The LSB has appointed Richard Orpin as CEO following an open recruitment process
The Legal Services Board has announced the appointment of Richard Orpin as its new Chief Executive Officer, confirming he will take the role on a permanent basis following an open recruitment process.
The appointment was announced on 13 January 2026. The LSB said the Board selected Orpin after a competitive process, which attracted a strong field of candidates.
Orpin joined the Legal Services Board in 2023 as Director of Regulation and Policy. The LSB said he brings nearly 20 years’ experience in regulation and in government.
Catherine Brown, Interim Chair of the Legal Services Board, said she was pleased to confirm Orpin’s appointment as permanent CEO. She said the recruitment process was thorough and highly competitive, and that the decision reflected the qualities Orpin demonstrated during the selection process, including principled leadership, strategic capability, and a clear vision for the organisation’s future.
Brown said Orpin had already led the organisation as Interim CEO, and credited him with ensuring the LSB maintained what she described as an unrelenting focus on the regulatory objectives. She congratulated him on the appointment and said the Board looked forward to continuing to work with him as the organisation enters its next phase.
Orpin said he was honoured to be asked to lead the LSB at what he described as an important moment for the sector. He said he would work with colleagues to pursue the organisation’s ambition to ensure regulation delivers better outcomes for the public, strengthens standards, and supports innovation that widens access to legal services.
He said the challenges facing the sector are real and require continued perseverance to overcome, but added that there is also significant opportunity. Orpin said he looked forward to working with colleagues across the sector to make meaningful progress and to help ensure that everyone can access high-quality legal services that meet their needs.
The LSB also set out Orpin’s background in regulation and public policy. Before joining the legal services regulator, he spent just under a decade at Ofcom, where he worked on competition and consumer policy across telecoms, postal services, and the broadcasting and media sectors.
Prior to his time at Ofcom, Orpin worked at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The LSB said this included a role as Head of Domestic Gambling Policy.
The announcement also noted that Orpin holds an MSc in Public Policy and Management.
Orpin has served as Interim Chief Executive of the Legal Services Board since the summer of 2025. The appointment confirms his move from interim leadership to the permanent chief executive role, as the regulator continues its work overseeing legal services regulation and supporting regulatory objectives across the sector.