In brief: Steve Orchard

Steve Orchard, the Legal Aid Board's chief executive, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year's honours list for services to legal aid. He has worked in the legal profession for more than 37 years and at the LAB for 10 years. He says: "I'm obviously delighted for myself and my colleagues who have all worked hard to put us in a successful position." He cites "the development and implementation of franchising and its growth into the basis for contracting of all legal aid services" as his biggest achievement to date.