CM Murray launches regulatory practice with London partner hire

Nick Leale was previously a partner at Armstrong Teasdale’s defunct London office and head of regulatory at Blake Morgan

Nick Leale Photo courtesy of CM Murray

London boutique CM Murray has hired former Armstrong Teasdale London managing partner Nick Leale to help lead the firm’s new dedicated regulatory unit.

Leale brings with him nearly two decades of experience in professional discipline and regulatory law, advising regulators and individuals across the legal, healthcare, accountancy, education, engineering, charities and sports sectors. He will co-head CM Murray’s new regulatory unit with Andrew Pavlovic, also working closely with Corinne Staves and Beth Hale.

Clare Murray, the firm’s managing partner, said: “Nick’s appointment and the launch of our formal regulatory unit reflects the integral role of this specialisation within our firm and places it at the heart of what we do for our clients.”

She said the firm’s bedrock practices of partnership investigations, mergers, international structuring and disputes work for firms and individuals often involve professional conduct and related regulatory aspects, leading to it developing an in-house capability.

Leale’s appointment will enable CM Murray to offer “seamless advice” across related partnership, employment and regulatory issues, she said.

She added that it felt like the right time to take the next step in formally expanding the firm’s services while also hailing Leale’s track record. Murray said: “[Leale’s] experience and leadership will play a pivotal role in helping us address the increasingly complex challenges faced by law and accountancy firms.”

Before joining Armstrong Teasdale in 2023 as European general counsel, Leale spent 18 years at Blake Morgan, where he led its professional conduct team from 2010 and its 60-strong regulatory group from 2021. The dual-qualified solicitor and barrister previously spent four years at Bridewell Chambers and two years at 2 Bedford Row, where he trained and qualified.

Leale has represented numerous clients in complex interim and substantive hearings in the legal, healthcare and accountancy sectors, having previously acted as a prosecutor and advocate for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Leale has also served as a legal chair on the Football Association’s National Serious Case Panel, adjudicating cases involving discrimination, serious misconduct and the FA’s first ground closure sanctions. In 2024, he was appointed as a legal assessor to the conduct panels of the General Pharmaceutical Council and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

The move comes as rival firms have made similar investments, with Kingsley Napley announcing the late January arrival of Juliet Oliver to its Stratify business following 10 years at the SRA, where she was deputy chief executive and GC.

Meanwhile, Leale’s former firm, Armstrong Teasdale, was closed in September 2024 by its St Louis-based US parent firm after a series of senior partner departures, leading to administrators Quantuma being appointed, alongside Child & Child as agents. The unexpected closure led to calls from the City of London Law Society for members to assist in placing trainee solicitors to conclude their training contracts. 

Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]

Top