The Legal & Risk Department provides support to the firm's Senior
Management and to the wider business, to ensure that the firm develops
and maintains the very highest standards of professional conduct,
optimally manages its risk and sets a healthy risk culture and ensures
compliance globally with its legal and regulatory requirements. This
role is a senior level role and will also lead in promoting and
embedding best practice in these areas throughout the firm's global network.
The role reports to the Director
of Risk and works closely with the the firm's COLP, Practice Group
Heads and the Heads of Risk Management and Financial Crime.
Key Responsibilities
Responsibility for setting the firm's approach and all related
processes to managing and resolving legal and commercial conflicts
globally and ensuring all decision making is in accordance with the
firm's strategy and values; this will also include ensuring process
and systems are in place to record all decisions taken.
Responsibility for guiding and managing the Conflicts & New
Business Committee (CNBC) on all escalations made to it, and working
closely with regional Boards and Practice Group Heads to develop and
deliver an effective, smooth and pragmatic approach to managing
conflicts resolution within the firm.
Working with the Global Head of Business Acceptance and Conflicts
Management in shaping the conflicts and client intake capability
within the firm to support the needs of the business, focussing on
developing, coaching and growing the lawyers in the team who have a
role within the conflicts process and identifying gaps and
opportunities to enhance the entire process. The role will also
consider appropriate learning and development initiatives required
and build the knowhow within BAU and the Conflicts Resolution team.
More specifically, the role will also consider:
Managing legal analysis of potential conflicts and confidentiality
issues escalated by the Business Acceptance Team
Taking a lead on facilitating
resolution of legal and commercial conflict issues, with the
relevant members of senior management, Practice Group Heads,
Client Relationship Partners and key business stream leads as well
as the CNBC.
Appropriate learning and development initiatives required and
build the knowhow within the department and the Conflicts Resolution team.
Drafting and embedding policies and procedures for managing
conflicts and recommending changes, new team processes and
improvements, as required.
Devising, leading and delivering a training programme on excellent
conflicts management across the firm to embed key messages.
Guiding the business with its most complex and challenging
conflicts issues, escalating to the Conflicts & New Business
Committee as required and reporting quarterly to the Management
Board, via the GC's regular report, on conflicts resolution and progress.
Inputting into the wider Risk and BAU team initiatives including
into other policies and procedures for managing compliance and
recommending and implementing improvements, as required.
Supporting senior management to ensure the firm is aligned and
consistent in its risk culture and approach and to develop a
continually closer relationship between the department and the
lawyers in all regions.
Essential Skills & Experience
Key Objectives within the Role
As part of the role the candidate will:
Analyse and critically assess the firm's current conflicts process
and approach to conflicts with particular reference to US conflicts
provision and waivers. Work closely with the North America General
Counsel and his US Senior Risk Lawyer to ensure the firm is in the
best position to take opportunities in the market over the next 5
-10 years;
Develop an integrated client review process for each regional
Board to help ensure that conflicts are considered early and the
quality and sustainability of its client base is aligned with the
firm's strategy taking into account the firm's position on ESG and
reputational risk issues;
Work closely with the Global Head of Business Acceptance and
Conflicts Management on a robust process to manage conflicts
relevant to potential lateral hires, particularly in the context of
new office openings.
Understand closely the key risks faced by the firm across the
whole department, including conflicts and engagement with clients,
Professional Indemnity risks, financial crime and data protection
and privacy risk as well as key compliance messages critical to the
business in order to be a champion and influencer.
Deliver and guide the team to assist with delivering market
leading risk training across offices as well as virtually.
Act as an escalation point for conflicts resolution from both the
Business Acceptance team, Conflicts Lawyers and partners in the firm.
Supervisory and mentoring
responsibilities for the Conflicts Analystsand Conflicts Lawyer.
The successful candidate will have:
Qualified lawyer with a significant number of years' experience
practising in an international law firm and with a bachelor or
Master's Degree (or equivalent);
Significant experience in managing risk within a professional
services firm, with experience in enterprise risk also welcomed;
Excellent ability to manage and influence senior stakeholders,
driving action and challenging inaction;
Strong partnership abilities; skilled in influencing and
motivating others especially senior leaders;
Strong project management, problem-solving and decision-making skills;
Expert trainer able to inspire and influence busy executives to
engage with relevant training and scenarios;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills including
presentation development and delivery;
Proven ability to design and deliver well thought through,
relevant and challenging exercise scenarios to all levels of
business continuity teams;
Ability to work independently and think critically;
A strong service focus with the need to listen and understand the
essential requirements of different areas of the firm;
Ability to build connections and work collaboratively across
boundaries at all levels.
Ability to think laterally,
commercially and analytically; dealing with large amounts of
information to short deadlines; and finding practical solutions
for the business.
This is the job description as constituted at present; however the
Firm reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the
changing needs of the business.
