Head of Conflicts in London

The Risk & Compliance Department at HFW is organised across four core functions: Risk Legal, Business Intake (KYC focused), Conflicts and Systems. The department includes a team of Risk Lawyers and paralegals across London and Hong Kong, advising on legal and regulatory risk, including financial crime, sanctions, data protection and broader compliance matters.

Business Intake Team (KYC focused): Led by the Head of Business Acceptance (KYC), with Deputy Compliance Managers for EMEA and APAC. Responsible for client and matter onboarding, KYC and business acceptance processes, and related risk assessment support.

Conflicts: Led by the Head of Conflicts, includes a Conflicts Researcher Team Leader and a Conflicts Researcher. Supports the firm’s conflicts checking process and escalates legal or confidential issues to the appropriate specialists.

Systems: Managed by the Compliance Systems Manager based in London. Responsible for the development, maintenance and optimisation of the firm’s compliance systems, including the IntApp suite.

The role: The Head of Conflicts will report to the Risk and Compliance Partner and is responsible for driving forwards a large-scale project to implement significant improvements to the firm’s internal conflicts processes and procedures, particularly as part of the firm’s IntApp Cloud Migration project. The successful candidate will conduct a gap analysis and train a small team of conflicts analysts over the next 2-3 years. This role is crucial in ensuring the firm’s compliance with professional standards and regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities:

• Project management: Lead on, and successfully deliver, a large-scale project to implement improvements to the firm’s internal conflicts processes and procedures.
• Conflict resolution: Identify and resolve potential conflicts of interest and confidentiality issues arising from client matters, lateral hires, and mergers. Draft waivers and consent language required in the resolution of conflicts of interest and confidentiality issues. Update the conflicts and confidentiality provisions in the firm’s Terms of Business as necessary. Lead on internal investigations and other queries involving conflict of interest or confidentiality issues.
• Policy development: Draft and update the firm’s internal conflicts of interest policies and procedures.
• Training: Provide training to partners and staff globally on conflicts of interest and confidentiality.
• Reporting: Regularly report to the firm’s management, Conflicts Committee, and partners on conflicts-related issues.
• Team building: Build and lead a team of analysts to support the firm’s conflict resolution and risk management efforts. Line management and supervision of those currently running conflict checks.

Key skills & experience required:

• Legal background: Ideally qualified lawyer.
• Experience: Preferably 10 years of experience as a Conflicts Lawyer/equivalent in an international firm.
• People management: Strong people management skills and experience of successfully leading a team.
• Communication: Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strategic: Demonstrable strategic and leadership skills.
• Analytical thinking: Strong problem-solving and holistic risk assessment abilities.
• Resilience: Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines.
• Systems: In-depth and hands-on experience of using IntApp suite of products (Open, Walls etc). Discretion, confidentiality and diplomacy.

HFW aims to ensure equality of opportunity and is actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. All applications will be considered only on merit and the applicant’s suitability to meet the requirements of the role. HFW collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants to manage its recruitment process. The firm is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations.