Brethertons & Friends

News on the Block is thrilled to partner with Brethertons Solicitors to deliver a ground-breaking new conference designed to educate and update leasehold property professionals with the latest in leasehold property law and regulation. Taking place in June 2025, this event promises to be informative, fun and unforgettable.

Why Attend?
Unlike other conferences, this event is tailored to provide delegates with practical insights and in-depth knowledge on the key issues facing the sector today and, just as importantly, beyond. Like most conferences there will be presentations tackling current and upcoming changes affecting the industry. However, crucially it is also designed to provide insights into how this directly impacts your business.Couple this with discussion around how to overcome these challenges, and you will understand the aim; “to empower attendees to stay ahead in the ever-evolving leasehold property sector”.

What to Expect:
When you arrive at the venue you will be expected to cast aside your day to day competitive nature and come together as one industry, ready to share experiences and listen to the experiences of others. 

The conference kicks off with a warm welcome talk on Wednesday evening, setting the scene for the next day. This is followed by a relaxed evening of dinner, drinks, and light entertainment, giving you the chance to network with peers and industry leaders.

After a restful night in your accommodation, you’ll dive into a full day of expert-led presentations and debate.. The sessions will cover the issues affecting you today, will provoke thought and encourage discussion, so come prepared to get involved. Every session will give you the opportunity to add to the discussions.

The 4 Pillars We’re Focusing On:

Every session at the conference will address these core pillars to ensure delegates leave with a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered:

Change
What is coming down the line? Learn about upcoming changes affecting the leasehold property sector.

Practicalities
What are the practicalities of these changes and how will they affect your day to day working practices?

Impact
Understand how changes and updates affect your role, responsibilities, and stakeholders. From compliance obligations to financial implications, we’ll break down what it all means for you in real terms.

Solution
How are you going to overcome the challenges? Go beyond theory with clear, actionable advice. Learn how to apply new regulations, adopt best practices, and address challenges in a way that’s practical, efficient, and effective.

Take the next step with confidence. Leave the conference equipped with a plan of action, armed with insights from the industry's leading experts.

Conference Agenda

Wednesday 11^th June 2025
5-6pm

Welcome - Opening Session 

This opening session is not just designed to provide you with an overview of the content to be discussed and debated during the conference but also to get you thinking about the challenges you face and any potential solutions. We will highlight the legislative changes we have already seen, those we know to be on the horizon and those that lurk just out of sight. We will also take some time to look at things from the other side of the fence (more on that on the day).

• Followed by dinner, drinks and friendly conversation.

Thursday 12^th June 2025

Leaseholder Control

Mike Somekh, Founder, The Freehold Collective
Verity McMahon, Partner, Brethertons Solicitors

Over the years legislation has been introduced attempting to provide leaseholders with more control over their buildings or finances or just to provide additional peace of mind. Giving a leaseholder the statutory right to extend their lease and removing ground rent provided them with more security of tenure and helped retain the value in their property. Collective enfranchisement meant some leaseholders could purchase their freehold whilst the Right to Manage, enabled others to take on the management functions of their landlord. Despite commonhold not taking off first time around the government remain committed to making this the tenure of choice. How do these changes differ from one other in real terms? What challenges do they each create? Is any one of them the silver bullet many leaseholders expect?

Are you having a LAFRA?

Roger Hardwick, Partner, Brethertons Solicitors
Emma Bush, Partner, Brethertons Solicitors

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (LAFRA) gained royal ascent at the eleventh hour last year. Many people feel the legislation doesn’t go far enough to support leaseholders whilst others feel it goes too far in some respects, making the future of leasehold potentially unworkable. In any event the reality is nobody really knows what to expect as only a small percentage has come into force. However, the impact of some of these measures could be quite significant if the Government chooses to enact them. How will you deal with prescribed service charge demands or s20(b)2 Notices? What will happen to developments where legal action is required but legal costs are not recoverable? What impact would a ban on forfeiture have? 

Regulation, Training and Minimum Qualifications

Mark North, Partner, Brethertons Solicitors

It is said there are only two things you can count on in life, death and taxes. Maybe having no regulation of the property sector should be added to the list. For years the industry supported by organisations such as The Property Institute have been crying out for regulation. It seems to be on the Government’s to-do list with no real idea of when it might happen. Much more likely would  to be the prospect of minimum qualifications. This will undoubtedly lead to a need for further training. Do you think regulation will arrive and if so what will it look like? Is your business set up to support your teams to reach the minimum standards but what will they even be? Will you be required to invest more in training, where will the training support come from, internal, external or a blend of the two?

Teamwork, challenges and change – Facing adversity and succeeding

Colin Maclachlan (Former SAS Special Forces operative, TV personality and public speaker)

Most people have an aversion to change. Most people feel comfortable when they know what is going to happen, when it’s going to happen and what the likely outcomes are. Life isn’t always like that. The leasehold sector has seen an enormous amount of change over the last few short years and there is vast swathes of it yet to come. How do we get into the right mindset to lead our teams? What do we need to do to ensure our teams are all working together to the same agenda? How do we prepare to overcome adversity and any challenge that may face us? You may think asking a former SAS operative for advice is quite extreme but whilst the playing field might be miles apart (literally) the headline issues are far closer to home. This session is designed to provide you with real world examples of how to get a team working together, even against the odds. 

The Great Debate

Open discussion

The great debate is an opportunity to revisit the day’s earlier talking points and to raise questions or issues still to be addressed. This final session is designed to continue the open discussions, to share experiences and offer workable and practical solutions to the challenges faced by the sector today and in the days, months or years to come.

Speaker Lineup

• Roger Hardwick – Partner, Brethertons Solicitors
  One of the UK’s foremost leasehold experts, bringing sharp legal insight and essential updates.

• Verity McMahon – Partner, Brethertons Solicitors
  Making sense of change with practical, grounded advice for today’s property professionals.

• Emma Bush – Partner, Brethertons Solicitors
  Focused on the real-world impact of legal updates—expect empowering, relevant insight.

• Andrew Bulmer – CEO, The Property Institute
  A strategic sector-wide perspective on professionalism, regulation, and what’s next.

• Mike Somekh – Founder, The Freehold Collective
  Championing leaseholder rights with a bold and fresh take on sector reform.

• Keynote Speaker: Colin Maclachlan
  Ex-SAS Commander & Star of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins
  Leadership, resilience, and high-pressure decision-making—from battlefield to boardroom.

Secure your spot today before ticket sales close soon!

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, connect with like-minded professionals, and elevate your expertise in leasehold property law.

Stay tuned for further updates on the agenda. Reserve your place now and join us in shaping the future of leasehold property management!

Delegate Rate:

Standard Rate: £250 plus VAT (per person)

This includes: 

• Welcome Talk and 3 Course buffet dinner (Wednesday evening) 

• Full day conference (Thursday) 

• Accommodation, single occupancy (Wednesday evening) 

• Full English and Continental Breakfast (Thursday)

• Complimentary on-site car park.

• Unlimited tea and coffee from the delegate refreshment area.

• Restaurant buffet lunch (Thursday)

• Complimentary access to on-site Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centre with swimming pool, spa pool, sauna, steam room and fully equipped gym.
   

​Wednesday Timings 

5pm - Welcome Talk 
7pm - Dinner
8:30pm - Drinks & Entertainment

Thursday Timings

9:30am - 5pm