Enforcement Case Lawyer

Financial Reporting Council Limited; Birmingham; Ibrido; GBP 65.000 - 90.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Financial Reporting Council Limited seeks a solicitor or barrister with substantial litigation and regulatory experience to lead complex investigations in the Audit Enforcement Procedure and related schemes. The role requires autonomy in managing discrete areas and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams of forensic accountants, lawyers, and experts.

You will provide high-quality legal analysis, plan case strategy, and oversee budgets while mentoring junior staff.

Competenze

• Solicitor or barrister qualified to practise in England & Wales.
• Significant litigation or disputes experience.
• Experience in contentious regulatory law is a plus.
• Ability to lead case teams and manage investigations.

Mansioni

• Lead case teams comprising forensic accountants and junior lawyers.
• Collaborate within case teams on larger, complex matters.
• Provide high quality legal analysis on cases and enforcement work.
• Plan case strategy and drive investigations forward.
• Review accounting, actuarial and audit materials with forensics.
• Instruct and work with counsel and external experts.
• Lead preparation for Tribunal hearings and assist with budgets.
• Develop and supervise more junior team members.

Conoscenze

Legal analysis

Written & oral communication

Judgement

Trial management

Team leadership

Formazione

Qualified solicitor or barrister (England & Wales)

Descrizione del lavoro

The Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) purpose is to serve the public interest and support UK economic growth by setting high standards of corporate governance, reporting and audit and holding to account those responsible for delivering them. We set the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes as well as UK standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work, and monitor and take action to promote the quality of corporate reporting and operate independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries. Further information about our role can be found at www.frc.org.uk.

We are the UK Competent Authority for audit and have responsibility for enforcement action in relation to audit firms and individual auditors. The FRC’s Enforcement Division is also the independent disciplinary body for the accountancy and actuarial professions in the UK. Pursuant to these roles, we undertake complex regulatory and professional disciplinary investigations and prosecutions in cases involving auditors, audit firms, accountants and actuaries which raise important issues affecting the public interest in the UK.

Many of the investigations are large, complex, and high-profile and our cases regularly require liaison with other investigators including the Serious Fraud Office, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Insolvency Service, and the Pensions Regulator. Examples of our recent case outcomes can be found here.

More information on the work of the Division can be found in our Annual Enforcement Review.

The Role:

To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in complex and often high-profile investigations under the FRC’s Audit Enforcement Procedure and the Accountancy and Actuarial Schemes. The role involves taking autonomous responsibility for certain cases and working as part of a team and taking responsibility for discrete areas on other (generally large, complex) matters. The role includes:

• Leading case teams comprising forensic accountants, more junior lawyers, and legal assistants.

• Working collaboratively within case teams, comprising forensic accountants, more senior lawyers, and legal assistants on larger and more complex matters.
• Providing high quality advice and analysis on legal and policy aspects of cases and of Enforcement Division work in general.
• Planning, and assisting more senior lawyers with, case strategy and project managing and driving investigations forward.

• Working with forensic accountants to review complex accounting, actuarial and audit material.
• High quality analysis of information and use of evidence to evaluate cases.
• Instructing, and working closely with, counsel, independent experts, and external solicitors.
• Leading, and assisting more senior lawyers with, preparation for Tribunal hearings.
• Overseeing, and assisting more senior lawyers with, case expenditure and taking responsibility for case budgets.
• Managing, supervising and developing more junior members of the team.

The post holder should be able to work flexibly to support the team’s activities and also provide cover within the FRC as necessary. The FRC operates a hybrid working arrangement. This means full-time employees will spend at least four days per fortnight in the office, pro rata for part time employees, and any arrangement will be agreed between the employee and their line manager.

The Person:

The successful candidate will be a solicitor or barrister qualified to practise in England & Wales (or other Common Law jurisdiction, with demonstrable experience in the UK) with significant litigation/disputes experience and/or experience of contentious regulatory law (typically in excess of five years).

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in the following competencies:

• Excellent legal and analytical skills;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• A strong intellect and good judgement;
• A good organizer with effective trial management skills;
• A good leader with self-motivation to pursue matters and make fair and robust legal decisions;
• Ability to work well under pressure and to deadlines;
• Enthusiasm for conducting important regulatory work in the public interest; and
• A good team player.