Friedman Williams
Risk and Compliance Attorney Washington DC
Job ID: 17088
Our client, a leading law firm based in Washington, DC, is seeking a highly qualified Risk and Compliance Attorney to join their dynamic Risk Management Department. As a Risk and Compliance Attorney, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the firm’s adherence to ethical responsibilities, managing potential conflicts of interest, and implementing loss prevention strategies.
Responsibilities:
- Provide guidance and interpretation of potential conflicts of interest and jurisdictional rules and regulations to attorneys and staff.
- Support the new business intake process and conflicts staff by handling complex issues and providing research on conflicts search findings.
- Analyze and address potential conflicts issues, initiate discussions with attorneys and stakeholders, and recommend resolutions with clear documentation.
- Manage the ethical wall process, including the identification and screening of individuals from clients and matters, creating ethical wall memoranda, and conducting periodic reviews.
- Collaborate in new business intake submissions, assessing client quality, addressing concerns, and compiling substantive research for further evaluation.
- Evaluate and assist in the implementation of compliance procedures, including technological upgrades and new technologies for new business intake and ethics and compliance activities.
- Review and provide guidance on client-tendered requirements and agreements, such as proposed engagement letters and outside counsel guidelines.
- Supervise the review of conflicts assessments and questionnaires for professional staff and lateral attorney candidates.
- Identify and analyze conflicts of interest regarding professional staff and lateral attorney candidates, implement necessary screening, and evaluate relevant government agency rules.
- Correspond with lateral candidates for conflict analysis clarifications and assist in resolving conflict issues.
- Facilitate the transition of new business clients for lateral partner hires, including conflicts analysis, drafting engagement letters, and transitioning records.
- Assist with attorney orientation presentations, training, and integration related to conflicts, ethics, and professional responsibility.
- Conduct legal research on ethical obligations and professional liability issues.
- Contribute to special projects and new initiatives as directed by the Director of Risk Management, General Counsel, or Chief Financial Officer.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct and American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct, monitoring changes in jurisdictional rules, and ensuring firm policy compliance.
- Ensure consistent application of firm policy and adherence to Risk Management guidelines for loss prevention and minimizing potential exposure.
- Respond to firm and client-related email messages during and outside of core business hours using a personal mobile device (smartphone or tablet with a data plan).
- Provide after-hours and weekend coverage for urgent confidential matters and exceptional client service to attorneys and staff.
Education and Experience:
- Juris Doctorate (J.D.) is required. License to practice law in the United States is required.
- Minimum five (5) years of experience practicing law or experience in a similar conflicts, professional liability, or compliance role in a large law firm setting is strongly preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences.
- Strong analytical abilities to assess conflict of interest situations, identify potential issues, and propose resolutions.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, displaying courtesy, diplomacy, and effective response to sensitive conflict inquiries or complaints.
- Attention to detail and accuracy in conducting detailed analysis of source documentation.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the firm and with external contacts.
- Initiative, sound judgment, and decision-making skills.
- Proficiency with office productivity applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel, and the ability to learn specialized internal conflict checking software and various departmental software applications and workflows.
- Strong knowledge of the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct and American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Assist with recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training new department staff when appropriate.
- Oversee the daily workflow of team members.
- Provide constructive performance feedback, and evaluations, and handle disciplinary processes.
- Mentor and provide leadership to staff, including performance management, feedback, coaching, training identification, and career development plans.