Director - Legal and Risk

About our client...
Our client is a  leading and highly regarded commercial law Firm  who now have an exciting opportunity for a talented and experienced Director – Legal and Risk to become a pivotal member of the Business Services leadership team.
  
About the role...
Reporting directly to the COO and working closely with the Managing Director and the Director – Legal and Risk, you will have oversight of the firm’s legal matters, insurances, enterprise risk framework and regulatory compliance.
  
Your key areas of responsibility will include, but are not limited to:-

• Acting as a trusted legal advisor to firm leadership across a wide range of legal matters.
• Reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, including supplier contracts, NDAs, property leases, and tenders.
• Managing legal entity structures and company secretarial responsibilities.
• Mitigating legal risk in legal services contracts and tender submissions.
• Leading the development and maintenance of the Enterprise Risk Management Framework and Business Continuity Plan.
• Embedding a proactive, firm-wide risk culture that supports informed decision-making.
• Presenting audit findings and compliance reports to senior leadership with actionable insights.
• Ensuring compliance with legislation and professional standards relevant to legal practice.
• Maintaining internal policies.
• Driving ISO 27001 compliance and promoting best practices in information security.
• Advising the Board and executive team on legal and risk matters, and reporting on compliance performance.

• Extensive experience in governance, risk management, and compliance, gained in private practice, professional services, or in-house at the Senior Level Lawyer/Special Counsel or above level.
• Ability to influence and advise at executive and board level.
• Strong knowledge of legal industry compliance standards, risk frameworks, and insurance regimes.
• Familiarity with ISO 27001 certification or similar information security risk frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and pragmatically.
• Sound judgement and integrity, with a calm, solutions-focused approach under pressure.
• Strong client orientation and the ability to recognise and respond to client needs.
• Committed to maintaining high levels of professional conduct, discretion, and confidentiality.