Launched in July 2024, Trethowans’ legal and compliance Forum has reached its first anniversary, having grown to almost 170 members and delivered a year of tailored content and collaboration for in-house legal counsel and business professionals in legal and compliance roles across the South and more widely across England and Wales.
The Forum was launched to provide a dedicated platform for general counsel, legal directors and in-house legal teams, offering expert-led webinars, legal updates and the opportunity to connect and collaborate with peers. The success of The Forum has also seen Trethowans expand its audience to business professionals who may not sit within a formal legal function but who regularly deal with legal or compliance matters, such as finance directors, contract or procurement managers, data protection experts and business owners.
Over the past 12 months, The Forum has seen strong engagement with members and significant growth in participation.
Since launch, The Forum has delivered over 60 pieces of tailored content, including topical webinars exploring themes such as AI and legal compliance, cloud software contracts and data protection reform. With over 250 webinar registrations and high turnout, it’s clear that in-house legal and business professionals are keen to access sector-specific legal and compliance insights in a concise and practical format.
Monthly mailshots have kept members informed of key developments, with contract law updates, employment alerts and legal training resources among the most read. Membership has more than doubled in the last year, growing from over 80 members at launch to almost 170 in June 2025.
“Our aim with The Forum has always been to create something genuinely useful and collaborative for in-house legal teams,” said Louise Thompson, Commercial Contracts and Data Protection Partner at Trethowans. “We’ve listened to feedback, adapted our approach and focused on quality over quantity. We’re proud of the community that has formed.”
Looking ahead, Trethowans plans to refine the programme, aligned to members’ core interests, and expand its in-person events nationwide, following strong interest from members in peer-to-peer learning and networking and the successful launch of in-person social events in Hampshire.
To find out more about The Forum, please email [email protected] to join today.
