Conveyancing Association inaugural conference a major success

Conveyancing Association inaugural conference a major success

Conference brings together all the leading figures in conveyancing world

Last Thursday over 250 of the most senior property industry professionals gathered in London for the Conveyancing Association (CA)’s inaugural Conveyancing Conference. The event was organised and held in partnership with Modern Law.

The conference had a number of high profile speakers including keynote speaker and President of the Law Society in England and Wales, Jonathan Smithers, who set out some of the main the issues facing conveyancers at present and the challenges ahead.

Mr Smithers’ speech – which addressed in particular the potential obstacles arising from recent developments including Stamp Duty reforms, government funding and planning to tackle the housing crisis and skills shortages in the building and construction sector – was followed by five panel sessions which revolved around themes including:

  • regulation within the industry;
  • insurance and how firms can reduce their PI premium;
  • the lenders and panel management systems;
  • new initiatives; and
  • the threat posed by cyber scams

The panel sessions were all chaired by Eddie Goldsmith, Chairman of the CA and offered attendees opportunities to participate in Q&A sessions with some of the leading figures and experts in the conveyancing world, amongst them Sheila Kumar, Chief Executive of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, Crispin Passmore, Executive Director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority; Andrew Hopper QC; and Bob Young, Chief Executive Officer of Fleet Mortgages.

Following the conference the CA will now be taking forward some major new initiatives including the development of a new CA protocol on cybercrime.

The CA was also able to announce that its major fundraising initiative for 2015, the Matterhorn Challenge, raising funds for children’s hospice Ty Hafan – part of the CA’s long term charitable fundraising work – had reached its target of £50,000.  Achieved in only five months.

The event’s headline sponsor was Future Climate Info and exhibitors included TM Group and Lawyer Checker.

Eddie Goldsmith, Chairman of the Conveyancing Association, said: “Last week’s event was incredibly successful – we are really delighted with the outcome and the feedback we have received to date.

“The aim of the Conference was to create an environment where it would be possible to really get to the heart of the issues that are most affecting conveyancers and we absolutely succeeded in doing this: attendees took away with them invaluable pieces of advice from the top experts who so kindly agreed to join our panels.

“Knowing, for example, that representation for client and mortgage lenders is the order of the day for Lender Panels or that the CLC is actively working with the SRA and indemnity insurers to seek an alternative proposal to run off insurance for solicitors wishing to change regulator, is extraordinarily useful for those working in our industry.

“These insights are gold dust for our members and we are very proud to have been able to share these with our friends and colleagues in that way.”

The Conference was followed by the CA’s annual All-Members’ Annual Dinner where CA members celebrated the year’s achievements including the launch of the new Conveyancing Foundation as well as the launch and development of major CA initiatives including the CA Lender Engagement Campaign and the CA Leasehold Improvement Campaign.   During the dinner over £3,500 was raised for charity.

Lloyd Davies, Director of Operations at the Conveyancing Association, said: “We are immensely proud of all we have achieved this year as an Association and, as always, it was great to be able to look back over the last 12 months and share this sense of accomplishment with our CA members.

“That is absolutely what being part of the CA is about and we will continue to dedicate our efforts to not only helping our members but the wider industry as a whole and together helping shape the future of conveyancing.

“We were particularly proud to be able to announce that the Conveyancing Foundation’s inaugural fundraising campaign reached its £50,000 target as industry representatives came together to support conveyancer Geraint Aubrey following his completion of the Matterhorn Challenge. We are delighted that the Foundation will be able to help Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice, to which the funds will be donated.”

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