Tuesday, 2nd June 2026 | Regents University, London
What is Crafty Learns?
Back for the third year, Crafty Learns is a day dedicated to learning the day before the main Fest kicks off. Consisting of a series of interactive workshops, we aim to provide you with the opportunity to dive deeper into more technical subjects.
We have four tracks operating throughout the day including: The Disputes and Crisis Track, The Corporate track, The HR, Data, and Brand track, and The AI and Legal Ops Track.
When you buy your two day ticket, you get to book which workshops you want to attend so you can tailor the day to exactly meet your needs.
Crafty Learns Agenda
08.30 – 09.40
Registration, Breakfast & A Special Welcome
Join us to start the day with some relaxed networking over delicious breakfast and hot coffee. Followed by a Crafty welcome.
The Disputes and Crisis Track
09.50 – 10.50
Disputes - how to keep costs and complexity under control
Complex disputes can end up with a world of never ending timelines, fees, and opacity. It doesn't have to be that way - let's discuss practical tips on how. This session is for: All in-house lawyers wanting to be ready for managing their business through a challenging dispute.
Sponsored by Bellevue Law
Catherine McBride, Senior Consultant, Bellevue Law
Faye Moore, Senior Consultant, Bellevue Law
Florence Brocklesby, Founder and Principal, Bellevue Law
The Corporate Track
09.50 – 10.50
Subsidiaries and entity management - from chaos to serenity
We explore practical ways of getting across complex group structures and putting in place governance frameworks that are not too tight, not too loose, but just right. This session is for: GC and GC equivalent in businesses with complex group structures.
Sponsored by Diligent
April Skipp, Principal Product Compliance Advisor, Diligent
The HR, Data, and Brand Track
09.50 – 10.50
Employment incentives, US vs UK market practice
Expanding to the US? Making senior hires? Or, part of a US group and having a case of 'you say tomato...'? We bring in the expert team from Orrick to compare and contrast US and UK market practice on share options and other incentives. This session is for: In-house lawyers in fast scaling businesses with a US and UK nexus.
Sponsored by Orrick
Rebecca Servian, Partner, Orrick
The AI and Legal Ops Track
09.50 – 10.50
Practical use cases for applied AI within your legal team
In this session, we’ll explore practical use cases for applied AI within your legal team. This session is for: All in-house lawyers looking to optimize their team’s legal operations and increase efficiency.
Sponsored by LegalON
Lauren Kirk, Associate Commercial Counsel, LegalON
Corey Longhurst, Chief Growth Officer, LegalON
10.50 – 11.20
Break
Take a break from the content to network and chat to your peers over a coffee.
The Disputes and Crisis Track
11.30 – 12.30
Breach diaries – Key learnings from cyber crises, preparing for the future ones
Join a highly interactive session as we navigate a cyber crisis unfolding stage-by-stage together. We will leave no stone unturned – from initial detection and disruption to regulatory exposure, comms and data breach elements – and share a few war stories along the way.
Sponsored by Teneo
Serdar Cabuk, Senior Managing Director, Teneo
Arjan Keshavarz, Managing Director, Teneo
The Corporate Track
11.30 – 12.30
M&A Trends - What’s really driving deals in 2026?
Join this session for a deep-dive on the latest market and legal trends for M&A deals in 2026. Expect practical takeaways about forecasting, risk, and what you need to know before your next transaction. This session is for: Experienced M&A practitioners working in-house.
Sponsored by Stevens & Bolton
Jonathan Steele , Corporate Partner, Stevens & Bolton
Jenny Robertson, Corporate Partner, Stevens & Bolton
The HR, Data, and Brand Track
11.30 – 12.30
Managing culture and organisational change during post-merger integration
In this session, we’ll explore how in-house counsel can support cultural integrity and be a stabilizing force while helping the business move at pace post-acquisition. This session is for: In-house counsel at businesses that are about to be acquired (or, may be acquired someday!) keen to ensure that post-merger integration is a success.
Sponsored by CM Murray
Beth Hale, Partner and General Counsel, CM Murray
Merrill April, Partner, CM Murray
The AI and Legal Ops Track
11.30 – 12.30
The ‘next gen’ of AI & legal tech
We explore the AI horizon and what you can expect to be doing in your legal team over the 12-24 months... and how to position yourselves for success. This session is for: Legal ops aficionados and legal leaders wanting to position their team on the cutting edge of legal tech.
Sponsored by Wordsmith
Ben Martin, Legal Engineer & Head of Privacy, Wordsmith
12.30 – 13.30
Lunch
Enjoy a delicious lunch and chance for some informal networking between content sessions.
The Disputes and Crisis Track
13.40 – 14.40
Working with your CEO, CFO, shareholder appointed directors, and other C Suite to de-escalate issues that could lead to potential disputes
A practical exploration of leadership and stepping up, for GCs and CLOs trying to avoid disputes and guide their business through conflict. This session is for: GCs and GC-equivalent senior in-house lawyers.
Sponsored by Howard Kennedy
Eloise Crompton, Senior Associate, Howard Kennedy LLP
Julia Wookey, Partner, Howard Kennedy LLP
The Corporate Track
13.40 – 14.40
Sell side pre-deal readiness
Getting ready for exit is a big undertaking for legal. You need to think about vendor due diligence, psychological readiness, and lining up your advisers. We bring in experts to get you ready. This session is for: All in-house lawyers preparing for an impending (or future!) acquisition.
Sponsored by BCLP
Benjamin Lee, Partner and Global Practice Group Leader – Corporate Transactions, BCLP
Marie Johnson, Partner and Global Sector Group Leader – Retail and Consumer, BCLP
Tom Bacon, Partner, BCLP
George Avery, Senior Associate, BCLP
The HR, Data, and Brand Track
13.40 – 14.40
Managing external employment investigations and reputation risk: What in-house GCs need to know
When your organisation is under external employment investigation – whether triggered by whistleblowing, regulatory scrutiny, or high-profile allegations – how do you protect the business and its reputation? In this interactive session, employment and investigations specialists from Mills & Reeve will deliver practical strategies on managing investigations, privilege, and press interest, with insights from real-world cases. This session is for: GCs, Head of Legal, and senior in-house lawyers that work on HR matters.
Sponsored by Mills & Reeve
Andrew Secker, Employment Partner, Mills & Reeve
Neil Pugh, Employment Investigations Specialist, Mills & Reeve
The AI and Legal Ops Track
13.40 – 14.40
If not here, then where? - Navigating expansion with confidence for in-house lawyers
Are you facing the pressure to consider off-shoring / near-shoring? Join the team from LOD as they share lessons learned whilst building their own international hubs, pitfalls that you can avoid, and tips and tricks to approaching your expansion with confidence. This session is for: In-house lawyers dealing with an upcoming (or, possibly upcoming!) international expansion.
Sponsored by Lawyers On Demand
Nigel Rea, Managing Director, Lawyers on Demand
Monica du Plessis, Lead Lawyer, Lawyers on Demand
Tom Allander, Senior Client Solutions Manager, Lawyers on Demand
Gosia Kania, Global Head of Delivery, Lawyers on Demand
14.40 – 15.00
Break
Take a break from the content to network and chat to your peers over a coffee.
The Disputes and Crisis Track
15.10 – 16.10
Crisis management for legal leaders
We explore how to work with your Board, C Suite, Comms, and other stakeholders when things are looking sticky. We'll cover solvency concerns too. This session is for: GCs and GC equivalent senior in-house lawyers looking to talk about crisis management strategies with peers at the same level.
Sponsored by Twenty Essex
Colleen Hanley, Barrister and Arbitrator, Twenty Essex
Gordon Nardell KC, Barrister, Twenty Essex
The Corporate Track
15.10 – 16.10
Resilience by Design: Managing Counterparty Risk Across a Stressed Supplier and Customer Network
Supply chain headaches, flaky counterparties, and legal being asked “Is this enforceable?” mid-crisis. We’ll dig into what legal can do to manage this difficult situation, from stress-testing counterparties and red-flag clauses to practical playbooks for dealing with distressed customers or suppliers. This session is for: In-house lawyers working closely with procurement, finance, or commercial.
Sponsored by Travers Smith
Michael Ross, Senior Counsel - Technology & Commercial Transactions, Travers Smith
Melissa Atkinson, Senior Associate – Finance, Travers Smith
Polly Richard, Partner – Dispute Resolution, Travers Smith
The HR, Data, and Brand Track
15.10 – 16.10
Brand Battles – IP dispute strategies for in-house teams
Every business lives or dies by its brand. We look at claimant and defendant perspectives for handling brand disputes and explore what in-house lawyers should be doing now to make sure they are best equipped to protect their IP. This session is for: In-house lawyers, including those that are not IP specialists, but that may be working on IP matters.
Sponsored by Pillsbury
Steven James, Partner, Pillsbury Law
Hattie Winfield, Counsel, Pillsbury Law
Samantha Millington, Associate, Pillsbury Law
The AI and Legal Ops Track
15.10 – 16.10
The future legal team in an AI world
We explore how to set your team up in an AI enabled way. We'll be looking at data, org structure, KPIs, and other strategies for success. This session is for: Legal leaders and legal operations specialists who are trying to set their teams up for success.
Sponsored by Addleshaw Goddard LLP
Amy Brookbanks, Senior Legal Operations Consultant, AG Consulting
Charlotte Crosbie, Senior Legal Operations Consultant, AG Consulting
Rosie Dale, Legal Operations Consultant, AG Consulting
16.20 – 17.10
How Do Clients and Law Firms Work Together on AI?
In this final session of the day, we’ll explore how in-house teams and external counsel can collaborate to demystify AI, frame legal strategy in a rapidly changing digital world, and support the board with something better than buzzwords. Think: benchmarking, honest discussion about where both sides of the equation are at, and how law firms and legal leaders can help each other when it comes to AI. Once the session wraps up, attendees are warmly encouraged to join the rest of the Crafty Fest community for a casual drinks reception outside - where the other three tracks will already be gathering to close out the day together.
Sponsored by Linklaters
Tom Quoroll, Partner and Co-Founder of Applied Intelligence, Linklaters
Sarah Barnard, Director and Co-Founder of Applied Intelligence, Linklaters
16.20 – 19.00
Casual wrap up & drinks outside
We'll wrap up Crafty Learns and conclude the day with drinks into the evening.
With thanks to our Crafty Learns 2026 Partners
