the Client’s own bank account ‘Suitable’ systems and procedures and written policies Changes we have seen so far Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates:  Half Day:  £145 plus VAT  Full Day:  £225 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the morning session) Non Members: Half Day:  £165 plus VAT  Full Day:  £250 plus VAT (discounted rate applied if you also book the morning session)    Janet Taylor FCA, Partner Taylor Mowbray LLP and Consultant, PKF Francis Clark Janet has been joint owner of Taylor Mowbray LLP for over 15 years. Prior to that she spent over 10 years with a top 20 accounting firm heading up their specialist solicitors’ group. She currently acts as a consultant to a PKF Francis Clark as part of their specialist solicitors group. A highly experienced presenter of over 20 years’ experience, she has also become known as a specialist on the SRA Accounts Rules. She presents to a wide range of law firms through in-house and public seminars. Clients have included several major international and national law firms as well as accountants. Janet is the current Subject Matter Expert for the ICAEW’s Solicitors Community Advisory Group and co-author with Andrew Allen of the current version of the Law Society Solicitors and the Accounts Rules manual.    ...

02nd January 2017 | Management Training

Time recording and Pricing Masterclass  Date:  Tuesday 29th September 2026 Time:  9:45am - 1:00pm Venue: Exeter Racecourse, Exeter Speaker:  Robert Mowbray Course Outline:  Attending this seminar will provide you with simple and practical advice on how you can charge for more of your time and at higher rates.  Time recording The many benefits of recording all of your time Grey area questions to illustrate best practice Writing narratives that show “the value delivered to the client” Using billing notes to deal with a range of things including out of scope work Pricing strategies How will AI impact on pricing?” Understanding pricing windows and recognising that you can charge more and have happier clients Understanding the full range of pricing mechanisms and when they should be used Learning from other industries with fierce price competition Identifying ways of quoting that are better for the firm and the client Learning how to negotiate fees with greater confidence Managing discounts and asking for something in return Trading instead of discounting Using conditional offers Setting a walkaway point Action planning Fees DASLS Members/Affiliates:  £130 before 31/08/26 then £145 plus VAT  Non Members:  £165.00 plus VAT  3 for 2 offer! Book 3 places on this seminar and get the cheapest FREE!   Robert Mowbray BSc FCA Robert is an accountant who has worked in and with professional service firms for 30 years and who is an expert on law firm profitability and management. He has provided training and consultancy services to over 1,000 firms across 40 countries. His clients have included everything from the largest City and Global firms, through large regional firms and down to the most entrepreneurial smaller firms. He is regularly asked to help with a wide range of issues including time recording, pricing and fee negotiation, project management, accelerating cash flow, strategy, profit sharing arrangements and improving the quality of management information. He also helps lawyers to understand the financial statements of their clients. Robert is the author of “Maximising the profitability of law firms” and was the author of the Law Society’s annual financial benchmarking survey from 2006-2009. He is also the author of the annual NatWest financial benchmarking survey which is done for both solicitors and accountants. He has been voted “Trainer of the year” by the Legal Education & Training Group and is an Industrial Fellow of the Business School at Kingston University. Robert trained in the early 1980s with PWC and spent 20 years as a partner at Macintyre Hudson LLP before setting up Taylor Mowbray LLP with Janet Taylor in 2009 to be a niche and independent advisor to professional service firms.  ...

02nd January 2017 | Employment Training

Employment Law Update with Debbie Grennan and Sarah HornblowerDate:  Wednesday 30th September 2026 Time:  10:00am - 1:00pm Venue:  The Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Exeter Speakers:  Debbie Grennan and Sarah Hornblower, barristers who are very well known in the South West, will be co-presenting this half day employment law update.     Course Programme:  This will be a highly practical, strategic session designed to support you in your everyday practice:   Session 1 - The Essential Employment Law Update- In this highly practical session, Sarah cuts through all the noise and focuses on the key employment law changes we all need to incorporate into our day-to-day practices.   Session 2 - Workshop: Litigating the AI Landscape  -  An interactive, collaborative session exploring and mapping out what AI means for us as advisors and litigators.  - As clients embed AI into internal grievance, disciplinary, redundancy and other employment procedures, our role in the employment tribunal is changing. Together, we will discuss issues such as: -  The Decision-Maker: How do you identify and challenge the true "mind" of the employer when algorithms are involved in, or even making, the decisions? -  Disclosure: What are the parties’ disclosure obligations in this new world? -  Evidence:  How do you effectively present algorithmic and related evidence to a tribunal, and how do you effectively challenge it?   Session 3 - "Who Still Wants to Be an Employment Lawyer?" Navigating the new Fire and Rehire regime-  The new regime fundamentally alters how we advise and litigate fire and rehire cases. Debbie examines how the forthcoming changes will fundamentally reshape our tactical advice to clients and shift our litigation strategies in what are inevitably going to be high-stakes, high-value claims.   9:45am - Registration and arrival coffee 10:00am - Session 1 10:55am - Session 2 (workshop scenario) 11:40am - Coffee Break  12noon - Session 3 and Q&A 1:00pm - Finish   Fees: DASLS Members/Affiliates:  £130 plus VAT before 02.09.26 then £145.00 plus VAT Non-members:  £165.00 + VAT  3 for 2 offer! Book 3 places on this course and get the cheapest FREE!   Debbie Grennan is a highly sought-after and experienced Employment & Discrimination Barrister. Debbie is highly regarded for her expertise in high-value and complex discrimination and whistleblowing claims, as well as matters relating to equal pay and TUPE. She regularly receives instructions on behalf of respondent local authorities and the NHS. In addition to her civil court practice, she appears before the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT).     Sarah Hornblower is a specialist Employment Barrister. Sarah takes instructions from solicitors and is public access qualified allowing her to take direct instructions from members of the public, local businesses and larger organisations.  Sarah is a skilled advocate who deals well with clients from all walks of life with a commanding presence on the Western Circuit.  ...