What Does a Compliance Professional Do?

The person leading a compliance regulatory function will have to internalise conflicts and exercise supreme judgement in balancing the need to allow its business to flourish in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, whilst avoiding the potentially devastating consequences of non-compliance.

Why Is Regulatory Compliance Recruitment Important?

The regulatory compliance sector is one that is constantly evolving, making it a very interesting field to work in. Every year, new regulations and rules are being introduced, meaning compliance professionals must always be on top of the ever-changing sector to properly assess how any regulatory update can affect a business and its activities.

Octavian Donnelly - Consultant · Rutherford Search

Octavian Donnelly

Senior Principal Consultant, Legal & Strategic Hires

About Octavian Donnelly

Octavian Donnelly is an experienced Senior Principal Consultant at Rutherford, a London-based recruitment firm that specialises in compliance and legal searches within professional, legal and financial services.

Throughout his career, Octavian has launched the London Blockchain Week, co-authored the first wide-scale economic profile of Sierra Leone and led a multinational expansion for a managed services delivery company based out of West Africa.

With more than 8 years of experience, Octavian oversees in-house legal and strategic hires searches.

Compliance

Head of Legal | AI Infrastructure

London

Compliance

Senior Counsel | Capital Markets

San Francisco

Compliance

Senior Counsel, Funds

New York

Octavian Donnelly

​About Octavian Donnelly

Head of Legal | AI Infrastructure

Senior Counsel | Capital Markets

Senior Counsel, Funds

Real Estate Finance Solicitor | 1-7 PQE | London

Chief Compliance Officer

Employment Incentives Solicitor (1–8 PQE) | London

Structured Finance / Derivatives Solicitor (NQ–8 PQE) | London

Senior Sanctions Disputes Solicitor | London | 6+ PQE

2-6 PQE Competition Associate

Associate, Disputes - Trusts & Private Client (2-5 PQE)

Projects Associate - Elite US law firm (Australian qualified)

Senior Counsel | Capital Markets

Compliance Analyst

Chief Compliance Officer

Employment Counsel

Associate, Corporate-ECM, Leading UK Law Firm - 1-3 PQE

Solicitor - IP transactions

Fund Finance Associate

Structured Finance Associate

In-House Counsel

Private Equity - Secondaries M+A Solicitor

In-House Counsel

Chief Compliance Officer

Solicitor - Contentious Construction 4+ years' PQE

2-5 PQE Funds Associate

Chief Compliance Officer

Senior Counsel, Funds

Construction Solicitor

Construction Disputes Associate (International Arbitration) (3–6 PQE) | London

Commercial /IT Associate Solicitor/ Senior Associate Solicitor

Aviation Disputes Solicitor | 1–3 PQE | London

Senior Counsel (Real Estate Finance)

Structured Finance Solicitor 2–6 PQE | London

Restructuring & Insolvency Solicitor 2 - 6 PQE | London

Tax Associate (mid-senior) - 3-8PQE

Tax NQ: September 2026 Intake

Associate, Commercial Litigation - Leading US Law Firm (3-5 PQE)

2-6 PQE Competition Associate

Regulatory Change Officer

In-house Counsel

In-house Counsel

Sanctions Disputes Associate (3-6 PQE) | London

Employment Counsel

Structured Finance Associate

Employment Counsel

Employment Counsel

Regulatory Change Officer

Regulatory Change Officer

Corporate Associate

Fund Finance Associate

Senior Compliance Officer

Global Head of Employment Legal

Interim Senior Counsel

Lead Employment Counsel

Private Markets Funds Counsel

In-House Deals Counsel - Private Credit

Head of Legal

Compliance Analyst

Legal Counsel - EPC Contracts

Legal Counsel - EPC Contracts

Employment Counsel

Compliance Analyst

Compliance Analyst

Head of Compliance

Compliance Officer

4-6 PQE Corporate Technology Associate

Associate/Senior Associate (Lawyer) - Corporate

Senior Associate/Lawyer - Corporate

Senior Associate M&A – Elite US Law Firm (London)

Senior Associate (Lawyer) - Investment Funds

Funds Associate (Irish Lawyers of particular interest) - Cravath Scale Law Firm

Corporate Insurance - Senior Associate 3-6 PQE

Real Estate Associate

1-3 PQE US Capital Markets (ECM/DCM) Associate - Elite US Law Firm

Real Estate Finance Associate - Leading US Law Firm NQ-1 PQE

Corporate Associate - Private M&A

Associate - Leveraged Finance (4-5PQE), US Law Firm (Cravath Scale) – London

Associate - Leveraged Finance (3-6PQE), Elite US Law Firm – London

About Octavian Donnelly