Andrew Lear Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Bristol, England, United Kingdom

Solicitor. In my role I am responsible for corporate services within Parity Group plc to include legal, company secretarial, regulatory affairs, compliance and HR.

Solicitor. Specific responsibility for all commercial contracts between Parity and its clients, suppliers and contractors. Also responsible for all compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. In addition, involvement in wider legal issues affecting t he business such as employee relations and HR.

Bristol, England, United Kingdom

In the role of Claims Manager and subsequently as Claims Director I am a highly collaborative and supportive member of the senior management team at LPG. As Claims Director I lead the claims team within LPG. In this fast paced role, I draw together my legal and insurance experience, as well as people management and negotiation skills. I am confident and positive, with a can-do and commercially orientated approach to address challenges that arise. I have the communication skills required to confidentially and sensitively engage with others at all levels. With my significant experience in change management, where problem solving, communication and forward planning skills are key, change is welcomed as an opportunity for the business to develop and progress. Should a valid claim occur under the LPG Commercial ATE policy I will personally review, negotiate and recommend the settlement of claims by ATE policyholders for their own and third party legal costs. Commercial ATE claims are by their very nature highly intensive and require careful handling. They can often be high profile and involve a high value national or international litigation or arbitration dispute. I am regarded as a safe pair of hands when dealing with claims that can often reach the multi-million pound limit of indemnity. I have a successful track record of joining organisations in the legal and insurance industries to develop a strategy for the business unit, to review and streamline existing processes, increase efficiency and improve performance. I have successfully introduced profitable and highly successful new work streams as well as establishing new teams and growing them into successful departments within existing structures.My key focus is to ensure a responsive and robust claims service with high level customer satisfaction to achieve long standing and successful relationships across customers and suppliers.

North Bristol

Advising internally upon HR processes and procedures and ensuring best practice, dealing with employee relations cases and acting as a referral point for employment law queries. Also advising upon commercial contracts, data protection and compliance, representing the organisation in legal claims, and advising on settlement agreements.

Bristol, United Kingdom

I headed up the Employment and Legal Advice Line departments within DAS Law. Upon acquisition by the DAS UK Group CW Law was renamed DAS Law and I was confirmed appointed as Head of Employment, heading up four teams and 30 employment lawyers. I continued as a Director and Compliance Officer for Legal Practice at DAS Law to oversee the transition period. I was a member of the DAS Law senior management team.In December 2013 I took over responsibility for the Legal Advice Line and as a result became head of a division within DAS Law employing 60 lawyers and a turnover of £4.5million. I lead the integration of both departments into a shared division with shared resources and training, an enhanced ability to cross-refer, and reduced overheads. I also commenced a program of monetisation for the legal advice line to create private client income. I nurtured relationships with commercial organisations to engender new business opportunities in the area of corporate HR support services. I successfully gained new work through business development and by creating a suite of new private client fixed fee pricing structures.My specific focus was to ensure that both departments performance was on track to achieve corporate targets, that service level agreements met, complaints minimized, customer feedback remained high, and that the division was profitable with efficient processes and procedures.

I was appointed Managing Solicitor of the Employment department. This involved setting up an entirely new department within CW Law which was up to that date solely a personal injury firm. CW Law were a panel firm for DAS, a legal expenses insurer and I was able to develop the relationship to achieve a steady increase in instructions. I oversaw the expansion of the department which by February 2013 employed 22 specialist Solicitors. CW Law Solicitors was granted an ABS licence in February 2013 and subsequently acquired by the DAS UK Group. I was appointed a Director and Compliance Officer for Legal Practice at the firm.

I was a Senior Associate within Berry Smith LLP and managed the insurance litigation team within the Employment & HR department, having responsibility for 13 fee earners and secretaries. I managed the teams workload, allocated claims, provided training and supervision and also had my own caseload of employment claims acting for both employees and employers including the successful defence of a multi-million claim when acting for a significant financial institution. I was responsible for overseeing the relationship with the insurance clients of the firm including DAS, ARAG and Allianz

I held the role of Litigation Team Manager within the Legal Expenses Claims Department, Legal Services Division, RBS Insurance. I developed a highly motivated, efficient and productive team. In this role I took responsibility for recruiting staff, carrying out appraisals and dealing with disciplinary issues. I also dealt with complaints and financial ombudsman referrals with a high degree of success. I dealt with the more complex employment claims that came into the department

Bristol, United Kingdom

After a series of promotions I became Inhouse Claims Manager in 2000. I was responsible for managing the inhouse litigation team which numbered 14 in-house lawyers dealing with employment, contract and property disputes claims.

Solicitor, Law

Diploma Cii (Claims), Insurance

Post Graduate Diploma In Legal Practice, Law, Pass With Distinction

Llb, Law, Upper Second Class With Honours

LLB (Hons)