The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced that Richard Orpin has been appointed its Chief Executive Officer.
Richard joined the LSB in 2023 as Director, Regulation and Policy, and has nearly 20 years’ experience in regulation and in government. The Board today appointed Richard following an open recruitment process.
Commenting on the appointment, Catherine Brown, Interim Chair of the Legal Services Board, said:
“I am delighted to confirm Richard’s appointment as our permanent CEO, following a thorough and highly competitive recruitment process that attracted a strong field of candidates.
“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.”
She added that ‘as Interim CEO, Richard has led the organisation with distinction, ensuring that the LSB retains an unrelenting focus on the regulatory objectives’, adding:
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Richard on his appointment. We look forward to continuing to work with him as the LSB enters its next phase.”
Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, extended his congratulations to Richard as he takes up this role on a permanent basis ‘at a critical time for the legal profession’. He said:
“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.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Richard on behalf of the profession.”
For more information on Richard and the LSB’s Executive Team members, click here.
