Deloitte UK has appointed Michael Castle as its first permanent lead partner for Deloitte Legal, commencing February 2019.
Castle will be responsible for Deloitte Legal in the UK, which provides legal advice, technology enabled delivery, and process optimisation.
His role will involve developing different ways to take legal solutions to the market. This will combine legal advice with legal managed services, technology and consultancy to help clients optimise the management of their legal operations.
Deloitte became the last of the Big Four to move into legal services in the UK, after it was granted and alternative business structure licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in June 2018.
The firm announced its plans to develop a legal services business in January 2018 and now has over 60 client-facing lawyers and over 125 other staff providing legal services. Globally, Deloitte Legal has 2,500 professionals operating in 85 countries.
Deloitte North West Europe managing partner for tax and legal Matt Ellis said: “We have sky-high ambitions for Deloitte Legal in the UK, and this is why it is excellent to have someone of Michael’s calibre at the helm to build our presence and grow our distinctive suite of legal offerings.
“Michael brings a wealth of experience and it is clear to see that his leadership and understanding of the legal market and appreciation of legal technology will only benefit the rest of the team and our clients. We have an ambitious, talented team that looks set to grow rapidly as we ramp up our recruitment across Deloitte Legal.”
Castle said: “This is an exciting and challenging time for the legal industry. General Counsels face a number of converging complexities, ranging from a heightened regulatory environment to an increasingly globalised business landscape, not to mention an acceleration of technological advancements.
“Deloitte Legal is ideally placed to fill the digital gap in the legal market and provide legal solutions to tackle these complexities head on. By drawing not only on our legal expertise, but also on our deep understanding of the latest technology and tried-and-tested ways of improving processes, we can help legal departments improve efficiencies and increase the value they deliver back to their business.”
