Legal Director

Markel · Manchester - UK

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Full-timeLeadJul 2026 · checked today

Legal Director – Crime & Regulatory Manchester

Lead. Shape. Build something exceptional.

At Markel Law, we don’t just advise on risk we help businesses navigate their most complex and high-stakes challenges with confidence.

We’re now looking for a senior Crime & Regulatory lawyer ready to step into a Legal Director level role, combining technical excellence, leadership, and commercial impact. The role is to provide input into the strategic leadership, development and growth of the crime and regulatory team, along with managing a varied case load both as the day-to-day contact on cases and also as supervisor to more junior colleagues in the team.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the direction of a nationally recognised practice while working on some of the most interesting and varied matters in the market.

What makes this role different?

You’ll join a highly ranked Crime & Regulatory team (Legal 500 & Chambers) working across a broad and complex caseload, including:

Inquests and public inquiries

Professional discipline

Police gross misconduct investigations

Health & safety, environmental and licensing matters

Entity regulation (including Ofsted & CQC)

But this role goes beyond casework. You’ll be empowered to:

Influence strategy and growth of the practice

Build and deepen client and insurer relationships

Develop and mentor lawyers

Play a key role in expanding our Manchester presence

The role

As a Legal Director, you will:

Lead on complex, high-value regulatory matters, including advocacy where appropriate

Be a technical specialist to deal with complex inquests and fitness to practise cases, undertaking own advocacy and helping support and develop juniors

Provide commercial, pragmatic advice to businesses and individuals (insured and uninsured)

Support the strategic direction and growth of the Crime & Regulatory team

Build strong relationships with insurers, clients and internal partners

Supervise, develop and inspire junior lawyers

Contribute to business development, marketing and thought leadership

Take ownership of financial performance, important metrics and profitability

What we’re looking for

You’re likely to be:

A Senior Associate, Legal Director or Partner specialising in crime/regulatory law

Technically strong across multiple regulatory disciplines

Commercially minded, with a track record in client development and growth

Experienced in working with insurance-backed work or complex participant environments

A confident leader who enjoys developing people and building teams

Most importantly, you’ll bring the ambition and credibility to help take this practice to the next level.

Why Markel Law?

We’re part of a global Fortune 500 group, but we operate with the agility and culture of a specialist firm.

Work with a high-quality, diverse client base including SMEs, corporates and professionals

Access to a strong pipeline of work via insurance partnerships and internal referrals

Be part of a collaborative, people-first culture

Play a genuine role in shaping the future of the team and wider business

What you’ll get

Competitive salary + great bonus

25 days holiday (with buy/sell options)

Pension, private medical & dental

Life assurance and income protection

Flexible working and genuine work/life balance

A clear platform for progression and influence

Ready to make an impact?

If you’re looking for a leadership role where you can combine top-tier legal work with real strategic influence, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now or get in touch for a confidential conversation.

At Markel, we are all about the people, celebrating the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you. We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.

We will ensure that individuals are provided with any reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us via email at rec@markel.com or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations or adjustments that may be needed, including alternative formats of documents or information on how to apply offline.

#LI-PC1#LI-Hybrid #PlayYourPartUK

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