Jonathan Newman, solicitor and senior partner of Brightstone Law LLP, is the latest spokesperson to be lined up to speak at the Association of Short Term Lender’s (ASTL) annual conference.

The conference, ‘Bridging – Problems and Solutions’, will take place on 1 October at Painter’s Hall in London. The conference will address the current state of the bridging sector and the challenges it is facing, including fraud prevention and the effects of the Mortgage Credit Directive.

Former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, will providing his views on the current political environment as well as his predictions for the future.

Newman, who has over 20 years’ experience in fraud prevention, has worked for the law practice since 1987, helping to provide specialist services for the bridging and short term lending industry. He will discuss fraud cases and anecdotes in relation to bridging lenders and brokers.

He said: “The conference is a great opportunity for lenders, financial advisers, bankers, intermediaries and anyone else who is interested in hearing more about bridging, to discuss the short term lending market with like-minded people.

“Large or small scale, fraud is a national issue of increasing importance and, as a result of substantial growth in the short term finance sector and the economic downturn, the bridging sector is more susceptible than ever before. However, there are plenty of measures we can take to protect ourselves. Fraud is certainly a hot topic that everyone needs to be aware of and I look forward to discussing it with lenders and intermediaries at the conference.”

Benson Hersch, chief executive of the ASTL, added: “Jonathan has unrivalled experience in property finance, consumer credit, commercial funding and professional negligence and insolvency, as well as fraud claims. This makes him a welcome addition to our strong spokesperson line up which includes both Vince Cable and the FCA.

“The conference will provide attendees with a high level of insight and expert opinion on the future of the sector, including impending regulations and economic trends from an array of industry speakers. And with British politician Vince Cable being confirmed as the keynote speaker, it is set to be a very interesting and informative morning.”