Head of Legal Practice (HOLP)

Company:

My client is a growing, innovative and technology driven company operating in the residential property market, with a portfolio of businesses incorporating established offerings in Estate Agency, Mortgage Brokerage, and Surveyors. As they grow, they are now establishing their own Conveyancing firm and are looking for an experienced Head of Legal Practice (HOLP) to oversee operations and ensure the highest standards of legal compliance and client care.

Role Overview:

The HOLP will report into the Head of Conveyancing and will be responsible for the firm's legal practice, ensuring overall compliance with all regulatory requirements, and the firms CLC authorisation. This is a senior leadership position requiring strong legal expertise, particularly in conveyancing, and a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks.

Key Responsibilities:

Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the firm complies with all legal and regulatory obligations, including those set out by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Leadership and Management: Provide strategic leadership and oversight
Risk Management: Identify, assess, and manage potential risks to the firm, implementing effective measures to mitigate risks associated with legal practice and conveyancing transactions.
Client Relations: Maintain high levels of client care, handling complex or high-value cases and acting as an escalation point for client concerns.
Training and Development: Train, support and update the wider business on all changes to compliance policies and communicating such procedures on a firm-wide basis.
Reporting: Report directly to the firm's directors and Head of Conveyancing on matters of internal policy, compliance, risk management, compliance, and providing regular reports on the compliance plan and compliance arrangements.

Qualifications and Skills:

Qualified Solicitor, Chartered Legal Executive or Licensed Conveyancer with a minimum of 5 years PQE.
Proven experience in a similar senior role, ideally as a HOLP or Compliance Management
Comprehensive knowledge of conveyancing processes, property law, and associated regulations.
Strong understanding of CLC and/or SRA regulations and a commitment to ensuring compliance.
Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and manage a legal team.
Analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a strong focus on risk management and quality assurance.
Strong client care skills and a track record of delivering exceptional service.
A proactive, organised approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Benefits:

Competitive salary and share options
The chance to work for an innovative start-up, backed by an high growth tech business, and the opportunity to work outside of the typical law firm culture and environment.
Opportunities for career progression and professional development,
Supportive and collaborative working environment.
Pension scheme and other benefits.

This job description outlines the general nature of the role and the key responsibilities but is not exhaustive. Additional duties may be assigned depending on the firm's needs.