Pinsent Masons Vario hires new managed legal services director as group continues to grow

Rich Manley has joined Pinsent Masons Vario as their new Managed Legal Services (MLS) Solutions Director, a move that highlights the team’s significant growth. Manley comes from EY Riverview Law, one of the pioneering Managed Legal Services firms, where he served for 12 years, most recently as its leader.

In his new role at Vario, Manley will support clients by addressing their legal function challenges with innovative solutions. He joins a now seven-member MLS Senior Leadership team, alongside recent recruits from Deloitte, KPMG, Elevate, and Ashurst Advance, as the team scales up to meet the increasing demand for new methods of delivering legal services.

Manley brings extensive experience in setting up and managing legal teams, providing outsourced managed legal service solutions, and advising corporate legal functions on optimising efficiency through innovation, operating model redesign, technology, and process improvement.

Matthew Kay, Partner and Head of Vario, commented on Manley’s appointment: “Our Managed Legal Services offering is going from strength to strength, and Rich brings with him a huge amount of expertise and knowledge on how best to support in-house legal teams. He ensures they are better equipped to tackle their ever-growing to-do lists and jostling priorities in an efficient and effective way. Rich is a fantastic addition to our growing team of over 160 MLS specialists.”

Rich Manley expressed his enthusiasm: “Vario has been a well-established player in the Managed Legal Services market for some time. I am looking forward to working with the wider team at Vario and across Pinsent Masons to support our existing clients and help grow the MLS offering.”

Rich Manley’s appointment reflects Pinsent Masons Vario's commitment to growth and innovation, aiming to enhance their position as leaders in the Managed Legal Services market by providing cutting-edge solutions to their clients.