Friedman Williams
Conflicts Attorney
Job ID: 21608
Conflicts Attorney (100% Remote)
We are partnering with a prestigious law firm to hire an experienced Conflicts Attorney to support its firmwide conflicts and new business function. This is a newly created position responsible for reviewing and analyzing conflicts relating to new business and legal hires and working directly with attorneys, the firm’s General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsel to identify and resolve potential ethical and business conflicts.
The Conflicts Attorney will independently review conflict reports, conduct legal and corporate research, advise attorneys regarding potential conflict issues, assist with waiver and engagement letters, implement ethical walls, and provide guidance and oversight to the firm’s Conflicts Analysts.
This individual will play an important role in developing and improving conflicts review processes and protocols while helping ensure consistency, accuracy, and sound judgment across the conflicts function. The position requires strong knowledge of professional responsibility rules and the ability to independently analyze complex conflicts issues while appropriately escalating matters when necessary.
The General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel are based in New Jersey.
Candidates must hold an active license to practice law in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Texas, Florida, or Washington, D.C.
Why does this role stand out?
- Newly created attorney-level position within an established law firm conflicts function
- 100% remote opportunity
- Highly visible role working directly with attorneys, General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsel
- Significant responsibility for independently reviewing, analyzing, and resolving conflicts issues
- Exposure to both new business conflicts and legal hire conflicts
- Opportunity to advise attorneys on professional responsibility and conflict resolution matters
- Involvement in drafting engagement letters, conflict waivers, and implementing ethical walls
- Opportunity to help develop conflicts processes, protocols, training, and workflow improvements
- Responsibility for providing guidance and oversight to Conflicts Analysts
- Hands-on involvement with conflicts, business intake, workflow, and ethical wall technology
Key Responsibilities
- Review and analyze conflict reports relating to new business, legal hires, and firm marketing initiatives
- Exercise independent judgment to identify potential ethical and business conflict issues and determine appropriate next steps
- Conduct legal, corporate, and factual research to gather information needed to evaluate and resolve potential conflicts
- Communicate potential conflict issues clearly to attorneys and assist with developing appropriate resolutions
- Work directly with attorneys, General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsel on complex conflicts matters
- Assist attorneys with drafting engagement letters and conflict waiver letters
- Research applicable jurisdictional professional responsibility rules, ethics opinions, and other guidance relevant to conflict resolution
- Prepare and implement ethical walls and maintain supporting documentation relating to conflict resolutions
- Provide guidance to Conflicts Analysts regarding conflict research, analysis, and corporate family tree research
- Train and oversee the work of Conflicts Analysts to promote accuracy and consistency in conflict reporting and analysis
- Assist attorneys and Legal Practice Assistants in understanding the firm’s conflicts and business intake policies and procedures
- Develop and refine processes and protocols for reviewing specific types of conflict reports
- Assist with the customization, improvement, and implementation of conflicts, business intake, workflow, and ethical wall software
- Stay current on developments, trends, professional responsibility issues, and technologies affecting law firm conflicts and new business intake
Qualifications
- JD degree required
- Active license to practice law in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Texas, Florida, or Washington, D.C.
- Minimum 3 years of law firm conflicts and/or new business experience preferred
- Strong knowledge of professional responsibility rules and conflicts of interest principles
- Experience reviewing and analyzing conflict reports and identifying potential ethical and business conflicts
- Ability to independently analyze and resolve conflicts while recognizing when issues require escalation
- Experience with new business intake and/or legal hire conflicts strongly preferred
- Experience drafting or assisting with engagement letters and conflict waivers
- Experience preparing and implementing ethical walls
- Strong legal, corporate, and conflict research skills
- Experience providing guidance, training, or oversight to conflicts staff preferred
- Prior experience using automated conflicts and/or workflow systems
- Knowledge of Intapp conflicts, ethical wall, and business intake software strongly preferred
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively with attorneys and staff at all levels
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple assignments and shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and take ownership of matters through resolution
If interested, email Bill at wzwirz@friedmanwilliams.com.