Solicitor - Practice Governance and Risk

Job Introduction

DAC Beachcroft are currently recruiting for a Solicitor within their Practice Governance and Risk team (PG&R) in our Leeds office. 

Working hours: 35 hours a week

The Solicitor will work with existing members of PG&R, business services teams and fee-earners from across the Group in respect of a range of work with particular emphasis on  regulatory compliance, risk and professional ethics. The ideal candidate will have experience in a similar role. The Solicitor may be required to support other areas of the team from time to time.

The team also deal with insurance, claims and complaints, data protection and information security, AML and general legislative compliance, business continuity, contract review, corporate governance and international compliance.

The Practice Governance & Risk team have developed a framework to respond to the legislative and regulatory environment in which we as a business have to operate. The framework consists of policies, controls and procedures that have been created by PG&R to ensure we have a solid platform on which to work that will help to manage the current risk environment and to ensure that we are ready for any emerging risks and legislative or regulatory changes.

Role Responsibility

• Developing and promoting an understanding of the regulatory and professional environment in which the Group operates. 
• Assisting with regulatory investigations and reporting requirements in conjunction with the COLP and COFA, working closely with colleagues in HR and Finance.
• Supporting colleagues in the resolution of potential legal and commercial conflicts.
• Dealing with ad hoc regulatory and ethics queries.
• Developing and delivering training on topical risk areas and regulation, in accordance with business needs.
• Drafting/updating policy documents and guidance notes.
• Maintaining awareness of regulatory/compliance changes and helping to implement the processes to incorporate the necessary changes.
• Supporting the Head of Risk with Enterprise Risk Management
• Supporting PG&R’s International Lead with regulatory compliance in the international offices.

The Ideal Candidate

• A law degree, legal qualification or compliance experience within a comparable team would be an advantage but not essential.
• The ability to speak Spanish or other European languages would be an advantage, but not essential.
• Previous experience of working in a regulated industry, such as Legal or Financial Services is highly desirable.
• Ability to analyse information and to use the results of that analysis to make effective decisions and find solutions. 
• Ability to communicate persuasively, both verbally and in writing. 
• Good attention to detail. The ability to plan and organise effectively in order to meet business priorities and have the ability to work under pressure. 
• The ability to form working relationships with others, both inside and outside of the PG&R team.
• The ability to work on own initiative and manage own workload.
• A good team player who is supportive of others within the Group.
• A confident decision maker.
• Responds positively to change and adapts easily to new processes.
• Good IT skills with a knowledge of Microsoft Office packages although further training can be given if required.
• Whilst not currently expected, flexibility to travel to other offices as required - this can involve staying away from home.

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,400 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 11 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Northern Ireland, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brazil, Peru, Central America, Argentina, the USA, Australia and Germany.

We are known for our market-leading presence in sectors such as Insurance, Health and Real Estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory capability. We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for the majority of the top 30 insurance and financial services companies operating in the UK. We are the asset management lawyers for the UK’s largest shopping centres and act for 9 of the UK’s top 10 housebuilders.

We have an impressive legal pedigree, with 155 Chambers UK 2019 practice area and individual lawyer rankings, including 30 rankings at 'Band 1' level. In Legal 500 UK, 2018, the firm received top tier ranking for 32 of its practice areas and 59 practice areas in the top two tiers. In March 2018, we were named as one of Legal Week's Best Legal Advisors for the third year running, achieving category-leading satisfaction scores for our commercial approach, service delivery, quality of legal advice, communication & responsiveness and overall relationships.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. For further details on our work and our culture, please visit www.dacbeachcroft.com.

DAC Beachcroft is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from every sector of the community. We also welcome direct applications. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

DAC Beachcroft