Graham Jones

He's one of the four Council members representing the In-House Corporate Counsel work practice constituency, having been elected in October 2022.

He’s also an ex officio member of the in-house network advisory committee. Graham was elected to the Law Society Board by Council in October 2025, which he describes as “a great honour and it is a privilege to serve”.

Graham was admitted in 1979. After a short spell with law firms in the North West, he pursued an in-house career in several sectors including engineering, aviation and distribution, mainly with an international focus in different jurisdictions. He latterly specialised in the listed company secretarial sector.

He lives in Lancashire, where he has been for most of his working life, with the bulk of his in–house career based in Manchester and Cheshire. He is also a member of the Liverpool Law Society.

Graham’s key areas of concern are:

• responding to more scrutiny from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to in-house lawyers (IHLs) following the Post Office scandal
• the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT): Council set up a special committee of inquiry to review the forms of support and guidance currently offered to solicitors facing disciplinary action. This final report presents its conclusions and recommendations. Graham is urging the Law Society to develop a defence union through insurance or a separate charity which will meet the costs of representation, recognising that the Law Society itself is prevented from meeting defence costs
• more support and resources for IHLs, the bulk of which work for employers with less than five IHLs (over 80% of employers) and 54% just having sole Counsel. Graham is keen to see more resource for these groups, as most IHLs do not work in large in-house legal departments
• value for money from the practising certificate (PC) fee, which is currently £396
• MoJ proposals to abolish jury trials in certain cases
• addressing issues with the solicitors qualifying exam (SQE)

He has raised these issues at the Board, Council and at the in-house network advisory committee.

If you have any queries, wish to raise any issues with the Law Society, or want to observe Council meetings, contact Graham directly.