Lexcel Assessor and Lexcel accredited consultant/freelance legal risk and compliance consultant
South Wales also covering Mid Wales, South West England, London, Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire.
Qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and spent over 25 years in private practice including at equity partnership level in a medium sized firm in London where she was a member of the Risk & Compliance Committee and involved in applying for Lexcel accreditation and subsequent reaccreditation.
Risk & Compliance Consultancy, client care, file reviews. Having had extensive involvement in private practice, Christine understands the issues which arise in practice and is able to provide a practical and pragmatic approach.
Stuart Lee
Lexcel Assessor and Consultant, SQM Lead Assessor, Compliance Consultant
Based
The North West.
Experience
18 years experience working with the Legal Profession as an assessor, regulator, consultant, policy maker, trainer and contract manager. Lexcel assessor since 2011 assessing all size of legal providers from sole practitioner to practice with 270 staff and 11 offices. 11 years experience at the Legal Aid Agency. Associate SQM Lead Auditor responsible for training assessment team and quality assurance.
Specialisms
Lexcel, SQM, Consultancy and Risk Management. Obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration in 2005.
Claire Ludbrook
Lexcel assessor/consultant/trainer
Based
North East, but operates nationally and internationally
Experience
Law graduate, with LPC. Experience of working in a firm. Supported over 40 firms through to achievement of Lexcel and worked with ISO 9001 :2008 in a service environment.
Specialisms
Customer service, quality systems, equality and diversity and best practice.
Rob Macleod MBE
Lexcel assessor/consultant/trainer
Based
London and the North
Experience
Lexcel assessor since 1998 has worked with private firms, large and small and in-house legal teams. Extensive international experience working with a range of quality assurance standards and compliance frameworks, such as IIP and ISO 9001:2008 in blue chip organisations.
Specialisms
strategic planning, people management, management development, equality and diversity, IT and being practical.
Gayle Audley
Lexcel Assessor/Outsourced Commercial Director/Performance Management Coach
Based
Yorkshire
Experience
As a former top British tennis player and elite performance coach Gayle knows exactly what it means to be the best and now brings her sporting pedigree into the business arena. After studying law she went on to become an award winning trainer and qualified teaching professional and is privileged to be working with a number of the top UK law firms.
Specialisms
Gayle understands that your people are your greatest asset and it is no longer acceptable that they are good. They have to be the best. Having a delivery that is bold, punchy and results orientated she will help you to build a better business by identifying the marginal gains necessary to achieve maximum results and peak performance.
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Stuart Blake
Lexcel assessor and consultant, regulatory compliance consultant, trainer
Based
Midlands and South West, operates nationally and internationally
Experience
Chartered Legal Executive with over 30 years' experience in the legal profession and over 15 years in legal practice management intimately involved in Lexcel and regulatory compliance. Consultancy clients have included large multi-national law firms, sole practitioners and everything in-between.
Specialisms
Practical applications and solutions. Policy/procedure development. COLP/MLRO support. Hands on assistance where required.
Jane Blackstock
LexcelAssessor/Consultant/ SQM Consultant
Based
Midlands and South West, operates nationally
Experience
Over 20 years running own consultancy business and 19 years as a Lexcel Assessor covering firms of all different sizes nationally.
Specialisms
Providing bespoke assistance to Law Firms in working towards the requirements of Lexcel and providing ongoing support with maintenance of the accreditation.
Raj Ali
Lexcel Assessor and Consultant, Non-practising Solicitor and Business Consultant
Based Yorkshire covering Nationwide
Experience
Over 10 years’ experience in compliance and business management. Experienced former property solicitor who has experience of working in-house, a top 20 law firm and managing a firm employing 50 people. Runs a business consultancy providing business support services to law firms and SMEs.
Specialisms
Lexcel, CQS and Regulatory Compliance
Debbie Fowler
Lexcel Assessor/Consultant/Trainer/Locum Family Lawyer/ Practice Development Specialist
Based W. Midlands
Experience 21 years legal experience, currently a Chartered Legal Executive, Family Lawyer & 10 years Lexcel/Legal Sector consultancy.
Specialisms File review assignments, training, practice development techniques/strategies, and risk management.
Caroline Harris
Lexcel/assessor/consultant/Investors in People/qualified non-practising Solicitor
Based
West Midlands & South West
Experience
30 years experience in the legal sector, 12 years with IIP & 10 years Lexcel/Legal Sector consultancy & 10 years Lexcel/Legal Sector consultancy.
Specialisms
Joint Lexcel/IIP assessments.
Cathy Poulter
Lexcel/SQM/CQS/assessor/consultant/trainer
Based
South West
Experience
Experienced ex solicitor, originally admitted to the roll in 1979, now an independent consultant working in the legal sector providing assessment, advice and guidance, approved Law Society project supplier & 10 years Lexcel/Legal Sector consultancy.
Specialisms
Client care, complaints handling, risk and regulatory compliance including Outcomes Focused Regulation & support for COLP/ COFA.
Dafydd Thorne
Lexcel/SQM Assessor/Consultant
Based:
South West but works all across the south
Experience
Own communications and training consultancy across all business sectors since 2002. More than 10 years working in the legal sector
Specialisms
Communications. Practice and Performance Management
Ian Fuller
Lexcel/Investors in People Assessor/Business Coach
Based
Based in Cornwall and covers the South West
Experience
Assessor with 10 years’ experience of assessing against the Lexcel Standard and around 20 years on Investors in People across a range of organisation sizes and sectors.
Specialisms
Coaching and advising on business planning, leadership and management development, and people management good practice and supporting processes.
Samantha Gallagher
Lexcel Assessor and Consultant, Risk and Compliance Consultant and SQM Auditor
Based
Midlands but also covering East Anglia and London
Experience
Risk and Compliance Consultant with a background in conveyancing and regulatory compliance. Worked in private practice for a number of years before joining the Law Society and then the SRA. Spent over 10 years undertaking regulatory inspections for the SRA’s Practice Standards Unit and assisting firms to meet their regulatory obligations.
Now as an independent consultant supports legal practices with meeting their SRA obligations and the requirements of relevant legislation and accreditations. Also offers tailored compliance solutions to help businesses develop and embed effective quality and risk management processes. These solutions include drafting policies and procedures, developing and implementing file review processes and internal audit functions.
Specialisms
Lexcel, regulatory compliance, risk management including file reviews/audits, CQS and SQM.
Michael Johnson
Assessor for Lexcel, Auditor for ISO 9001 and also the LawNet Quality Standard (LQS).
Based
South West, but carries out assessments and audits throughout England, South Wales and in Continental Europe.
Experience
Practised as a Solicitor for 21 years, in Private Practice (commercial and relocation/residential property, liquor licensing, from Trainee Solicitor to Equity Partner, including as Managing Partner) and for 3 years as COO of an International Title Insurance Group. Since 2010 has carried 100’s of audits and assessments predominantly for Legal Practices (private practice and in-house) but also for other non-legal sector Organisations.
Specialisms
Whilst independently assessing and auditing, seeing compliance through the eyes of the Practice, all staff and those who have the responsibility to introduce, maintain and monitor it.
Neil Huxtable
Lexcel/Investors in People/AQS/SQM/assessor/consultant
Based
South & North Wales
Experience
Business owner providing consultancy on organisation development and human resources, IIP assessor experience & 10 years Lexcel/Legal Sector Consultancy.
Specialisms
Welsh speaker, organisational development, performance management & joint Lexcel/IIP assessments.
Jeff Williams-Jones
Lexcel assessor / consultant; management consultant; qualified executive coach and leadership mentor; lecturer in management subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels; Investors in People practitioner for 18 years.
Based
Wales but will travel
Experience
35 years as manager/owner of a trading company, Entrepreneurship, University Teaching.
Specialisms
Welsh speaker, strategic development (business planning), human resource management
Roger Young
Lexcel assessor/commercial business coach
Based
London, Midlands, South Wales & France
Experience
25 years + commercial business, management and board level experience & 10 years Lexcel/Legal Sector consultancy.
Specialisms
Strategic planning, organisational change, people management, financial appraisal & planning, risk management, leadership & Director mentoring.
Gemma Shanks
Lexcel Assessor and Consultant / Compliance Consultant / Non-practising solicitor.
Based
North East. Operates nationally.
Experience
Non-practising solicitor with over 12 years’ experience working with the Legal Profession and the Lexcel Standard. Extensive Lexcel experience working with a significant number, and variety of firms from sole practitioners to multi nationals and local authorities.
As a consultant, assists law firms helping them to implement effective processes and procedures to achieve the Law Society’s Lexcel standard and regulatory compliance. Frequently supports firms through complex structure change projects, helping them to navigate through the process quickly and efficiently. Excellent communication skills and a pragmatic and intuitive approach allows for working well with all personnel within firms, from senior management through to support staff, to achieve the best results possible.
Specialisms
Lexcel, File Reviews, CQS, SRA Compliance Consultancy, COLP and COFA support and Risk Management
Kate Williams
Lexcel Assessor; Investors in People Practitioner; Solicitor; Justice of the Peace
Based
South West
Experience
Worked as a commercial property solicitor in private practice and in-house for seven years, and continue to maintain practicing certificate working for small, family owned company. Now an independent consultant providing advice and assessment services for benchmark and best practice standards.
Specialisms
Mapping and links between Lexcel and Investors in People standards; dual delivery of Lexcel and Investors in People assessments; positive people management and employee engagement; tailored advice and support to work towards improvement areas.
Malcolm Lawson
Lexcel, LawNet, ISO 9001, SQM, AQS (formerly GQM), CQS. Assessor/Auditor/Consultant/Trainer
Based
North East England
Experience
Over 19 years' previous experience as a Lexcel assessor/consultant working with a variety of legal firms from sole practitioners to multi nationals and in-house legal departments of local authorities. Significant experience of working with and providing consultancy support to businesses across all sectors including, education, charities and international blue chip organisations. Established and sold a number of small businesses
Specialisms
Customer focused approach. Practical experience as an owner of numerous small businesses and therefore empathy with business leaders. Leadership and succession planning. Performance Management, IT and Business Continuity.
Philip Knight
Lexcel Assessor, Consultant, coach and training provider.
Based:
North Yorkshire with national portfolio.
Experience:
Delivered Lexcel consultancy support and assessment services since the launch of the standard. Retained by law firms to assist with all aspects of practice management.
Specialisms:
Risk, compliance and all aspects of practice management through on-going work within the legal sector
Dawn Lindop
Lexcel Assessor, SQM Auditor, non-practising solicitor and compliance consultant
Based
Midlands but will travel
Experience
Qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and spent several years in private practice before joining the Law Society and thereafter the SRA. In over ten years as a senior adviser in the SRA’s Practice Standards Unit Dawn visited hundreds of firms of solicitors of all sizes and types to assess regulatory compliance and help improve their compliance and risk management systems. Since 2011 she has run her own compliance consultancy
Specialisms
Lexcel, SQM, SRA compliance consultancy, file reviews and COLP/COFA support
Paul McCluskey
Lexcel Trainee Assessor and Consultant / Law firm banking specialist/Business coach
Based
East England/London. Operates nationally and internationally
Experience
Over 30 years financial services experience and former UK Head of Professional Practices at Lloyds Bank . For the past 15 years I have specialised in helping law firms to manage their finances and operations. Spanning across 3 UK law society jurisdictions I led a team of 100 Lexcel accredited managers to service the needs of over 3,000 legal practices.
Now an independent consultant I have the ability to support firms with the financial and risk management needs of the business. I have an exceptional reputation for delivery with solid breadth and depth of experience leading large teams across business development, operational, project, risk, sales and strategic planning/execution
Specialisms
Supporting law firm to improve their financial management offering practical solutions to structure client money to maximise cash room operations and guide firms around funding requirements and access to funds. Support firms through fraud awareness training and will contribute through non-executive director roles or via a flexible retainer arrangement.