Jessica is a Senior Associate specialising in legal services regulation, with a focus on regulatory compliance, legal ethics, investigations and public law matters. Outside the legal services sector, she acts both for and against the regulators of the accountancy and actuarial professionals.
Having worked for a legal services regulator and provided advice to those handling disciplinary cases, Jessica understands first-hand, how allegations are considered and on what basis decisions are made. This provides a unique and valuable insight to her clients, enabling her to better understand the full range of regulatory outcomes and the ones more likely to be imposed. Jessica is known for having an eagle eye for detail but never losing sight of the bigger picture for her clients. She will consider all the options available and will seek to obtain the best outcomes she can for clients, at the earliest possible opportunity.
Jessica’s clients in the legal sector include those who are subject to regulatory investigations and any subsequent disciplinary proceedings, as well as those seeking advice about regulatory compliance, ethical obligations, changes to business structures, authorisation processes, and those facing public law challenges.
Jessica provides policy, regulatory reform, governance and litigation advice to regulators and advises on extensive drafting projects, as well as delivering training on focus areas.
Jessica’s early legal regulatory career was spent in-house, first at the Legal Services Board (LSB) and then at the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Having worked both in private practice and in-house, gaining experience both in prosecution and defence, ensures that she is ideally placed to advise regulated professionals on how a regulator may view alleged conduct, what action may follow, and how best to defend any allegation.
Recent work
- Advising a regulator on its disciplinary scheme
- Advising firms and solicitors in relation to the SRA’s Standards and Regulations and the underpinning Enforcement Strategy
- Advising SRA regulated individuals and firms in relation to SRA investigations
- Drafting regulations for a regulator client
Professional societies and memberships
An effective team player who role models the combination of intellectual rigour and speed of delivery which clients need in this area of law”
A client
Has expert level knowledge in legal regulation and wider public law experience”
A client
I always knew if I instructed Jessica to do something, it would be done thoroughly, to a high standard and with thought”
A client