Tuesday, 13 May 2014
New appointments at the Legal Services Board
The Legal Services Board (LSB) would like to announce the appointment of Chris Handford as its new Head of Research and Development.
Chris who has been a Regulatory Project Manager at the LSB for a number of years steps up to the position vacated by the departure of Alex Roy to the Financial Conduct Authority. Chris will take responsibility for developing and delivering policy, oversight of the LSB’s research programme and working with the Director of Strategy in preparing the LSB’s strategy for the 2015-2018 period.
The LSB would also like to announce that Professor Stephen Mayson has agreed to work with it on a short term basis as it begins work on its 2015-2018 strategic plan and its planned project on the cost of regulation.
Director of Strategy, Caroline Wallace said:
"We are delighted to be able to make an internal appointment to the important Head of Research and Development role. Research and development of policy are two key aspects of LSB work. Chris has made many valuable contributions to this work in the last four years and with this promotion we know he will continue to make a vital contribution to the important work that the LSB is doing.
Stephen Mayson’s willingness to work with us is a sign of how important both he and the LSB consider to be the work we have to do in the coming years. Stephen has not always agreed with what the LSB has done in the past. We view this challenging yet constructive approach and his experience, independence of thought and objectivity as important and potentially vital as we turn our attention to the future."
ENDS
For more information please contact the LSB’s Communications Manager Vincent McGovern on 020 7271 0068 / 0795 622 6562.
Notes for editors:
- Chris Handford has worked at the Legal Services Board (LSB) since 2009. As Regulatory Project Manager he has been deeply involved in LSB initiatives such as the investigation into will-writing and the development of our blueprint for reforming legal services regulation.
Prior to joining the LSB Prior Chris worked in various policy roles within the Legal Services Commission (now the Legal Aid Agency). - Professor Stephen Mayson has a long association with the legal world. In his own words his objective is “to bring independence, insight, challenge and objectivity to the various contributions I make to organisations and the broader world of legal services”.
He is professor of legal services regulation at The University of Law, and Honorary Professor of Law in the Faculty of Laws at University College London, working particularly with the Centre for Ethics and Law. He is also a visiting professor at the IE Law School in Madrid. Professor Mayson has a particular interest in the implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 and the effects that this will have on the market and on providers of legal services.
Professor Mayson will work with the LSB on average one day a week. For more information please see Professor Mayson’s personal website. - The Legal Services Act (“The Act”) created the Legal Services Board as a new regulator with responsibility for overseeing the regulation of legal services in England and Wales. The new regulatory regime became active on 1 January 2010.
- The LSB oversees eight approved regulators, which in turn regulate individual lawyers. The approved regulators, designated under Part 1 of Schedule 4 of the 2007 Act, are the Law Society, the Bar Council, the Master of the Faculties, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys and the Association of Costs Lawyers.
- In addition, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants are listed as approved regulators in relation only to reserved probate activities.
- As at 1 April 2013, the legal profession comprised 134,447 solicitors, 302 alternative business structures, 15,335 barristers, 7,947 chartered legal executives and 5,361 other individuals operating in other areas of the legal profession such as conveyancing. The sector is valued at £25.49 billion per annum (total turnover in 2010).