Legal Director - Crime & Regulatory

Sanderson King; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Leadership role with autonomy

Exposure to high-profile work

Job summary

Sanderson King in the United Kingdom is seeking a senior lawyer to join and help lead its Crime & Regulatory practice in Manchester or Leeds. This is a key leadership appointment within a nationally recognised team advising insurers, businesses, professionals, and individuals on complex regulatory and criminal matters.

The role offers a genuine leadership position with autonomy to shape growth, mentor talent, and enhance market presence.

Qualifications

• Experience in crime and regulatory law, with cross-regulatory exposure is valuable.
• Proven ability to manage clients and contribute to business development.
• Experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers and supporting their development.

Responsibilities

• Providing senior-level advice across contentious and non-contentious crime and regulatory matters.
• Handling a varied and high-quality caseload, including inquests and public inquiries.
• Handling professional discipline, health and safety, licensing, and environmental matters.
• Acting as lead advisor on complex, sensitive matters and supervising junior lawyers.
• Contributing to strategic growth through business development and relationship building.
• Supporting financial performance, including budgeting and KPIs, and assisting with market leadership.

Skills

Crime & regulatory law

Business development

Mentoring junior lawyers

Client relationship management

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Up to c.£100,000 base + 20% bonus + strong benefits

A nationally recognised, forward-thinking legal and professional services business is seeking a senior lawyer to join and help lead its highly regarded Crime & Regulatory practice in Manchester or Leeds.

This is a key leadership appointment within a Legal 500 and Chambers-ranked team, advising insurers, businesses, professionals, and individuals on complex and often high-profile matters across the regulatory and criminal landscape.

We are open to established Partners, as well as ambitious Legal Directors or Senior Associates ready to step up into a broader, more strategic role within a progressive and well-backed platform.

The opportunity

This role combines high-quality legal work with genuine influence over the future direction of the practice. You will be immersed in complex, meaningful cases while playing a central role in shaping growth, mentoring talent, and strengthening market presence.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing senior-level advice across contentious and non-contentious crime and regulatory matters
• Handling a varied and high-quality caseload, including:
• Inquests and public inquiries
• Professional discipline
• Gross misconduct and policing investigations
• Health & safety, licensing, and environmental matters
• Entity regulation (including CQC and Ofsted)
• Acting as lead advisor on complex, sensitive matters
• Supervising and mentoring junior lawyers, supporting their development and performance
• Contributing to the strategic growth of the practice through business development and relationship building
• Strengthening relationships with insurers, corporate clients, and internal stakeholders
• Playing a key role in team leadership, planning, and decision-making
• Supporting financial performance, including billing, budgets, and KPIs
• Enhancing the team’s external profile through thought leadership, marketing, and networking

About you

• Partner, Legal Director, or Senior Associate ready to step into a leadership role
• Strong experience across crime and regulatory law, ideally with cross-regulatory exposure
• Background in insurance-led legal services is advantageousProven ability to manage clients and contribute to business development
• Experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers
• Commercially minded with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach
• Confident engaging with senior stakeholders internally and externally
• Excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to client service

What’s on offer

• Up to £100,000 base salary
• 20% bonus linked to performance and growth (paid out in full over the past few years)
• Hybrid working with Manchester or Leeds base
• A genuine leadership role with autonomy and influence
• Exposure to high-quality, complex, and often high-profile work
• Opportunity to step up and shape a growing, well-regarded practice
• Supportive, inclusive, and people-first culture
• Long-term career platform within a stable and forward-thinking organisation