Conflicts Manager

Job description

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide.

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.

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.

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.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Department Purpose

• The role of the Business Acceptance Unit (BAU) is:
• to process requests from partners regarding new legal matters; performing conflicts checks on each new matter for both new and existing clients; and performing anti-money laundering and background checks on new clients;
• to review and, where requested, send conflict results to all partners and monitor responses, analyze search results and, in consultation with the originating lawyers, determine whether the new legal matter is clear of conflicts and appropriate for the practice to take on;
• to facilitate resolution of legal conflict issues in consultation, where appropriate, with the firm’s senior management.
• to obtain from relevant lawyers required evidence of identity for clients;
• to authorize the opening of new legal matters when checks have been completed and any issues or problems satisfactorily resolved;
• to determine the need for information barriers to enhance the internal security of information;
• to review the required levels of matter/virtual file security within the firm’s virtual filing system;
• to deal with business acceptance queries (including conflicts and anti-money laundering ID queries);
• to receive, monitor and keep a central record of terms of engagement agreed with clients, to remind lawyers of the need to ensure that the terms of our engagements are clear and documented, and to advise lawyers on unusual/non-standard terms and on aspects of the firm's engagement terms policy.

Role Purpose
To manage the U.S. Analysts - including Senior Analysts, Analysts, and Workflow Analysts - primarily during U.S. working hours, and to work closely with the Global Head of BAU, U.S. Head of Conflicts, the Senior Manager and other BAU Managers to advance the goals and objectives of the global BAU team. These include, but are not limited to, improving the efficiency of the BAU conflict and matter opening processes; enhancing workload allocation to increase efficiency; identifying opportunities to improve existing BAU technology related to conflict management and matter opening; and supporting the development and training of those Analysts, along with resolution of people management issues.

Key Relationships

• Risk Partner
• Managing Director – Global Business Acceptance
• Managing Director - Financial Crime and Sanctions
• US and UK Head of Conflicts
• BAU Senior Manager
• Other BAU Managers

Context
The BAU is supported by Managers who are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the core groups of analysts focused on conflict checking and onboarding new clients. Three BAU Managers oversee those Analysts based in the UK, Singapore and the U.S.. Four additional Managers oversee the Analysts who are responsible for all aspects of client onboarding across the UK, Singapore and U.S. The Managers are supported by the Senior Manager and BAU’s Senior Management team.

Role and Responsibilities

• Supervising the day-to-day operational running of the BAU's processes (including conflicts and matter workflow using the firm’s conflict check and workflow system, Intapp).
• Ensuring that (i) Analyst resources and (ii) workload are closely managed and that turnaround times, including for matter opening, are met. Confirming that Analyst service level targets are met. Coordinating day-to-day activities of Analysts assigned to conflict checks, matter inception, and matter maintenance, and monitoring workload during the course of each day.
• Monitoring general busyness levels of the BAU globally and liaising with the Senior Analysts and BAU team management in relation to the allocation of resources within the team to ensure the process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible and that workload is managed and completed in a timely way.
• Monitoring business requirements regarding the Analyst Team and escalating any proposed adjustments/enhancements to the BAU Senior Manager and Head of Conflicts – US for consideration.
• Managing the Analyst Team’s absence approval process and making decisions regarding absence and overtime requests to ensure adequate resource coverage.
• Setting performance and development targets.

Key Requirements

• Minimum of five (5) years experience in relation to conflicts of interest within a law firm environment is essential.
• Minimum of 2 (two) years experience in a managerial role within a conflicts environment.
• Substantial and detailed knowledge of conflict rules, systems, and processes. In particular, specialized knowledge of the Intapp conflicts software.
• Strong people management skills.
• Commercially and practically minded, with the ability to see the bigger picture when needed.
• Ability to analyze facts and scenarios thoroughly—and quickly—and to proactively propose solutions to problems.
• Excellent task management and organizational skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple tasks under time pressure.
• Collaborative, always working with BAU Management to attain goals and objectives with the wider global BAU team in mind.
• Strong communication skills, with a proven ability to motivate others and to communicate positively and effectively with team members, fee earners, and support staff.
• Willingness to work hard and take day-to-day responsibility for the BAU’s key processes.
• A “can do” approach, with the ability to solve problems and look beyond practical and logistical challenges by suggesting and implementing solutions.
• The authority and credibility to lead people.
• Able to inspire confidence and respect from fellow team members.
• Enthusiastic, positive minded, self-motivated, and proactive.

Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability

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.

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. This role is open to our New York office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $134,000-$211,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job-related factors permitted by law. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes a discretionary bonus, paid leave, life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.