Regulatory Disputes Associate

Osborne Clarke LLP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international law firm is seeking an Associate to join their Regulatory Disputes team, focusing on compliance and investigations across complex high-impact matters. The successful candidate will support clients in areas such as non-contentious advisory work, managing investigations, and developing compliance frameworks. The role offers opportunities for career growth within a supportive environment, alongside competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Structured career development program

Qualifications

• Experience in regulatory compliance and investigations.
• Ability to advise on regulatory frameworks.
• Experience with internal investigations and regulator interactions.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on regulatory compliance and investigations.
• Support non-contentious advisory work across health and safety topics.
• Manage document reviews and disclosure during investigations.

Skills

Analytical skills

Client handling

Drafting skills

Proactive mindset

Job description

We are seeking an Associate to join our highly regarded Regulatory Disputes team, with a primary focus on regulatory compliance and investigations across complex, high‑impact matters for leading businesses. The successful candidate will play a key role in advising on non‑contentious compliance frameworks (including Anti‑Bribery & Corruption (ABC), Failure to Prevent Fraud (FTPF), Modern Slavery and Health and Safety), and guiding clients through investigations, enforcement, and related contentious processes.

The Work

The team acts across the full lifecycle of regulatory risk, advising on preventative compliance, internal and external investigations, engagement with regulators, and—where needed—robust representation in enforcement and related proceedings.

The key focus of this role is on advising and supporting clients on the following areas:

• ABC, FTPF and Modern Slavery – advising on policies, procedures and risk assessments as well as working on related investigations (advising on investigation strategy, responding to regulatory information requests, preparing clients and witnesses for interviews, managing document reviews and disclosure, and coordinating with technical experts and in‑house teams) and due diligence support.
• Health and Safety – non‑contentious advisory support to clients across a range of health and safety, building safety and fire safety topics including legal duties and standard advice, training and policy support; crisis/ contentious support following incidents or regulatory investigations including internal investigations, regulator engagement, witness interviews, managing disclosure requests, interviews under caution and prosecutions and related court hearing; and due diligence support.

The Team

Our Regulatory Disputes team sits within our Disputes & Risk practice and is nationally led, working cross‑office with a collaborative culture and clear opportunities for responsibility and client exposure. We pride ourselves on a supportive, high‑performing environment that values initiative, business development contributions, and strong client care.

Illustrative Work Examples

• Undertaking multi‑jurisdictional anti‑bribery and fraud risk assessments for significant multi‑national clients, and assisting the client in implementing changes to mitigate those risks.
• Preparing Transparency in Supply Chain statements for clients.
• Playing a key associate role in a fraud investigation including project management, review of documents, preparation for interviews and supporting in report drafting.
• Advising a tech client in relation to criminal law risks adjacent to duties under the Online Safety Act.
• Training clients on the new Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act and other broader Directors Duties advice.
• Playing a key associate role in strategic multi‑jurisdictional compliance advice for an international retail client, covering a number of compliance risks. Tasks included instructions to other jurisdictions, collating advice, drafting advice in relation to overall strategy and specific risks.
• On‑going support advising a global aviation client on the development and implementation of their compliance systems.
• Advising a renewable energy client on risk and supporting in investigation following a H&S incident in their supply chain.
• Working with clients in key regulated sectors, including energy and utilities, transport, real estate/retail, technology/media, and life sciences and healthcare, reflecting our sector‑led approach to regulatory risk.

Technical Skills And Experience

We are looking for an Associate with demonstrable experience in relevant areas of regulatory compliance and investigations, ideally including: advising on regulatory frameworks; internal investigations; regulator‑facing strategy; drafting responses to information notices; and preparing for or attending regulatory interviews, inspections, or hearings. The focus areas are Anti‑Bribery & Corruption (ABC), Failure to Prevent Fraud (FTPF), Modern Slavery and Health and Safety although candidates without experience in all areas will be considered. Experience of parallel civil, criminal, or public law issues is advantageous but not essential.

Exposure to one or more of our complementary areas — healthcare/ life sciences regulation, product regulation and consumer protection, digital regulation, and environmental litigation — is beneficial but not a requirement. While prior experience in these areas is not essential, the successful candidate will be expected to support work across them as business needs arise and must therefore be flexible and adaptable. Candidates who can demonstrate strong analytical skills, excellent drafting, confident client handling, and a proactive, solutions‑led mindset will thrive in this role.

Your Career Development

Like all our lawyers, you will benefit from a structured and award‑winning career development programme, offering clear expectations at each level, early client exposure and responsibility, thorough assessment and feedback, robust technical and skills training tailored to your development, and reward based on contribution and potential.

Salary and Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package commensurate with experience and market. Further details can be provided during the application process.

Our recruitment process

We welcome direct applications for our opportunities – if you would like any further information about this role or the firm, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact, in complete confidence, Angharad Jenkins on [e-mail].

We review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision‑making. We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector‑based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it is fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks – not to mention our great teams – are a part of making that a reality. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

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