The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Legal Services Board (LSB) today announced the appointment of Habib Motani as a non-lay (solicitor) member of the LSB.
Mr Motani has been appointed for a four-year term from 18 April 2022.
The appointment was made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, in accordance with the Legal Services Act 2007.
Michael Smyth QC will step down as a non-lay member of the Board on 17 April 2022 at the end of his second term of office. Michael has been a Board member for six years.
Dr Helen Phillips, Chair of the LSB, said:
‘I am delighted to welcome Habib to the Board. His experience as a practising legal professional will be essential as we continue to deliver our strategy for the legal services sector.
‘I’d like to also thank Michael on behalf of the Board for the significant contribution he has made to the LSB and to furthering our ambition for legal services to work better for those who need them. We wish Michael all the best.’
Note to editors
- Habib Motani qualified as a solicitor in 1980. He is a Consultant to Clifford Chance LLP, having spent over 30 years as a partner in the firm’s banking and finance practice. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law at the University of Edinburgh. He is a Lay Governor and Vice Chair of the Board of Governors at the Glasgow School of Art and a Trustee at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, The Institute of Ismaili Studies and The Aga Khan University (International) in the United Kingdom. He is also a member of the Steering Group of the Canary Wharf Multi-faith Chaplaincy.
- The Board member roles carry a non-pensionable remuneration of £15,000 per annum for at least 30 days’ work.
- The appointments were made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
- Details of other members of the Legal Services Board and their biographies can be found on the LSB’s website.