Speakers

Ian Dalby, Global Head of GRC, A&O Shearman

Ian runs the global Cyber GRC team at A&O Shearman, a multinational law firm, prior to this Ian worked for number of public and private organisations in governance, risk, compliance and information security roles.
This included roles in Ford of Europe’s general counsel department, handling technical risk and compliance in all M&A programs, more recently... Ian worked in the Ministry of Justice operational IT risk team and also as a consultant for Microsoft advising their larger customers on strategic security matters.
In his previous role at Dentons, another multinational law firm, Ian was part of the main M&A team that led over 30 acquisitions as part of the strategic growth initiative – Ian is also part of the on-going merger team that is leading the integration work following one of the largest law firm mergers in history.more

Steve Davies, Head of Cyber Security, DLA Piper

As the Head of Cyber Security at DLA Piper, I lead a global team of security professionals who are responsible for protecting the firm's data, systems, and reputation from cyber threats. With over 10 years of experience in the information security field, I have successfully developed and executed cybersecurity strategies and initiatives that align with the firm's... business objectives and risk appetite.

My core competencies include security architecture, engineering, and operations, as well as crisis management, compliance, and vulnerability management. I have in-sourced Security Operations, established Security Engineering capabilities, and driven vulnerability management processes across the firm. I have also implemented SIEM solutions, intrusion detection systems, and technical guardrails for public cloud adoption, leveraging my expertise in Cloud Security and SABSA. My mission is to foster a culture of security excellence and resilience, and to enable the firm to deliver innovative and secure solutions to its clients.more

Jonathan Freedman, Director of Technology & Security, Howard Kennedy

Jonathan Freedman is the Director of Technology & Security at London law firm Howard Kennedy, with a background in Enterprise Architecture and systems engineering within the UK professional services sector spanning more than 18 years, now focusing on information and cybersecurity.Working closely with teams from across the firm, his role includes both the review,... development and implementation of new technology within the firm and leading the firm’s internal cybersecurity/cyber awareness programs. In addition, he holds multiple industry certifications including, Certified Ethical Hacker, CGEIT, CISSP, TOGAF, and ISO27001 with special interests in cybersecurity, ethical hacking & penetration testing, data protection, cryptography, secure systems design, mobile device security and technology innovation.more

Stephen Beckett, Global Security and Business Continuity Director, Dentons

Stephen Beckett is Global Security and Business Continuity Director at Dentons, where he is responsible for resilience strategy and incident response across more than 160 offices in over 80 countries. His role focuses on ensuring the firm can continue delivering legal services during major disruption, including technology failures, geopolitical events and large scale... operational incidents that affect people, infrastructure or systems.Over the course of a long career within the firm he has helped guide the organisation through a wide range of complex global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflict, ransomware incidents, extreme weather and periods of civil unrest. This work has involved coordinating global response efforts, supporting leadership decision making and ensuring lawyers and business teams are able to continue serving clients during uncertain and fast moving situations.He works closely with executive leadership to ensure security, operational resilience and crisis management operate as a single capability rather than separate disciplines. His approach focuses on practical resilience that works in real incidents, helping move quickly from technical response to coordinated business decision making.Stephen maintains a strong interest in how law firms manage disruption in an increasingly complex risk environment, particularly where technology dependency, client confidentiality and regulatory expectations intersect. His current focus is on how firms maintain client service and operational control during disruption, and how security, technology and business leadership make effective decisions during the critical early stages of an incident.more

Spencer Scott, Head of Information, Security, RPC

Cybersecurity & Technology Leader with 25+ years of IT experience and 18+ years specializing in cyber risk and resilience for global enterprises. I have worked in multiple sectors across the UK, USA, Australia and Mexico, help organisations build adaptive defense capabilities that fuel growth rather than restrict it. I bridge the gap between complex technical... threats and actionable boardroom decisions. more

Philip Young, Co-founder and CEO, Garfield AI

Philip is the co-founder and CEO of Garfield AI (www.garfield.law). Garfield AI is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and was the first law firm authorised anywhere in the world to provide legal services via AI. Garfield is a web based, AI powered, software application that assists businesses recover their... debts of up to £10k through the small claims Court process in England & Wales easily, quickly, and affordably. Philip is a solicitor and a solicitor advocate. On qualification, he joined Baker & McKenzie (www.bakermckenzie.com) and spent eight years primarily in B&M’s London (and also Hong Kong) offices, specialising in complex litigation and arbitration, usually high value to very high value claims and with an international element. In 2009 he co-founded London law firm Cooke, Young & Keidan LLP (www.cyklaw.com), a “boutique” law firm that specialises in complex commercial dispute resolution. He retired from practice in 2022. In 2023 with physicist Daniel Long he co-founded Garfield AI. Separately, he sits as a member of the advisory committee of Winward Litigation Finance (www.winward.uk), a commercial litigation funder.more

Amelia Hewitt, Director of Cyber Consulting, Principle Defence

Amelia Hewitt is the Director of Cyber Consulting at Principle Defence. With a strong track record across Critical National Infrastructure, as well as wider public and private sectors, she brings hands-on expertise in implementing robust security and privacy frameworks that drive lasting impact. She is also the Founder of CybAid, a fast-growing non-profit on a mission... to make cybersecurity and data protection accessible to charities and small businesses.  Amelia is the co-author of ‘Securely Yours: An Agony Aunt’s Guide to Surviving Cyber’, and 'Resilient You, An Agony Aunts' Guide to Keeping it Together'.more

Gayle Hedgecock, Business Continuity & Resilience Specialist, Clifford Chance

Gayle has over 26 years of Business Continuity experience primarily in the financial services sector, with over 5 years' experience in legal services. She has worked across the full continuity lifecycle—from conducting Business Impact Analyses (BIAs) and risk assessments to developing, implementing, and maintaining comprehensive BC policies and plans. Gayle is known... for her practical, hands-on approach and her ability to deliver tailored solutions that strengthen organisational resilience. She also served as the Chair of the BCI London Forum for four years, demonstrating her leadership in advancing industry best practices, fostering professional collaboration, and supporting the development of the wider continuity and resilience community.more