<p>Job description</p> <p>A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with 48 offices in 28 countries worldwide.</p> <p>Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.</p> <p>We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.</p> <p>Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.</p> <p>What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.</p> <p>Department Purpose and Structure</p> <p>The Business Acceptance Unit (BAU) is a dynamic, global, collegiate team responsible for assessing all new business before it is accepted by the firm's partners, to ensure the firm's commercial objectives and legal obligations are met. The team works closely with partners and other senior stakeholders to identify and resolve legal and commercial conflict issues, sanctions and anti-money laundering risks, as well as reputational and values issues in each of the jurisdictions in which A&O Shearman operates. The BAU has a unique, broad view of the firm's business and clients, and facilitates strategic decisions by the firm's partners and leaders, as well as managing the firm's risk exposure regarding new work. The BAU is widely respected throughout the firm and strongly supported by the firm's management.</p> <p>Role Purpose</p> <p>The role of the Senior In House Lawyer - Conflicts is to be a trusted adviser to the business, providing high quality, proactive business-focused support and solutions to colleagues on a variety of commercial and complex regulatory issues, focused mainly on conflicts of interest and other business acceptance matters. It requires an individual with the ability to develop strong working relationships to be a "go to" and accessible person for queries and concerns from around the world. These queries come from stakeholders of all levels from business teams and fee earners, including practice group heads and senior management. The Senior In House Lawyer - Conflicts is given a high level of autonomy and expected to take responsibility for identifying solutions and driving them forward. In addition, the Senior In House Lawyer - Conflicts will participate in strategic projects and be part of the horizon-scanning team, inputting into the strategic direction of the firm's regulation.</p> <p>Key Relationships</p> <ul> <li>The BAU </li><li>Partners and Fee Earners </li><li>Practice Group Heads, Sector Heads, and Office/Regional Managing Partners </li></ul> <p>Role and Responsibilities</p> <ul> <li>Analyzing and resolving (or, where appropriate, facilitating resolution of) professional, legal, regulatory and commercial issues relating to business acceptance and client engagement which are referred by business acceptance analysts and by partners and all other levels of lawyer and support staff, focusing on business/commercial conflict issues and professional and legal conflicts issues. </li><li>Undertaking an initial assessment regarding anti-money laundering, sanctions, reputational and suitability issues that arise in the assessment of new business and working with specialist teams (such as the Financial Crime and Sanctions team) within the BAU to resolve such issues. </li><li>Referring commercial issues to relevant stakeholders, including practice group heads and office/regional heads. </li><li>Exercising judgment as to when to refer business acceptance issues to the Senior Manager, Conflicts Counsel and/or other senior BAU members such as the Global Head of Business Acceptance or the Head of Financial Crime and Sanctions and facilitating the resolution of any such issues referred. </li><li>Responding, and managing the team's responses, within timeframes, to partners' and fee earners' requests relating to business acceptance and client engagement to ensure the service level expected by partners is met. </li><li>Drafting waivers and consent language required in the resolution of conflicts of interest issues. </li><li>Reviewing and analyzing conflicts of interest issues with respect to incoming lateral hires. </li><li>Assisting with lateral hire on-boarding, including the coordination of matter opening for transferred matters. </li><li>Assisting the Engagement Terms team within the BAU with reviewing and drafting conflicts of interest provisions within engagement terms, client relationship terms and client panel terms. </li><li>Monitoring changes in practice, professional rules, regulations and the law as affects business acceptance and client engagement globally so that these can be reflected in the business acceptance and client engagement process and policies. </li><li>Assisting in the creation and maintenance of precedents and know how resources for use within the business acceptance and client engagement team and the development of appropriate business acceptance and client engagement know how (e.g. briefings) for use throughout the firm. </li><li>Mentoring, supervising and assisting in the management and development of the Business Acceptance Unit's Analyst and Administrative staff. </li><li>Assisting in the creation, ongoing development and implementation of the firm's global business acceptance and client engagement policies, processes and systems. For example, those relating to client confidentiality and information barriers, matter inception, new client acceptance, conflicts and conflict checking, internal matter records databases (for conflicts management purposes), other external database resources used for business acceptance purposes, use, and development, of functionality within the firm's existing systems for business acceptance purposes, the business acceptance watchlist (listing sensitive areas being actively monitored) and the content, collection and storage of engagement letters. </li><li>Intervention (where required, at the point of business acceptance) to issue directions on specific formalities required for business acceptance purposes e.g. levels of virtual file security and any need for formal information barriers. </li><li>Assistance in monitoring information barriers including setting up information barriers, information barrier clearances on walled matters and responding to queries on the firm's procedures. </li><li>Assisting in the design, implementation and delivery of training presentations and other development programs for lawyers and support departments regarding risk management and, in particular, business acceptance and client engagement. </li><li>Investigate and resolve erroneous, outdated or otherwise incomplete data on conflicts reports and ensure corrections are made in database and other records to ensure integrity of information. </li><li>Stay current with recent research and thinking on ethics and conflicts best practices and rules across jurisdictions in which the firm has offices. Maintain a sophisticated, relevant base of knowledge in these areas. </li></ul> <p>Key Requirements</p> <ul> <li>Experience in relation to conflicts of interest within a law firm environment is essential. </li><li>J.D. required. Preferably admitted in NY, DC, or TX </li><li>Must have strong academic background. </li><li>International experience with a leading top tier firm is highly advantageous with a strong background in multi- jurisdictional transactions or dispute resolution. </li><li>Interest in, and potential for, developing mentoring skills. </li><li>Commercial mindedness and possession of a strong legal skill set. </li><li>Ability to analyze facts and scenarios thoroughly (and yet quickly) and make recommendations to effectively resolve legal and commercial problems or issues by using judgment that is consistent with standards, practices, policies, procedures, regulation or government law. </li><li>Excellent task management skills and a proven ability to manage multiple tasks under time pressure. </li><li>Able to effectively collaborate or work autonomously as appropriate. </li><li>Outstanding interpersonal skills and capability to work effectively with people at all levels of the organization in various functions and locations. </li><li>Excellent written and spoken communication skills. </li><li>Enthusiastic, self-motivated, and proactive. </li></ul> <p>Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability</p> <p>A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including Veterans and Disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual's relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.</p> <p>If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at US-HRTransactions@aoshearman.com or call +1 212 610 6300 and ask for HR Transactions.</p>