top of page
Ben Johnson_edited_edited.jpg

Ben
Johnson


CONSULTANT

  • LinkedIn
  • Email

+44 (0) 7768 827117

kite_red1.png

Recent programmes and projects

CMS Selection

Client & matter inception

Conflict checking

Milestones & critical dates

Legal process review

Inhouse styles and templates

Certification of quality management systems

Certification of information security management systems

Since I qualified as a solicitor in 1998, I have spent over 25 years as a partner in a number of top 100 regional, national and international law firms. Initially working as a corporate finance lawyer for both public company and private equity clients. In 2008 (as the regulatory focus on law firms intensified) I became Head of Best Practice & Risk guiding my firm through the first transition to the SRA's new outcome focussed regulation and being appointed the first Compliance Officer for Legal Practice.

The Best Practice & Risk role, naturally, encompassed compliance & quality but also had management responsibility for knowledge management and learning & development.

The combined roles affirmed my belief that strong knowledge management and learning in law firms is one of the biggest assets in controlling several professional and regulatory risks.

My 14 years working in Best Practice & Risk exposed me to a number of systems developments and projects. The key projects being

  • Selection (as a client of 3Kites) and implementation of a bespoke matter management system with enhanced integration capabilities and applications outside the legal practice areas including:

        o Client & Matter Inception​

        o Conflict checking

        o Milestones & critical date

  • Legal process review (also with 3Kites) and implementation of various outcomes

  • Implementing new house styles and templates for precedents and other knowhow sources using Document Excellence Group conventions

  • Overhaul and re-certification of my firm's quality management system to ISO9001

  • Attaining certification of the firm's information security management system to ISO27001

The key lesson I have learnt is the importance that compliance requirements for a law firm (particularly KYC/AML) are tailored to 'living' risk assessments. Getting the right balance between prescriptive rules and valued risk-based judgements is very hard but is essential to encourage correct use of the processes and reduce compliance friction.

I am very excited to be a part of 3Kites having worked with them extensively on projects over several years.

bottom of page