Risk Lawyer – Legal Risk & Compliance Specialist

About the role

We are partnering with a leading commercial law firm to recruit a Risk Lawyer who will join a collaborative team of experts. The role provides comprehensive legal risk and regulatory compliance support across all practice groups and business operations.

Key responsibilities

• Provide expert legal and regulatory advice to fee earners, business support functions, and senior management on SRA Standards, ethical boundaries, and complex conflicts of interest.
• Advise on high‑stakes financial crime and regulatory frameworks, including POCA, anti‑money laundering, the Bribery Act, Market Abuse Regulations, and ECCTA.
• Manage data protection governance, evaluate data breaches, and coordinate responses to Data Subject Access Requests under GDPR.
• Review, draft, and negotiate client retainers, outside‑counsel guidelines, panel terms, and supplier agreements with a focus on limitations of liability.
• Support legal teams on potential professional indemnity claims, report matters to insurers, and manage first‑tier client and third‑party complaints.
• Design, update, and implement firm‑wide compliance policies, risk procedures, and internal audit programmes.
• Develop and deliver compliance training and inductions to partners, fee earners, and staff at all levels.
• Assist with major annual compliance cycles, including professional indemnity insurance renewal, SRA bulk practising certificate renewal (RF1), and statutory registrations.
• Support external compliance assessments, such as ISO audits (9001, 27001, 22301, 14001) and Cyber Essentials Plus recertifications.

Required profile

• Qualified solicitor or barrister in England & Wales with a current practising certificate.
• Strong track record in law‑firm risk management.
• Deep familiarity with common law, UCTA, and professional negligence principles.
• Awareness of the Solicitors Accounts Rules and a commercially aware approach.

Required skills

• Common law
• UCTA
• Professional negligence
• Solicitors Accounts Rules
• SRA Standards and Regulations
• POCA
• Anti‑money laundering (AML)
• Bribery Act
• Market Abuse Regulations
• ECCTA
• GDPR
• ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 22301, ISO 14001
• Cyber Essentials Plus