Programme
- Day 1 - Wednesday 10 May 2023
- Day 2 - Thursday 11 May 2023
- Day 3 - Friday 12 May 2023
- Social and Networking Opportunities
16:00 – 17:00
Registration
Registration in the hotel foyer.
17:00 – 17:15
President’s welcome
Nicky Fisher, President of R3 will welcome attendees to the 33rd R3 Annual conference.
Speaker

Nicky Fisher
17:15 – 18:00
Networking with confidence and professionalism
A fun, highly practical and entertaining session to give delegates practical skills they will use forever. Covering-
Walking into a room: Which groups to join, which to avoid, how to join, how to move on, and how to host groups with ease.
Creating a positive and immediate impression.
Speaker

Sue Tonks
19:00 – 22:00
Networking reception and informal dinner
R3 will welcome all attendees to join us for a networking reception and informal dinner. Dinner will be served (weather permitting) on the outside terrace with beautiful views of Venice.
Drinks reception from 19:00. Dinner will be served from 20:00.
Sponsored by

08:15 – 09:15
Registration
09:15 – 09:30
President’s welcome & opening remarks
R3 President welcomes attendees for an engaging full-day programme, including extending thanks to our main sponsor CAPA.
Speaker

Nicky Fisher

Tony Sweeney
09:30 – 10:10
The anatomy of a crypto insolvency
This session is chaired by Meghan Andrews.
Dealing with digital assets in an insolvency can be challenging, so IPs and lawyers need to have a good understanding of the technology, the legal framework and best practice for recovering and managing these assets effectively.
By the end of the session attendees will have a solid understanding of the possibilities for dealing with digital assets, as well as the potential pitfalls, and the options available to them as IPs, to help inform their decisions when they have to deal with these assets.
Speaker

Meghan Andrews

Justina Stewart

Benedict Hamilton

Test
10:10 – 10:50
Talent – creating a sustainable source
The session is chaired by Louise Durkan.
Louise is the former Chair of the NP Steering Committee who will be joined by Lee Benmore current Chair of the NP Steering Cttee and Phillipa Lai, NP committee member with contributions from a range of NP regional chairs and members. The session will consider two key questions. How do we attract more talent into our profession and how do we retain and continue to develop that talent?
Speakers

Louise Durkan

Lee Benmore

Phillipa Lai
10:50 – 11:20
Morning coffee
11:20 – 11:35
Welcome back from R3’s CEO
Caroline Sumner, R3 CEO, introduces the second half of the morning’s sessions including a talk from one of R3’s Key Sponsor Partners, Manolete.
Speakers

Caroline Sumner

Alison Kirby
11:35 – 12:15
Distress, duties and diverting of assets
This session is chaired by Carla Matthews.
Carla and a panel of insolvency experts will discuss current issues facing companies, directors and creditors from a domestic and cross border perspective. Using a case study the session will highlight the main concerns of stakeholders at various stages of the debt to creditor cycle. This will include the risks that secured creditors consider, the duties that directors should have at the forefront of their minds and the recovery angles from both a corporate and personal perspective.
Speakers

Carla Matthews

Hannah Davie

Isabelle Gross

Tal Goldsmith

Hanh Nguyen
12:15 – 13:00
Keynote
Frank Gardner, the UK’s first full-time security correspondent, will share his insights on trends in international affairs and what they mean for the UK, Europe and beyond, interspersed with experiences from his career as a leading broadcast journalist.
Speakers

Frank Gardner
13:00- 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 14:15
Welcome back from R3’s Vice President
Tim Cooper, R3 Vice President, opens the afternoon proceedings including a talk from one of R3’s Key Sponsor Partners, SRIS.
Speakers

Tim Cooper

Adam Loveitt
14:15 – 15:00
Charities: navigating the choppy waters ahead
This session is chaired by David Fendt.
The panel will be discussing the pressures facing charities and how the insolvency profession will be able to assist them in navigating these difficult times, what the future holds for the sector.
Speakers

David Fendt

Dr Clare Mills

Elizabeth Sell

Carolyn Sims

Adam Stephens
15:00 – 15:45
Distressed FCA regulated businesses: powers of the FCA and the special administration procedure
This session is chaired by Sophia Harrison.
The session will discuss the powers of the FCA where a regulated entity is likely to enter or has entered into insolvency. In particular it will cover the FCA’s powers; provide insight into the deployment of those powers by the FCA; and identify any issues with those powers of which to be aware.
The session will go on to examine in particular the e-money/payments special administration procedure. Namely where to find the procedure; what the procedure is and when it is/can be applied; a very recent case study; and potential issues/considerations/pitfalls of which to be aware.
Speakers

Sophia Harrison

Mark Arnold KC

Douglas Hawthorn

Dan Conway
15:45- 16:15
Afternoon break
16:15 – 16:30
The property puzzle
This session is chaired by Christina Fitzgerald.
The panel will examine the recoveries, savings and realisations available to IPs from property whilst trading a business. This will cover clawback of otherwise invisible historic over-spend, reduction in ongoing running costs and improving the inherent going concern value. Clear early advice on asset & inventory disposition is vital in both rescue and liquidation scenarios, as is the importance of nurturing a positive relationship with landlords. Piecing the puzzle together requires a skill-set, there’s no room for ‘trial & error’ and the outsourced property expert can provide a streamlined efficient process and often on a contingent basis.
Speakers

Christina Fitzgerald

Mike Sheath

Tony Sweeney

Neal Weekes
16:30 – 17:15
ESG – entering the age of diversity, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
This session is chaired by Lee Benmore.
“Diversity & Inclusion” – is it a politically correct distraction? An issue of morality and social justice? Or a route to driving performance, innovation and competitive advantage. This session will discuss why harnessing the power of diversity allows us to increase our collective wisdom and build high performing teams. We will also examine the key principles of diversity and inclusion and consider how to build pathways for diverse talent and model inclusive behaviour within your organisation
Speakers

Lee Benmore

Emma O’Neal
17:15 – 17:20
Closing remarks
R3’s President, offers reflections and closing remarks after a full day of content and networking.
Speakers

Nicky Fisher
19:30- 01:30 am
Reception and gala dinner
R3 will welcome all attendees to join us at the R3 drinks reception and gala dinner. We will hear from inspiring charity the Children with Cancer Fund and dinner will be followed by entertainment and dancing.
Drinks reception from 19:30. Dinner will be served from 20:30.
Sponsored by
09:00 – 09:30
Registration
09:30 – 09:45
CEO welcome
Caroline Sumner, R3 CEO, welcomes attendees to a full morning’s programme of content and debate.
Speaker

Caroline Sumner
09:45 – 10:35
Shaping the future of the insolvency and restructuring profession together
This session will be chaired by Caroline Sumner.
In this engaging and interactive session Angela Crossley, Director, Strategy, Policy and Analysis at The Insolvency Service, will provide an update on the current priorities for the Insolvency Service and the range of work being handled across the insolvency service teams.
Joined by a panel of experts from within the insolvency and restructuring profession there will then be a debate on how we can better shape the future of the insolvency and restructuring profession together. At a time when the future of IP regulation is uncertain, and the economy doesn’t behave as predicted, we shall be encouraging views from the audience to join the voices of those on the panel as they discuss topics including: developing the IPs of the future, whose role it is to set standards for the profession, the impact of Russian sanctions on the work of the profession and the role of technology in assisting (or replacing) insolvency practitioners in the future.
Speakers

Caroline Sumner

Angela Crossley

Nicky Fisher

John Pennie

Charles Turner
10:35 – 11:15
Trading administrations- loss of confidence; loss of opportunity?
This session will be chaired by Will Gunston.
The default position for a company being placing into administration has increasingly been to immediately dispose of the business and assets via a pre-packaged sale.
This session will highlight instances where, for various legal and commercial reasons, trading administrations will likely be prohibitive, but it will also highlight examples where the outcome for most stakeholders, including insolvency practitioner firms, could be significantly better as compared to pre-packaged transactions. There will be practical guidance to remind insolvency practitioners of factors to consider when balancing the options of a trading administration as against a pre-packaged administration.
Speakers

Will Gunston

Matthew Tait
11:15- 11:45
Coffee break
11:45- 12:25
Cross-border insolvency and restructuring
This session is chaired by Daniel Lewis.
In this interactive session, Daniel and the panel will consider the challenges of cross border insolvency and restructuring now we are not in the EU.
Speakers

Daniel Lewis

Giorgio Corno
12:25 – 13:05
Debate: Which has the best rescue processes: Italy vs England
This session will be chaired by Stewart Perry.
This interactive session will pit the restructuring processes (and anything else that can be thrown in) available in Italy and England against one another. With teams singing the praises and destroying the reputations of both jurisdictions, it will be the audience who decides: Which has the best rescue processes – Italy or England?
Speakers

Stewart Perry

Giorgio Corno

Alfredo Imparato

Daniel Lewis
13:05 – 13:15
R3 President final remarks
R3 President, Nicky Fisher will close the R3 Annual Conference 2023 by summarising the key take outs from the conference.
Speaker
Nicky Fisher
13:15- 14:15
Informal lunch
Day 1
19:00 – 22:00
Networking reception and informal dinner
R3 will welcome all attendees to join us for a networking reception and informal dinner. Dinner will be served (weather permitting) on the outside terrace with beautiful views of Venice.
Drinks reception from 19:00. Dinner will be served from 20:00.
Sponsored by

Day 2
10:50 – 11:20
Morning coffee
13:00- 14:00
Lunch
15:45- 16:15
Afternoon break
19:30- 01:30 am
Reception and gala dinner
R3 will welcome all attendees to join us at the R3 drinks reception and gala dinner. We will hear from inspiring charity the Children with Cancer Fund and dinner will be followed by entertainment and dancing.
Drinks reception from 19:30. Dinner will be served from 20:30.
Sponsored by
Day 3
11:15- 11:45
Coffee break
13:15- 14:15
Informal lunch
Please note programme sessions, times and speakers are subject to change.