By Legal Futures Associate iCOFA [1]
We all know that there has rarely been a quiet time to work in legal finance, but the demands placed on our profession are becoming even more broad and complex.
COFAs, finance directors, heads of accounts, practice managers and their teams must continue to protect client money, maintain effective controls and keep pace with regulatory change. At the same time, they are being asked to support commercial decision-making, improve systems, lead projects and help their firms navigate a period of sustained pressure and uncertainty.
The ILFM Annual Conference 2026 [2] has been developed with that reality in mind.
Taking place on Wednesday 23 September at The Law Society in London, this year’s conference is built around the theme From Compliance to Confidence: Leading legal finance through change.
The aim is not simply to update delegates on what is changing. It is to help them understand what those changes mean for their firms, their teams and their own roles, and to give them practical ideas they can take back into the workplace.
A changing regulatory and financial landscape
For many legal finance professionals, compliance is an everyday responsibility rather than an occasional consideration. Regulatory expectations must be translated into workable systems, understood by colleagues across the firm and monitored without losing sight of commercial realities.
Mike Shields, Head of Forensic Investigation and Intelligence at the Solicitors Regulation Authority, will bring the regulator’s perspective to the conference. Having led teams involved in complex, high-risk investigations, he is well placed to help delegates understand the issues that may attract scrutiny and how weaknesses in systems, controls or governance can appear from the outside.
Ian Johnson, Partner at Hazlewoods LLP, ILFM Council Member and Past Chair, will consider compliance within the wider legal financial landscape. Drawing on his experience as a reporting accountant and adviser to COFAs and finance leaders, Ian will offer a practical view of how firms can respond to changing expectations without allowing compliance to become detached from the way the business actually operates.
Economic crime will also be a central part of the day. Emma Dimbylow, Chief Operating Officer at Teal Compliance, will cover developments in AML supervision, sanctions, client money and the failure to prevent fraud offence.
For delegates, the value will be in moving beyond the headline. What should firms be reviewing now? Where might responsibilities need to be clarified? How can finance and compliance teams make sure regulatory developments result in meaningful action rather than another policy document that is rarely revisited?
Giving finance a stronger voice
Finance teams often hold some of the most valuable information in a law firm. They can see where cash is tied up, where processes are failing and where decisions may create financial or regulatory risk.
Yet access to information does not always mean that finance has an equal voice in the decisions being made.
Claire Worrall, Commercial Lead UK at Efimis, will explore this in her session, From Back Office to Boardroom. She will look at how fragmented systems and limited access to connected data can keep finance teams focused on reporting and reacting, rather than helping to shape future decisions.
This should resonate with both senior leaders and those moving into management. Being influential is not just a matter of producing more reports. It is also important to present the right information at the right time, explaining why it matters and having the confidence to contribute to wider conversations about strategy, performance and risk.
Leading change in the real world
Legal finance and practice management professionals are frequently responsible for delivering change, often alongside an already demanding day job.
Kirsty Pappin, Founder and Director of Aries Legal Practice Management, will share practical lessons on managing projects through communication, change and courage. Her session will acknowledge the realities of trying to introduce new systems or working practices when time is limited, priorities compete and colleagues may not immediately see the need to do things differently.
The conference will also look at the human side of performance. Hannah Beko, lawyer, leadership consultant and Founder of Authentically Speaking, will explore how sustained pressure can affect communication, decision-making and team stability.
Her session on authentic leadership and psychological safety is particularly relevant to those managing teams with significant responsibility. Creating an environment where people can raise concerns, question decisions and acknowledge pressure is not about lowering standards. In finance and compliance, it can be essential to maintaining them.
Kat Thorne, Founder of The Morning Gamechanger, will offer a practical and interactive session on how small habits can improve focus, resilience and decision-making. Delegates will leave with techniques designed to be realistic enough to use beyond the first enthusiastic week after the conference.
Time to step outside the day job
One of the greatest benefits of an in-person conference is the opportunity to speak to people who understand the particular pressures of legal finance.
These roles can carry considerable accountability, sometimes without a substantial internal peer group. The conference provides space to compare approaches, discuss shared challenges and learn how others are responding.
The day will close with actor and “accidental accountant” Simon Paisley Day, whose keynote, VAT of Stagnant Emotion, will bring humour and an unconventional perspective to financial uncertainty, self-employment and professional life.
The ILFM Annual Conference is intended to leave delegates better informed, but also better connected and more confident in the contribution they make.
The ILFM Annual Conference 2026 takes place on Wednesday 23 September at The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. Early bird rates are currently available. For more information click here [3].