Regulatory & Compliance Support for Law Firms, Lawyers and Investors
Specialist SRA and AML compliance support for law firms throughout England and Wales. Ad hoc advice, compliance reviews, pre-inspection support, fractional compliance director and more.
Most firms, at some point, need access to someone who genuinely understands how the SRA thinks, can give a straight answer to a difficult question, and can help the business stay ahead of issues rather than react to them.
​
That is what we offer. Andy Donovan is a non-practising solicitor who spent seven years at the SRA, including managing the General Counsel team, before spending over a decade advising and supporting law firms on compliance matters.
The support we provide ranges from a single conversation to a sustained engagement, depending on what you need.
Compliance advice, queries and projects
Sometimes you just need a straight answer to a difficult question. We provide as-and-when-needed advice on SRA and AML queries of all kinds.
For more substantial challenges, we also work with firms on in-depth thematic projects such as overhauling onboarding systems, conflicts of interest identification and management, rebuilding an AML compliance framework, or addressing weaknesses identified in an SRA visit / SRA Compliance Plan.
Retained Compliance Support
For firms that want more than occasional advice, we offer ongoing support on a retained or as-needed basis - including fractional compliance director support for those who need experienced leadership of their compliance function without the overhead of a full-time hire.
We can provide strategic direction, be available for queries as they arise, or simply work alongside your existing team to keep compliance manageable and proportionate.
SRA Authorisation, Law Firm Investment & Restructuring
Setting up a new law firm, converting to an ABS, bringing in external investment, planning succession or closing a regulated practice all require careful regulatory planning. Andy was part of the SRA team that built the framework for alternative business structures and trained SRA staff on ABS approval - which means we know what the regulator is looking for and how to present an application in a way that anticipates questions before they are asked. We have a 100% success rate on submitted applications and support firms from initial structure design through to getting the business ready to trade on day one.
Ethics, SRA and AML training sessions
Andy still offers training through Attuned Consulting for one reason only - because he loves it.
​
Andy has trained lawyers and law firm staff across the country, spoken at Law Society conferences and appeared on BBC1.
Andy's training sessions are practical, engaging and grounded in genuine regulatory experience. Whether you need management development for new partners, one-to-one support for a new COLP or MLRO, or bespoke staff training on ethics, AML or conflicts of interest, we can design and deliver something that actually lands and delivers value.
New Law Firm Office Manuals and AML Procedures
Policies drafted years ago, never properly updated, or copied from a template without tailoring offer limited protection when the SRA visits.
We review and overhaul compliance documentation across AML policies and firm-wide risk assessments, conflicts of interest procedures, client care and complaints handling, accounts rules compliance, and supervision arrangements - producing documentation that is genuinely fit for purpose rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Support with SRA Investigations
Whether the SRA has made contact unexpectedly, an AML inspection is on the horizon or a firm wants to get ahead of potential scrutiny, we provide focused support at every stage. We carry out pre-inspection reviews, identify the areas most likely to attract criticism and put in place a clear action plan. Where a firm is already under investigation or has received a forensic investigation visit, we can help navigate the process, manage SRA communications and work through the remediation steps that will matter most. We know how SRA caseworkers and investigators approach their work because we have worked alongside them.