Head of Risk and Compliance

Kingsley Napley is an internationally recognised law firm based in Central London. We support individuals and businesses in resolving conflict, safeguarding their futures and maximising opportunities. Our wide range of expertise means that we can provide support for our clients in all areas of their business and private life. Many of our lawyers are leaders in their field and our practice areas are highly ranked by the legal directories.

This is a new role established to manage the firm’s risk and compliance function to ensure that risk is being effectively managed and mitigated, that the firm is fully compliant and has fit for purpose programmes and procedures in place to ensure best practice across the firm.  

A core element of the role will be to create and manage our business selection, acceptance activities, client and matter on-boarding systems, and processes on a day to day basis. 

You will work with all practice areas across a medium sized, full service law firm which is at an exciting period in its growth and development. You will assist with the design and deployment of a new centralised on-boarding function for use across the firm, which will be an important part of the role. You will be involved from the outset in creating and implementing the systems and processes which you will manage on a day to day basis, monitoring workload and ensuring that the team are working in an efficient and productive manner.

You will have a good knowledge of the SRA regulatory regime and all legal and regulatory requirements governing client and matter selection and inception in a law firm (including conflict rules and financial crime obligations) and practical experience of applying them, gained whilst working in a law firm.  You will have excellent management, communication and analytical skills be commercially aware and enthusiastic about collaborating with others across the business in developing and managing a new business support function and team. You should have the ability to demonstrate that you have played a role in delivering process and business improvements, having successfully managed change in your current or previous roles.

As Head of Risk you will be the firm’s MLRO and will work closely with other relevant business support teams, all practice areas and the firm’s General Counsel (who is also the firm’s COLP) and Data Protection Officer. You will also, of course, play a key role on the firm’s risk committee with the opportunity to develop your role further as the business grows and as the legal and regulatory landscape evolves and develops.

Central to this role will be ensuring that the firm identifies conflicts of interest effectively and manages them appropriately, and achieves high levels of financial crime compliance, particularly in the areas of money laundering and sanctions.

Responsibilities will include:

• Formulating the strategy, visions and values of the risk and compliance function.
• Managing the firm’s client and matter selection as well as the inception system and processes
• Recruiting, Training, developing, managing and supervising the individuals within the team
• Working with the other members of the wider Compliance and Risk functions
• Assisting and supporting practice areas in their business acceptance activities
• Daily monitoring of activities to ensure legal and regulatory requirements are met and internal procedures are complied with
• Managing issues, with escalation when necessary, ensuring all are investigated thoroughly, presented clearly and succinctly to partners and/or other stakeholders for internal compliance review
• Analysing and responding appropriately to queries involving complex legal, regulatory and factual issues
• Ensuring all team SLAs are met and that the team demonstrates a commitment to continually improve service standards
• Supporting the firm’s COLP (Compliance Office for Legal Practice) to ensure compliance with SRA regulatory requirements and liaising with the firm’s SRA Regulatory Manager as required.
• Collating and reporting management information to the CFOO, GC and partners
• Identification and implementation of business and process improvements
• Assisting with major conflicts projects (e.g. group lateral hires, office openings, financial crises and wide-reaching conflicts checks) and other relevant work-streams.
• Assisting in the creation and maintenance of precedents and know how resources for use within the BAU team and the development of appropriate business acceptance know how (e.g. briefings) for use throughout the firm.
• Taking responsibility for all complaints and conduct issues raised against the firm, insuring they are dealt with according to the firm’s policies. Advising fee-earners and partners and dealing with clients as necessary.
• Assisting HR (as necessary) to deliver the firm’s annual renewal of SRA authorisations and practicising certificates and the firm’s diversity data.
• Promoting and fostering a ‘compliance culture’ across the whole firm to be a trusted and approachable resource for all partners and staff.
• Taking a proactive role in the selection and scheduling of compulsory risk and compliance training.
• Working with colleagues in managing reputation risk, including proactive sharing of relevant issues and developments.
• Such other duties as may from time to time be required.