FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
LSB announces new Chief Executive
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has appointed Neil Buckley as its new Chief Executive.
Neil joins the LSB from the Office for Communications (Ofcom) where he is Director of Investigations.
With 18 years experience in a variety of regulatory roles and an early career as a lawyer, Neil brings a strong track record of making markets work well for consumers whilst also ensuring that market conditions mean providers can compete on a fair basis and thrive.
He will join the LSB in January 2016.
Legal Services Board Chairman, Sir Michael Pitt, said:
"I am delighted that Neil will be joining the LSB. He impressed us with his energy, drive and commitment to this vibrant and important sector and we are looking forward to him joining the team in the New Year.
He will bring to the LSB just the right blend of leadership and experience to take the organisation forward and build on its achievement."
Neil Buckley said:
"I am really pleased to be joining the LSB as its new Chief Executive. The legal sector delivers services that are essential for the protection of consumers and for access to justice.
I look forward to working with everyone who has an interest in helping to deliver the best possible outcome for all consumers in terms of a dynamic and innovative legal market."
ENDS
For further information, please contact the LSB's Communications Manager, Vincent McGovern (020 7271 0068).
Notes for editors:
- The Legal Services Board is responsible for overseeing the regulation of legal services in England and Wales. It oversees nine approved regulators, which in turn regulate legal practitioners.
- At Ofcom, Neil is Director of Investigations, where his current role is to lead a team who enforce competition law and the regulatory rules that apply to the communications sector. The team is also responsible for Ofcom's dispute resolution functions. His previous roles at Ofcom included Director of Consumer Policy.
Neil qualified as a Solicitor in 1990 and worked for a number of law firms in the City of London, specialising in international private arbitration.
Neil has a Masters degree in Regulation from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree in law from Hertford College, Oxford University. - Richard Moriarty, the current LSB Chief Executive, will be joining the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as Deputy Chief Executive and Group Director Consumers and Markets in February 2016.
- As at 1 April 2015, the legal profession comprised 142,109 solicitors, close to 500 alternative business structures, 15,237 barristers, 7,848 chartered legal executives and 5,678 other individuals operating in other areas of the legal profession such as conveyancing. The sector is valued at £29.2 billion per annum (total turnover in 2013).