New recruits for the Law Society Board

Press release
31 Aug 2023
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Four new independent members have been appointed to the Law Society of England and Wales Board. They take on the role from 1 September as past Board members step down from their posts on 31 August.

The Board is a key oversight body within the Law Society and is made up of Council members, senior executives and independent members. Larissa Joy and Eileen Schofield join as non-Council solicitor members, taking over from Vicky Lockie and Penelope Warne. Krishna Vishnubhotla and Kevin Hogarth bring experience from finance and HR backgrounds, succeeding Bill Butler and Judy Craske.

Law Society Board Chair Robert Bourns said:

“I am grateful to Vicky, Penelope, Judy and Bill who have served the Board and Society to such good effect over the last five and a half years. Their commitment and wisdom have helped to establish the Board within the governance of the Society.

“I am pleased to welcome Eileen, Larissa, Krishna, and Kevin in succession. The skills, experience, and insights they possess will support the further development of the Society as it works to promote our profession as well as the integrity and standing of this jurisdiction in an ever changing and challenging environment.”

President of the Law Society Lubna Shuja said:

“The Board has a key role in ensuring we represent, support and promote the solicitor’s profession at home and internationally whilst also keeping a focus on public interest. Vicky, Penelope, Bill and Judy have been instrumental in this - it has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside them. Their significant contributions are very much recognised by us all.

“I look forward to working with new members Eileen, Larissa, Krishna and Kevin, who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise which will be invaluable to the Law Society.”

Background on incoming Board members:

  • Eileen Schofield is the founder and principal solicitor at Schofield & Associates, a specialist employment law practice. She was the Chair of the Birmingham Law Society Board from 2016-2019, and is currently a member of the Employment Law Committee and International Committee at Birmingham Law Society. She is currently the President of the Solihull Chamber of Commerce.
  • Larissa Joy OBE is a Non-Executive Director of international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, a Non-Executive Director of executive search firm Saxton Bampfylde and a Non-Executive Board Member of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. She also chairs the employee ownership trust of architecture practice Hawkins\Brown. She was awarded an OBE in the 2021 New Years Honours list for services to social enterprise and charity.
  • Krishna Vishnubhotla holds key roles at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in IFRS compliance, leads on accounting issues and helps manage the external audit across the firm’s global network. Krishna is a trustee and Treasurer of UnLtd (The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs) and Director of some of its subsidiaries and since 2017 Krishna has been Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee at UnLtd.
  • Kevin Hogarth was Chief People Officer at KPMG UK between 2020-2022. He was also a member of KPMG’s Executive Committee. His previous roles include Global Director of People and Culture at Norton Rose Fulbright and Global HR Director at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He chaired the Remuneration and Employment Policy Committee at Nottingham Trent University and the People, Remuneration and Nominations Committees at Scope.

Notes to editors

About the Law Society

The Law Society is the independent professional body that works globally to support and represent solicitors, promoting the highest professional standards, the public interest and the rule of law.
Press office contact: Louise Navarro-Cann | 020 8049 371

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