Culture & curiosity – the keys to good risk management

Rebecca Austin

Head of Risk and Compliance & Partner

raustin@greenwoods.co.uk

Good risk management is about generating a culture that promotes good business practices and, in turn, positive client experience. This is precisely what Rebecca Austin, partner and Head of Risk & Compliance, focuses on ensuring.

Rebecca qualified as a solicitor in 2003, initially focusing on dispute resolution before moving into compliance in 2009 and joining Greenwoods from a top 70 law firm at the start of 2022.

The nature of the work solicitors do means law firms are subject to considerable regulation, it’s important to remember that this regulation is always to ensure clients’ protection.

Testimonials

“Rebecca provided us with succinct, practical and above all helpful advice in relation to various compliance matters, but specifically covering AML. Rebecca forged a path through the various guidance documents available in order to assist with the production of an updated process within Stratagem. We are grateful for her calm and good-humoured assistance.”

(Abigail Woolhouse CTMA Head of TMs & Copyright, Stratagem IPM Limited)

“Working with Rebecca Austin as our external source of professional advice enables us to have day-to-day queries answered swiftly and authoritatively, as well as undertaking an annual update of our policy and procedures.”

(David Gill, Managing Director, St John’s Innovation Centre Ltd, Cambridge)

Rebecca works hard to ensure we comply with regulatory requirements, including anti-money laundering, bribery and the Solicitors Regulation Authority handbook. Rather than a ‘tick box’ approach, Rebecca encourages everyone in the firm to get to know their clients and ask questions to understand their instructions and objectives clearly. Rebecca is our Money Laundering Compliance Office, Money Laundering Reporting Officer, Claims and Complaints Partner and Insurance Distribution Officer.

As well as leading our own risk management and compliance, Rebecca also provides bespoke training, advice and policy reviews to clients on risk and compliance in other sectors caught by AML regulation, including the trust and company service providers (TCSPs) sector and intellectual property lawyers.

If you have concerns about how AML regulation affects your operations, Rebecca can help. You can get in touch by calling 01733 887824 or emailing raustin@greenwoods.co.uk.