The Great Winter Discussion
(and Christmas Networking)
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Tuesday 2 December 2025
16.00 – 19.00
Venue: St Philips Chambers,
55 Temple Row, Birmingham, B2 5LS
Digital ID Cards:
A new weapon in Counter Fraud or an opportunity for Cyber Criminals
Weighing the Risk and Rewards From a Fraud Perspective
AGENDA
|
16.00
|
Registration, networking and refreshments |
| 16.30 |
MFF Chair Welcome |
| 16.35 |
Panel Introduction |
| 16.45 |
Discussion and audience participation using slido |
|
17.40
|
Questions from the audience |
| 17.50 |
Closing remarks by Ali Tabari |
| 18.00 |
Free drinks reception sponsored by St Philips and hosted by our Young Professionals Team |
The discussion will be chaired by Ali Tabari, Barrister and Mediator at St Philips Chambers and panellists include:
1. Denise Breen-Lawton KC, St Philips Chambers
2. Dr Rasha Kassem, Fraud Research Group, Aston University
3. William Taaffee, Chief Operating Officer, Lockdown Cyber Security
4. Keith Williamson, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marshal
Audience participation is, as always, most welcome and encouraged!
The MFF is also happy to take questions from attendees in advance if there is a particular question or point that you would like the panellist speakers to discuss.
As this event is organised by our Young Professional Team and we would encourage you to send a junior member of your team to this event.
Chair mini bio
Ali Tabari, Barrister and Mediator, St Philips Chambers
Ali is a well-established fraud and insolvency litigator in the Midlands and beyond, frequently dealing with high-value complex work involving a variety of fraudulent schemes. Recent work includes allegations of a fraudulent investment property scheme, several large-scale deceptions of incoming shareholders, and dishonest breaches of warranty.
Panel mini bios
Denise Breen-Lawton KC, St Philips Chambers
Denise Breen-Lawton KC is an experienced terrorism, homicide, fraud and organised crime Barrister, and acts both for the Defence and Prosecution in cases of the most complex and serious nature.
She was the only person on her Business Management degree to achieve a First Class Honours and spent time working as a paralegal in the Irwin Mitchell fraud department before securing pupillage. Denise was made a Master of the Bench at Gray’s Inn before taking silk. She is on the Management and several other committees in her role as a Bencher.
She has an exceptional ability to get to grips with large volumes of material very quickly providing for strength in complex and paper-heavy cases. Her excellent organisational skills, which combined with her intellectual ability, legal knowledge and tactical dexterity, means she has always had a heavyweight serious fraud and general crime practice. The fact that she defends and prosecutes makes her a tactically astute barrister with a balanced approach. She understands the importance of a case strategy and regularly manages large teams, including experts.
Dr Rasha Kassem, Fraud Research Group, Aston University
Dr Rasha Kassem is a senior academic, the leader of the Fraud Research Group (FRG), and the Engagement & Development Lead at Aston University. An award-winning educator and researcher, her work explores all aspects of fraud and corruption affecting organisations and individuals across private, public, and voluntary/non-profit sectors. She also investigates related areas such as governance, auditing, sustainability, and technology.
Dr Kassem has authored over 45 publications on fraud, including academic articles, book chapters, professional pieces, podcasts, and blogs. She serves as a peer reviewer and editorial member for leading publishers and actively promotes fraud awareness by chairing and speaking at numerous international academic, professional, and policy events.
She collaborates closely with policymakers, counter-fraud professionals, and media outlets to combat fraud and raise public awareness through engagement initiatives. Beyond academia, Dr Kassem is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a consultant on insider fraud at CIFAS. She is also a member of the US ACFE Advisory Council, the UK ACFE Board, and the UK Government’s Cross-Sector Advisory Group for the Counter-Fraud Profession, as well as the PRME Anti-Corruption Steering Committee, where she applies her counter-fraud expertise to address real-world challenges.
William Taaffee, Chief Operating Officer, Lockdown Cyber Security
William is an experienced thought leader, trainer and keynote speaker on the topic Cyber Fraud.
An area of interest and passion since his early teens, William has delivered training on behalf of major retail banks, national infrastructure, membership organisations, private sector organisations of all sizes and public sector departments and bodies. He has contributed to articles in major UK newspapers and has delivered masterclass sessions on Cyber Security to the UK's national fraud forums.
William aims to deliver content, which is interesting, engaging and insightful, dejargonising Cyber Security to help build a more inclusive discussion around this key area of risk for organisations and individuals alike. He is the Co-Founder of Lockdown Cyber Security, who provide training and security services and works with boards and operational delivery teams of Enterprise sized organisations, SME and Critical National Infrastructure, to help build layers of resilience within their Cyber Security strategies.
Keith Williamson, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marshal
Keith Williamson is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Disputes and Investigations team in London having recently led the practice in Asia based from Hong Kong for 9 years. He has 30 years of forensic and investigative accounting experience (including 12 years in Asia) and specialises in investigations and compliance reviews of financial misstatements, misappropriation of assets, management and employee fraud, corruption (U.S. FCPA / U.K. Bribery Act) and regulatory issues, asset tracing and recovery, and litigation support and expert witness services for disputes. Keith earned a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Birmingham and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
