A Legal 100 firm, which has won multiple awards, is seeking a Risk & Compliance Manager to oversee their compliance function. The role involves travelling to Brighton two days a week, but the firm also has accessible offices across the region. As the Risk and Compliance Manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing risk management policies and procedures, while providing general risk and compliance-related advice to the firm.
Key Responsibilities and tasks:
- Supervising and training of Risk and Compliance Assistant.
- Developing and implementing risk management policies and procedures.
- Dealing with actual and potential claims against the firm, and providing details and analysis to the Management Team.
- Assisting the Head of Risk and Compliance in dealing with any complaints that escalate to either the SRA or Legal Ombudsman and acting as Liaison Officer for any SRA inspection visits to the firm.
- Providing a first port of call for all fee earners, for internal advice and guidance on any issues of professional conduct, including conflicts of interests, ethics and the SRA Standards and Regulations.
- Working with Group Heads to identify areas of weakness, and devising and implementing changes to working practices and policies and procedures to improve the firm’s risk profile.
- Devising and delivering induction and other training on risk related matters including Conflicts of Interests, and internal policies and procedures.
- Keeping up to date with alterations to professional conduct rules and any other legislation which may affect the firm, ensuring that any changes are implemented within the firm in order to comply with them.
- Carrying out audits on the compliance by individual Groups with the firm’s internal policies and procedures and specific aspects of professional conduct rules, and assisting groups in developing and monitoring any matter specific risk management plans.
- Maintaining the firm’s Confidential Register of Interests and ‘Do Not Act For’ Register.
- Acting as coordinator for the firm’s Lexcel accreditation assessment and application.
- Working with the Head of Risk and Compliance to ensure that any specific changes to letters of engagement are made to maintain compliance with the Law Society guidance and SRA’s professional conduct rules.
- Working with the Head of Risk and Compliance and Marketing and Business Development to ensure that any specific changes to the firm’s external website are made to maintain compliance with the Law Society guidance and SRA’s professional conduct rules.
- Completing the firm’s annual professional indemnity insurance proposal forms.
- Monitoring compliance with the Solicitors Code of Conduct Rules, especially regarding the Introduction and Referral issues, including vetting of new schemes.
- Assisting with due diligence work and other risk management issues in relation to any potential mergers and acquisitions.
- Participating in the integration of staff, including training on and revision of internal policies and procedures following any mergers or acquisitions.
- Providing information on the firm’s claims and complaints record for tendering purposes and lenders where they are on their conveyancing panel.
Required Experience:
- Previous experience in a similar role at a law farm.
- Strong understanding of risk management across a law firm.
- Detailed knowledge and understanding of professional indemnity insurance, and good awareness and understanding of other classes of insurance.
- Detailed knowledge and understanding of the SRA Code of Conduct Rules, and other SRA Standards and Regulations, such as the Indemnity Insurance rules and the Legal Ombudsman scheme.
- Awareness and understanding of Money Laundering legislation, Data Protection legislation, Criminal Finances Act 2017, Bribery Act 2010, Financial Services and Markets Act.
