An opportunity has arisen in our central Risk & Compliance team
for a qualified lawyer to join our London office to join the Central
Risk team, reporting to the Joint Heads of Risk in assisting with a
broad range of risk and compliance related issues, including
conflicts, ethics, and engagement terms. The precise workload will
depend upon the needs of the team as a whole and the experience and
capability of the recruit.
The firm
Bird & Bird opens up a world of possible for lawyers and
professionals everywhere. Working for a leading international law firm
like Bird & Bird means working alongside people who are truly
colleagiate in the way the work with everyone. We work as one global
team, with over 70% of work involving people from across the firm. And
that's only increasing! It's this common purpose and shared approach
that makes for a more productive and collaborative place to work. Your
firm. Your future.
The team
The Risk and Compliance team at Bird & Bird is committed to
providing a consistently high level of service for the firm and its
partners and staff in relation to all risk and compliance issues.
Under the leadership of the General Counsel, it is aligned with and
supports the firm's strategy in relation to building a One Firm culture.
The function comprises a central team in London, which includes the
Business Acceptance team which is responsible for client and matter
inception, together with a team of 12 lawyers and various
administrative support. The central function is augmented by small
teams in Hong Kong and Germany and has assistance from dedicated Risk
Partners in each office.
The team deals with a variety of issues, from conflicts and advising
on money laundering and sanctions to agreeing the terms upon which the
firm engages with its clients, arranging Bird & Bird's various
insurances and dealing with claims and complaints against the firm. As
such it plays a key role in protecting the Bird & Bird brand and
ensuring that we do the right work, for the right clients on the right
terms. We are looking for candidates with a keen interest in risk
& compliance and a pragmatic and commercial approach who are
looking to develop their skills.
What you'll do
In particular, dealing with or assisting other members of the Risk
& Compliance team, or with fee earning partners and associates:
Analysing and advising on conflicts of interest and
confidentiality issues arising in various jurisdictions, including
the due diligence of and on-boarding of lateral hires; the review of
own interest conflicts and of relevant provisions in clients' own
terms; and assisting the CEO or sector and practice heads in
connection with their consideration of commercial conflict issues;
Advising on clients own engagement terms, outside counsel
guidelines, RFP's, and similar documents.
Advising on other issues of legal practice compliance including
anti-bribery and corruption legislation and client confidentiality;
Assisting in preparing and/or updating policies and procedures;
Assisting with and delivering training and raising awareness of risk;
Leading on or assisting with risk process improvement projects;
Researching legal and other issues and dealing with general risk
queries as they arise;
Providing guidance to the Partnership HR team in relation to
regulatory related queries; and
Generally supporting the Risk & Compliance team as requested
About you
The successful candidate will have:
Experience in management of conflicts of interest
Highest professional and ethical standards.
Personable and confident and an excellent team player.
Commercially aware and pragmatic, with a persuasive yet diplomatic
manner - someone adept at explaining new concepts to a group of
people and tactfully challenging the status quo.
Willingness to learn and develop as the role itself develops.
A self-starter who shows readiness to ask questions and verify information.
Has the ability and enthusiasm to handle complex workflow and team
pressures by prioritising work effectively and identifying level of
detail needed for each task.
Excellent command of written and spoken English, and the ability
to tailor style as appropriate whilst maintaining a professional
manner at all times.
The ability to communicate with non-native English speakers is essential.
Is conscientious and methodical approach to problem solving.
Respectful of the need for discretion.
Good organisational skills and the ability to work methodically
and accurately with strong attention to detail.
Experience of involvement in longer tasks or projects preferable.
Excellent persuasive and reasoning skills, and the ability to
recognise when to escalate an issue and to whom.
Above all a commitment to working to the same standards as we
apply to our client work, in terms of quality of guidance, speed of
response and end user experience.
Qualifications and Experience
Qualified Solicitor (or equivalent) with experience of dealing
with conflicts of interest is essential.
Experience in compliance and professional practice regulation,
specifically SRA regulation, is desirable.
Experience within an international law firm's risk and compliance
function is desirable and working in a team.
The main responsibilities of this role are outlined above;
however, this description is not exhaustive, and the job holder may
be required to undertake additional duties from time to time to
ensure the smooth running of the department. The role may require
some working outside our normal working hours of 9:30am- 5:30pm.
For further information about this role, please click on the link
below to view the Job Description or contact
talentacquisitionlondon@twobirds.com. To apply, click on the apply now
button to submit your details.
If you want to find out more about the firm, visit www.twobirds.com
As a disability and neurodiversity inclusive employer we want to
ensure that you have a barrier-free recruitment experience at Bird
& Bird. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment
process, please provide details to your recruitment contact who will
be in touch to discuss any details provided and understand more about
your individual adjustment needs.
