The chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB), Alan Kershaw, has stepped down from the role midway through his terms after citing personal reasons for the decision.

Kershaw, who has a host of board-level experience at multiple regulators, took on the position with the LSB for a provisional four years from 1^st April 2023, taking over from Dr Helen Phillips.

After his unexpected departure, the Ministry of Justice will now run a formal recruitment process in search of a replacement for the industry’s oversight regulator, alongside approving an interim chair while the process is ongoing.

Ahead of these requirements, senior independent director, Catherine Brown, has stepped in to chair the board. She has done so in line with the LSB’s governance arrangements.

LSB chief executive Craig Westwood said:

“Alan leaves with our gratitude for the leadership he has provided during his time as chair of the LSB. He has brought to this work valuable expertise in professional regulation, accompanied by strong championing of the needs of consumers and for the public good.

“Under Alan’s leadership, the LSB has refocused regulation’s role in promoting technology and innovation that increase access to legal services. The LSB has also sharpened its expectations for regulators to improve how lawyers and law firms handle consumer complaints.”

Mr Kershaw’s departure marks the second high-profile regulator announcement in one week, after the SRA’s chief executive, Paul Philip, announced that he would be retiring later this year.

Could this be a sign of some changing times for the legal sector?