FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 May 2019
LSB announces new Chief Executive
The Legal Services Board (LSB) today announces the appointment of Matthew Hill as its new Chief Executive.
Matthew joins the LSB from the General Dental Council, where he is currently Executive Director of Strategy. Prior to this, Matthew was Director of Regulatory Risk & Analysis at the Gambling Commission.
Matthew was appointed by the Board of the LSB following an open recruitment process. Matthew brings a wealth of experience in policy, operational enforcement and stakeholder engagement to the role. After graduating in Biochemistry from Oxford University, Matthew spent 16 years in the civil service, and has held a number of senior positions both in Whitehall and in independent regulators.
He will join the LSB on 20 August 2019. Matthew will also become a Board Member of the LSB and will hold the role of Accounting Officer for the organisation.
Legal Services Board Chair, Dr Helen Phillips, said:
"I am delighted that Matthew will be joining the LSB. He impressed us with his intellectual credibility, drive and commitment, and he will bring to the LSB the right blend of leadership and experience to take the organisation forward as we work to deliver our new five-year policy objectives.
We are looking forward to him joining the team later in the summer."
Matthew Hill said:
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the LSB at this important time. We all have an interest in a successful legal services market as confidence in it underpins our democracy, economy and a wider public interest.
I look forward to working closely with all those that have an interest in our legal sector to ensure its focus, rightly admired at home and abroad, on delivering for consumers and on being innovative, vibrant and effective, continues to grow."
Helen Phillips added:
"Neil Buckley retires after three and a half years, having led the organisation through a revised approach to performance assessment, and regulatory governance arrangements, underpinning our commitment to effective, proportionate regulation. His authorisation of licensing authorities for Alternative Business Structures has further liberalised the market, supported innovation and increased access to justice. The Board has particularly appreciated Neil's role in facilitating consideration of the LSB's Vision and strategic objectives. His personal leadership of the diversity agenda and improvements in transparency of price and quality information provide a legacy for consumers on which we will be proud to build. Neil will take on non-executive roles as Board member of the Valuation Tribunal Service and Board Member, General Pharmaceutical Council. He leaves the organisation with our gratitude and appreciation of all he has achieved."
For further information, please contact the LSB's Communications Manager on 020 7271 0068.
Notes for editors:
- Matthew will take over as Chief Executive from Neil Buckley, who announced his intention to step down earlier this year. Neil is leaving the LSB to pursue a non-executive portfolio career.
- The Legal Services Act 2007 (the Act) created the LSB 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 ten approved regulators, which in turn regulate individual legal practitioners. 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 Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, the Association of Costs Lawyers, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
In addition, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland is an approved regulator for probate activities only but does not currently authorise anyone to offer this service. - As at 1 April 2017, the legal profession in England and Wales comprised 148,690 solicitors, 15,281 barristers, 6,809 chartered legal executives and 5,958 other individuals operating in other areas of the legal profession such as conveyancing. The UK legal sector turnover was £35 billion per annum (2018) which is up 25% in cash terms since 2012. For more information see here.
- LSB employees are not civil servants - the Chief Executive of the LSB and all staff are appointed by the organisation itself. It has a team of circa 32 and a budget of some £3.8m.