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The UK is not currently in a recession, but growth is sluggish and that is increasing the legal risks that SMEs face.
In 2024, YouGov surveyed UK SMEs and found a £13.6 billion a year loss linked to legal issues not being addressed.
But what are these hidden legal risks? They are buried in everyday decisions like supplier renewals, contract terms, slow paying customers, people issues, and unclear governance.
During this webinar, Sarah Clark will be joined by a fractional General Counsel and a customer Financial Director who engaged a fractional GC to uncover risk hiding in plain sight. We will reveal what the Financial Director discovered they were doing well, where the blind spots were, and the first fixes that reduced exposure fast.
We will also address why legal business is often neglected, including ease of communication with a legal expert, a concern for 96% of respondents.
AGENDA:
- The hidden risks draining SME profit: where legal risk actually sits day-to-day (contracts, suppliers, customers, people, governance) and why it’s so often missed.
- Financial Director case study: what we found inside the business: what the Financial Director discovered they were doing well, where they didn’t realise there was risk, and the priority fixes that reduced exposure fast.
- How to get control without adding complexity: the practical approach a fractional GC uses to surface, triage and reduce risk plus how to make legal support easy to access and act on (including the communication gap highlighted by 96% of respondents).
Meet the Speakers
Sarah Clark is a seasoned legal and business leader with extensive experience driving transformation, governance, and growth across regulated industries. Currently Chief Revenue Officer at The Legal Director, she has held senior roles including Group Legal Director at First Central and General Counsel at DF Capital. A former criminal barrister and accredited mediator, Sarah is recognised for her expertise in strategic risk management, ESG, and ethical leadership. Named an inaugural O-Lister 2024 by O Shaped Lawyer, she combines legal insight with commercial acumen to help organisations scale effectively and navigate complex regulatory landscapes.
Rachel Webb Wiles is a Fractional General Counsel with The Legal Director (TLD), providing flexible, senior in-house legal support to ambitious, high-growth businesses. She partners with companies that are not yet ready to hire a full legal team, acting as their primary legal advisor and working closely with senior management. Rachel also supports overstretched General Counsels or delivers expertise for strategic projects, and works seamlessly as an extension of existing legal teams seeking innovative ways to access legal services.
Paul Brown is a hands-on, solutions-focused Financial Director and Company Secretary at R&HA. He sees his role as providing robust financial oversight to support the business on a day-to-day basis, while also being actively involved in new contract acquisitions. Paul focuses on delivering innovative, commercially sound solutions that make the company’s propositions both practical and attractive.