Legal Adviser (Regulatory Reviews)

Legal Adviser (Regulatory Reviews)

Overview

It is an exciting time to join the Legal Services Board as we work in collaboration with the legal services sector to deliver our 10-year strategy. Our strategy is driven by a fundamental need to reshape legal services to better meet society’s needs and underpinned by our eight regulatory objectives. We have identified some big challenges facing the legal services sector that we need to tackle to ensure fairer outcomes, stronger confidence, and better services for the public. This includes improving access to justice and dismantling barriers to a diverse and inclusive legal profession at all levels.

From the use of technology like AI and blockchain to consumers’ increasing expectation for more transparent, personalised, and cost-effective services, the legal sector is affected by wider political, socio-economic, and technological trends. As the oversight regulator, it is important that we can anticipate and respond to opportunities and risks across the whole of the sector and we are looking for someone to help us fulfil that ambition. By closely monitoring external drivers, including political, economic, regulatory developments, we will be able to adapt and inform our policy development, regulatory oversight, and delivery of the strategy.

You can see our latest business plan here: https://legalservicesboard.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Final-Business-Plan-2024-2025.pdf

Why does our work matter?

Legal services are of central importance to consumers, our economy and wider society:

• On average, 7-8m people experience a legal problem every year.
• 3 out of 10 small businesses face a legal problem every year.
• Estimated annual losses to small businesses due to legal problems is £40bn.
• The sector contributes around £37bn to the economy and employs 350k people.
• An estimated 1m individuals suffer ill health because of legal problems annually.

As the oversight regulator for legal services, we are responsible for ensuring that the legal services market is working well for consumers and the public more widely.

Core responsibilities.

The Team will be responsible for designing the performance review and investigations procedures and conducting thematic reviews and investigations. It is anticipated that we will have at least one review underway at any one time. The reviews and investigations will focus on the eight regulatory bodies overseen by the LSB under the Legal Services Act 2007. It will not involve investigations into legal professionals or legal firms.

Skills and experience

We are looking for individuals with a proven history in providing legal support to and/or being part of a team carrying out reviews and investigations in areas of regulation. This will involve strong analytical and evaluation skills, experience of exercising sound judgement and the determination to see reviews through to their conclusion. A knowledge of legal services regulation would be ideal but equally, familiarity with regulatory processes and procedures in other sectors will be valuable.

Experience and qualities for the review and investigations team.

We are particularly looking for:

• Advanced investigation skills and experience in dealing with complex issues where forensic examination is needed.
• Experience in statutory enforcement.
• Effective decision-making
• Excellent drafting skills
• Ability to work collaboratively and be a strong team player while also self-motivated to work on your own.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.

The Regulatory Reviews Team will be led by the Head, Performance and Oversight and comprise of the Legal Advisor (Regulatory Reviews) and 2 x Policy Managers. The Legal Adviser role reports to General Counsel with day-to-day work allocation falling within the line management structure of the new Regulatory Review team. The Legal Adviser (Regulatory Reviews) will also therefore be part of the in-house legal team (comprised of General Counsel and x 2 Senior Legal Advisers).

The role

The Legal Adviser (Regulatory Reviews) is responsible for supporting Regulatory Reviews policy colleagues so that together they may develop the process and deliver reviews and investigations, having effectively managed legal risk. Proactively considering regulatory and public law issues, the Legal Adviser will work as part of the Regulatory Review Team, whilst maintaining support from the wider in-house legal team.

Conduct or support of investigations or reviews, exercise of statutory powers, statutory interpretation, the drafting of instructions to counsel and the conduct of public law litigation in relation to regulatory and public law risks may be frequent tasks. The Legal Adviser (Regulatory Reviews) may also be called on to assist other ad hoc legal tasks as required by the in-house legal team, although they will predominantly be focused on the Regulatory Review Team’s work.

Person specification (in addition to the experience and qualities listed above)

The person that we are looking for will have the following:

• A qualified lawyer, authorised to practice within England and Wales, with post qualification experience working in a regulatory or investigatory environment.
• Experience of providing legal advice and support to investigations, reviews, prosecutions in a regulatory or similar setting
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent understanding of evidence gathering disclosure and analysis
• Experience of providing legal advice in-house, ideally either in a regulatory body or regulated business
• Experience of statutory interpretation and applying public law principles and best regulatory practice
• Experience of driving intellectually complex issues to a firm, practical conclusion
• Excellent drafting skills – previous experience of writing formal decision documents.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills to build and maintain complex, sensitive and influential relationships across a wide group of stakeholders.
• Proactive, prepared to be accountable for their actions and with a maturity of outlook.
• Strong commitment to equalities and diversity as both a colleague and a regulator

Benefits

35 hours per week with a competitive salary, a defined contribution pension scheme with an employer’s contribution of 12% of salary, benefits allowance of 10% which can be taken as salary and an annual leave entitlement of 25 days in addition to statutory bank holidays.

The position is open to those who would like to work flexibly including part-time.

Salary: Up to £52,500 per year depending on experience.

Further information

The LSB has a flexible working policy that enables colleagues to choose whether they want to work from home, the office, or a hybrid of both.  You can be based anywhere in the UK.

The LSB is committed to reducing inequality, valuing diversity, and enabling inclusion. We welcome applications from people from all parts of the community.

Interviews will be on 17 and 18 June.

How to apply

Please write a cover letter outlining why you want the job and the skills and experience you will bring (based on the person specification) and with your CV send it by email via the button below.

You must be eligible to work in the UK.

Please send your covering letter and CV as one word document (not a separate cover letter and CV) as we anonymise the applications before they go to the shortlisting panel.

Please note that applications that do not have a cover letter or CV will not be considered.