Orpin: Principlied leadership
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has named Richard Orpin as its new chief executive, having been acting up in the role for the last six months.
He joined the oversight regulator in 2023 as director of regulation and policy and took over as chief executive on an interim basis last summer when Craig Westwood stepped down after less than a year in post.
The LSB still has an interim chair, Catherine Brown, following Alan Kershaw standing down last March, less than halfway through his term.
She said there had been “a thorough and highly competitive recruitment process that attracted a strong field of candidates”.
Ms Brown continued: “The appointment was based on the qualities of principled leadership, strategic capability, and a clear vision for the LSB’s future that Richard demonstrated through the process.
“As interim CEO, Richard has led the organisation with distinction, ensuring that the LSB retains an unrelenting focus on the regulatory objectives.”
Mr Orpin said: “I am honoured to be asked to lead the LSB at such an important moment for the sector. Working with our talented people, I will pursue our ambition to ensure regulation delivers better outcomes for the public, strengthens standards, and supports innovation that widens access to legal services. When legal services work well, society works better.”
Among the pressing issues on Mr Orpin’s desk are the public censure for the Solicitors Regulation Authority following the SSB Group report, the details of which have still to be announced, continuing performance issues at the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the review of advice given by regulators on the conduct of litigation following the Mazur ruling, and pressing for regulatory action against lawyers involved in the Post Office scandal.
Prior to joining the LSB, Mr Orpin worked at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, including as head of domestic gambling policy, before just under a decade at Ofcom, where he worked on competition and consumer policy in various sectors.
Law Society president Mark Evans said congratulated Mr Orpin on his appointment, adding: “Following the oversight regulator’s independent reviews of the Axiom Ince and SSB Group collapses, the LSB has an important role to play into helping to restore consumer and solicitors’ trust and confidence in the Solicitors Regulation Authority.”
Meanwhile, BSB director general Mark Neale has brought forward his planned retirement and stand down at the end of March after six years in the role.
As well as recruiting a replacement, the regulator is to hire its first chief operating officer, in recognition that “a rise in both the complexity and volume of enforcement and other operational work has meant that improving delivery has become more demanding and more urgent”.
Mr Neale said: “We must make changes to our operations to improve timeliness and efficiency so that we are more resilient and flexible in the face of volatile workload pressures. Meeting this challenge will extend well beyond my planned departure so I am bringing that forward in the interest of the BSB.
“After six hugely rewarding years, I am immensely proud of the engaged, independent, and diverse regulator the BSB has become.”
BSB chair Professor Christopher Bones said: “I want to thank Mark for his contributions and service to the Bar Standards Board.
“The board’s priority is to retain a clear focus on establishing operational excellence and creating a regulatory system that operates effectively which enables confidence and meets the expectation of our stakeholders.
“These changes will help put in place process and resource solutions that will enable greater agility focused on outcomes and supported by clear measures of success.”
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