Legal & Regulatory Risk Lawyer / Senior Legal & Regulatory Risk Lawyer - 12 Month FTC in Manchester

Department: Office of General Counsel

Reports To: Legal and Regulatory Risk Director (EMEA)

At BCLP, we have built our firm on the foundations of thinking differently. Curious, inquisitive, and unbound by tradition, we are building change within our sector and beyond. It starts with our people, which is why we need a Senior Risk & Regulatory Lawyer to join our EMEA OGC team and provide support to the EMEA Deputy GC and the team Directors on a wide variety of interesting and challenging regulatory and legal compliance areas.

Position Overview

The role of the OGC team at BCLP is to ensure that the firm and individuals within the firm maintain and promote the highest standards of legal and regulatory compliance; to advance and protect the vital interests and reputation of the firm; and to lead the thinking on legal and regulatory compliance and legal risk management.

What is in it for you?

The BCLP OGC Team has an international and cross‑functional advisory remit. We work closely with the Board, the Leadership Team, the Audit and Risk Committee, and the Business Services Chiefs to ensure coordination and alignment with business objectives and a “clear line of sight” and accountability in respect of all areas of legal and regulatory risk. The EMEA OGC team is based in London and Manchester, but this role will be based in London, with the possibility of occasional travel to Manchester.

To work in partnership with all levels of BCLP staff to provide integrated legal and regulatory risk advice and support. Primary work contacts are the EMEA Deputy GC and the Legal and Regulatory Risk Team. Secondary work contacts are the firm’s Global General Counsel, the Business Acceptance Team, OGC Team members in US, senior members of other Business Services functions, Knowledge Lawyers, Partners, and other lawyers. To provide proactive and aligned business enabling solutions to facilitate BCLP’s strategic objectives and protect and promote BCLP’s reputation.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in managing the OGC team query inbox on a rota basis and act as a first point of contact for internal legal and regulatory risk queries and as a point of escalation for junior lawyers and trainees, assisting them to finalise draft responses.
• Address various areas of legal and regulatory risk, including issues concerning the regulation and governance of the firm, the SRA Standards & Regulations, and a broad variety of issues concerning the business, its lawyers and other business professionals.
• Supervise and act as an escalation point for more junior team members on specific legal, regulatory and compliance areas such as client engagement, limitation of liability, anti‑bribery & corruption, share dealing, outside interests, referral fees, file transfer, escrow arrangements, confidentiality undertakings, NDAs, DAC6/UK MDR, and modern slavery.
• Consider whether something is reportable to the SRA or other authority.
• Respond to queries and work on projects relating to HR issues, including onboarding of lateral hire partners and/or teams, staff departures, and supporting investigations where there might be a regulatory or other reporting obligation.
• Draft or review and update risk and compliance policies, procedures and guidance and review and update risk assessments.
• Work as part of the wider Risk & Regulatory team on various projects to respond to key areas of legal/ regulatory risk to the firm or regulatory developments.
• Support the legal and regulatory aspects of strategic projects.
• Draft and deliver compliance training to various groups, including new starters and trainees, mitigate key risks, educate and empower a risk‑aware and speak‑up culture.
• Support the firm’s supplier procurement process by assisting with legal contract review.
• Handle company secretarial work, including filings at Companies House and drafting resolutions for BCLP Group companies.

Skills and Experience Required

• Solicitor or barrister admitted in England & Wales or a similar common law jurisdiction.
• Experience working in legal and regulatory compliance, ideally in an international law firm or for a legal regulator.
• Experience working as a fee earner in private practice.
• Strongly service‑oriented, with commercial acumen, and enthusiasm for the challenges of providing services and resources in a large, multi‑office law firm setting.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to support the priorities and strategies of the firm.
• Strong technical IT skills and experience in the design, implementation or management of any technology‑based compliance systems and processes, including the use of Gen AI tools, would be an advantage.

At Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner we understand the value of a diverse workforce, and we believe people perform at their best when they can truly be themselves at work. We aim to create an inclusive environment where all our employees are valued, motivated and able to be themselves. In order to provide the best possible service to our diverse client base, we are committed to recruiting, retaining, rewarding and developing our people with regard to their abilities and contributions and without reference to their background, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, socio‑economic status, political belief, disability or any other protected characteristic.