Dan Giannasi brings 19 years of dedicated law enforcement experience to his role at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC). His career in the police began working for Greater Manchester Police, before specialising in cybercrime prevention and investigation at the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). Dan has a deep understanding in tackling cyber threats across the region which has equipped him with a good understanding of the challenges faced by businesses in the digital age. The organisation’s vision is to establish the region as a leading example of cyber security best practice, fostering and growing an environment where businesses and other organisations can operate securely and thrive. By providing accessible resources, expert guidance, and fostering a collaborative approach, Dan is committed to empowering SMEs to effectively protect themselves against the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, ultimately contributing to the economic prosperity and security of the North West.
Simon Williams began his complaints-handling career at the Law Society’s Consumer Complaints Service in 2005. A Senior Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman since 2013, Simon has seen countless examples of lawyers delivering great service to consumers, and of what can go wrong. As well as making decisions on complaints about the entire range of legal services, Simon has contributed to a number of LeO’s external publications, including the Guidance on Remedies and the recently launched Model Complaints Resolution Procedure. He is the editor of An Ombudsman’s View of Good Costs Service.
Jenny Bendrey is a Director in the specialist Legal Team at Hazlewoods and has over 15 years’ experience advising law firms on regulatory, compliance and financial management matters. A recognised specialist in the legal sector, Jenny regularly delivers training, seminars and conference presentations on topics including the SRA Accounts Rules, industry updates and key performance metrics for law firms. She is known for translating complex technical requirements into practical, actionable guidance for legal professionals. In addition to her role at Hazlewoods, Jenny serves on the Executive Council of the Institute of Legal Finance & Management (ILFM) and is the ILFM’s CILEx tutor.
Ian Johnson is an experienced accountant, auditor and business advisor, and is a Partner in the Hazlewoods’ Legal Team. Ian joined Hazlewoods in 2008 and has specialised in advising law firms on compliance, business management, auditing and accounting matters since then. He is a true expert in the legal sector, supporting clients across a range of strategic and advisory matters such as financial and regulatory compliance, restructuring, internal management reporting, financial forecasting, succession and taxation matters, as well as statutory accounting and audit issues. Having spent the last 18 years as a Reporting Accountant, Ian frequently lectures on matters of financial management and compliance, as well as speaking at training courses and seminars for various organisations, including the Institute of Legal Finance and Management (ILFM). Ian previously worked with law firm clients, including large international practices, during his time as an auditor at KPMG, and previously ran his own consultancy company, specialising in providing business advice to law firm leaders, technical and compliance support to finance teams, as well as regulatory compliance and financial management training. Ian is the current Chair of the ICAEW Solicitors Advisory Group and served as ILFM Chair from September 2019 to November 2022. He is still a member of the ILFM’s Executive Council. Ian was awarded an Honorary Fellowship (HonFILFM) by the ILFM in December 2024, in recognition of outstanding contribution to promoting the objectives of the Institute in driving innovation, education and in promoting excellence in finance and management throughout the legal sector. Ian is also the current author of the Law Society’s Financial Benchmarking Survey.
Evan Wright is a partner and barrister in the Business Crime and Professional Regulatory team at JMW Solicitors. He advises law firms, regulated professionals and businesses on financial crime and regulatory investigations. Evan is a Law Society certified Lexcel consultant and is a legal advisor to professional regulatory tribunal panels. His practice includes acting in matters involving all the main professional regulators, as well as HMRC, FCA, NCA, SFO and others.
