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CEO appointed at legal super-regulator

14 January 2026
Issue: 8145 / Categories: Legal News , Regulatory , Legal services
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Richard Orpin has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of the Legal Services Board (LSB), which oversees all nine legal regulators

Orpin, who joined the LSB in 2023, was appointed interim CEO in July 2025 when Craig Westwood left the post. He previously worked in policy roles at Ofcom and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, covering telecoms, postal services, media and domestic gambling policy.

Orpin said he aimed to strengthen standards and support ‘innovation that widens access to legal services’.

Law Society president Mark Evans 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.’

An LSB-commissioned review criticised the solicitors’ regulator last year for failing to protect consumers, the public interest and professional standards in connection with the collapsed firms.

Issue: 8145 / Categories: Legal News , Regulatory , Legal services
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