We are pleased to announce that Partner Ben Thorogood has been appointed Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP), with effect from 16 May 2024. Ben takes over from Partner John Gavan, who held the role from its inception 11 years ago. 

As COLP, Ben will be responsible for ensuring Laytons ETL’s compliance with the terms of its authorisation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and for ensuring that the firm, its managers, employees and interest holders comply with any SRA regulations which apply to them. 

Commenting on his new role, Ben said:

“I am grateful for the immense contribution made by John Gavan during his tenure as COLP. 

“I am committed to providing the firm, and those engaged within it, with the support required to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards, and to maintain an effective and dynamic legal practice.” 

John is stepping back to focus on his practice which spans the firm’s corporate, employment and tax groups. His tenure as COLP spanned the pandemic, and the associated challenges of adapting compliance procedures to new remote working practices, and, in 2021, Laytons integration into the international professional services group, ETL Global. 

John said:

“It has been an honour to serve as Laytons’ first Compliance Officer for Legal Compliance, and to play my part in maintaining, through one of the most turbulent periods in post-war history, the exemplary professional standards for which our firm is known. 

“I can’t think of anyone better than Ben to take over the role and I am sure he will be more than capable of tackling whatever challenges may come his way as the world changes, working practices continue to evolve, and the regulation of our profession adapts accordingly.” 

Michael Kashis, Managing Partner CEO at Laytons said:

“We are deeply grateful for John’s unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions to ensuring our compliance and upholding the highest legal standards. 

“Ben brings a wealth of experience and a strong understanding of compliance requirements to this position. We are confident that Ben as COLP will continue to uphold our firm's standards of excellence and integrity in this new capacity.”