Some readers may only just have recovered from the news that Legal Services Board chief executive Matthew Hill is stepping down from his role next month. Especially as he seems determined to leave with a bang not a whimper.

But when one door closes, another one opens – and the job advertisement for his successor has now been published.

Piggy bank salary

The LSB promises that the successful candidate will lead a ‘small and high-performing team focussed [sic] on ensuring regulation is squarely focused [sic] on the public interest’. That would appear to be a lot of focus.

What the job spec doesn’t go into is the salary the new chief executive can expect, merely pledging a ‘competitive package’.

Which is curious for a couple of reasons. The first is that, as an oversight regulator acting in the public interest, the salary of its leader is surely a matter of public record. The LSB has made it clear that it expects transparency of lawyers, yet it is hardly practising what it preaches here.

But second is that we already know that Hill’s salary and allowances for 2022/23 were £147,000 (with a £17,500 bonus on top). The figures were published as part of the annual accounts, as they are every year. So why so coy? One suspects the successful person will have the nous to Google ‘LSB chief executive salary’ and tack on another £10k if asked about their salary expectations.

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