Overview
This Conflicts Counsel role (Lateral Hire Focus) is a member of the Conflicts Department and collaborates with colleagues within the Conflicts, Client Engagement, and Risk Management departments to identify and resolve conflicts of interest issues related to the intake and maintenance of new and existing business, lateral clearance, outside counsel guidelines (OCGs), requests for proposals (RFPs), and other conflicts-related issues as needed.
The position may be filled remotely or in any of the firm’s locations.
Responsibilities
- Maintain a thorough working knowledge of technologies that support daily Conflicts Department operations, including Intapp Open and Intapp Terms.
- Serve as a resource for conflicts analysts regarding the identification and resolution of conflicts of interest and communicate updates to attorneys and staff.
- Discuss conflicts of interest issues with attorneys, analysts, business intake, other support staff, and firm leadership to identify and resolve potential conflicts while maintaining objectivity and professional independence.
- Review requests submitted to the Conflicts Department to provide concise, complete evaluations of potential conflict issues, communicate and execute resolution steps, and document actions.
- Draft and review language in waiver and engagement letters to ensure conflicts issues are adequately addressed and executed by those with appropriate authority.
- Review existing client conflict waivers for applicability to new conflicts of interest with that client.
- Make requests and recommendations related to implementation of ethical walls.
- Develop and maintain knowledge of legal ethics, case law, and professional responsibility rules related to conflicts of interest, as well as relevant procedures, policies, and practices related to conflicts, risk, and ethics.
- Review client outside counsel guidelines and engagement agreements to identify deviations from the firm’s policies, working with billing and relationship partners to address deviations.
- Assist with clearance of new hire candidates, including conflicts analysis and resolution, drafting engagement agreements and waivers as needed, communicating with recruiting and firm leadership regarding conflicts status, and providing training to a new lateral partner hire.
- Review outside counsel guidelines and work with partners to prepare client responses that align with firm needs and requirements.
- Assist with maintaining and documenting clients’ agreements within conflicts software and databases.
- Assist Client Development team and partners in reviewing and responding to requests for proposals and similar business opportunities.
- Prepare and deliver trainings for the Conflicts team and for firm attorneys and staff on conflicts, ethics, and professional responsibility topics.
- Maintain thorough and accurate records of conflicts resolutions.
- Assist with identifying, resolving, and documenting erroneous, outdated, or incomplete conflicts information in existing records to maintain integrity of information.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Lateral Focus
- Collaborate with colleagues to identify and resolve conflicts of interest issues related to candidates’ former work or portable work.
- Conduct efficient review, identification, and resolution of conflicts of interest related to lateral candidates and new hires.
- Liaise directly, as needed, with recruiting, onboarding, firm leadership, and candidates throughout the clearance and onboarding process.
- Conduct training and provide resources on conflicts and new matter opening to new hires.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor and an active law license in the U.S. in the jurisdiction in which the candidate resides.
- Computer proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook) required.
- Ability to identify and analyze conflict of interest issues and to recommend and implement solutions.
- Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.
- Ability to track, manage, and prioritize numerous responsibilities, emails, and conflicts requests.
- Strong writing skills, with the ability to clearly and concisely communicate, particularly when summarizing and simplifying complex or numerous conflicts issues.
- Ability and availability to travel to other firm locations on occasion as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
- Two or more years of conflicts-related experience.
- Experience with online reference materials and Boolean searching techniques.
- Experience with Intapp Open and Intapp Terms strongly preferred.
Compensation & Benefits
Employees receive compensation commensurate with skill and experience. The exact compensation varies based on skills, experience, location, and other factors permitted by law.
Expected compensation ranges by location are:
- State of California: $135,000 - $276,000
- State of Colorado: $125,000 - $222,000
- State of Connecticut: $108,000 - $272,000
- State of Illinois: $122,000 - $237,000
- State of Massachusetts: $135,000 - $258,000
- State of Maryland: $131,000 - $199,000
- State of Maine: $92,000 - $212,000
- State of Minnesota: $135,000 - $224,000
- State of New York: $126,000 - $272,000
- Jersey City, NJ: $147,000 - $266,000
- State of Virginia: $88,000 - $257,000
- State of Vermont: $134,000 - $257,000
- State of Washington: $131,000 - $249,000
- Washington, D.C.: $174,000 - $257,000
These salaries do not include a discretionary bonus. Bonus opportunities are non-guaranteed and depend on individual and firm performance.
Full-time employees receive benefits including:
- Medical and dental coverage
- Life insurance
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- Pre-tax flexible spending account for certain medical and dependent care expenses
- Employee assistance program
- Paid Time Off
- Paid holidays
- Participation in a retirement plan program after meeting eligibility requirements
- More
Location
Remote work may be available, or the role may be filled in any of the firm’s locations.