Abby Bowes

What are your areas of risk and compliance specialism?

I help law firms meet their anti-money laundering obligations by auditing their policies, procedures and wider compliance arrangements. I provide practical advice to help firms identify areas for improvement, strengthen their processes and maintain compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations.

What’s your background?

I graduated with a Master’s degree in Law before working as a paralegal and undertaking further legal training within a law firm. I later moved into the insurance sector, where I worked as a Claims Executive on multi-million-dollar offshore large-loss claims. I subsequently progressed into compliance, acting as the sole Compliance Officer for subsidiary companies within a billion-pound parent group. My responsibilities included acting as Data Protection Officer, overseeing internal and external compliance, coordinating Environment Agency audits, and helping to maintain certification for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. I now specialise in auditing law firms’ anti-money laundering frameworks, policies and procedures. I also provide wider regulatory compliance support, including reviewing and updating policies and helping firms strengthen their compliance arrangements.

Relevant qualifications

– Master’s degree in law, including the Legal Practice Course (LPC)

How would you describe your approach to working with clients?

I aim to ensure that clients feel listened to, supported and kept informed throughout our work together. My approach is thorough but practical, I aim to provide clear, high-quality advice that raises awareness, is tailored to each client’s particular needs and can be applied effectively in practice.

What’s the most rewarding thing about your work?

It is particularly rewarding when clients commend the quality of an audit report and find the advice genuinely useful in strengthening their compliance arrangements. I also value working as part of Legal Eye’s positive and supportive team, alongside colleagues and associates with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

If you hadn’t become a risk and compliance expert what would you have done instead?

I would have loved to run an animal rescue centre.