Continuing to expand their team, Legal Eye are pleased to announce the appointment of their newest member.
Joining in the role of Senior Compliance Manager, Kate Burt is set to bring an extensive range of industry experience to the role.
After qualifying as a Solicitor in 2007, Kate spent over a decade in private practice, working within a number of Legal 500 firms before finding her niche in compliance work.
Having worked in a range of legal environments, Kate has built an understanding of the most common challenges which firms face; using both her industry experience and sector awareness, she is able to deliver advice which is tailored to the firm and the issues at hand.
A background in advising large insurer clients on strategic matters and public liability personal injury claims has meant she’s worked on high net worth cases, some with a value of up to half a million pounds. A confident litigator and negotiator, Kate routinely secured impressive settlements, as well as successfully leading cases to trial and as far as the Court of Appeal.
Kate’s confidence is also reflected in her presenting skills, having built a wealth of experience creating and delivering training to corporate clients including interactive mock trials for large insurance and construction companies.
Complementing her experience of presentation delivery, Kate has simultaneously grown and established her leadership skills having effectively led teams of lawyers and taken responsibility to ensure both technical accuracy and efficiency within firms. As well as ensuring maximum service delivery for clients, this also allowed the firm to maintain an optimum level of profitability.
A testament to her extensive industry knowledge and position within the sector, Kate was approached to project manage the ABS application of a leading Claims Management Company. After successfully leading them to authorisation, Kate then undertook the extensive and necessary ground work required ready to go live. It was whilst working in-house that she recognised the value of a compliance solution within the legal industry, deciding to set up her own consultancy where she positioned herself as a COLP’s confidant and go-to for compliance related concerns.
Highlighting a motivating factor behind her change of direction, Kate said: “I recognised a real need to support a firm’s compliance officer, especially as it can be such an isolating and overwhelming role for a single person to undertake. Whilst firms’ objectives will usually be shared, priorities will be competing; it’s essential that they have easy access to a support function which is truly in touch with the specific needs of their firm.”
A dialogue between Kate and Legal Eye initially opened in December 2017 with a view to form a strategic alliance. After discussions with Managing Director Paul Saunders and Director of Business Development Jody Evans, it became apparent that there was a synergy in both approach and vision. Kate agreed to join the team as a permanent fixture in March 2018.
Kate said: “I was immediately struck by the warmth and down to earth approach of both Paul and Jody, something which I have now recognised to be present throughout the whole team. It was clear that access to their team’s awareness and expertise within the industry could only enhance the experience of my clients. I’m excited to be part of the team.”
Demonstrating her presentation skills from the offset, Kate is also set to be delivering a key presentation at the upcoming Inside Conveyancing Legal Update Conference. Set to be held in Leeds on 24 April, her talk will focus on the GDPR, helping to assure firms that they’re prepared ahead of the approaching deadline.
