Risk Lawyer (Conflicts)

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The Department

The Risk and Compliance team works in collaboration with the business to ensure best practice across the Firm, effectively managing all aspects of the regulation surrounding the efficient running of our Firm.

The Role

Reporting directly into the COLP/General Counsel (Legal Practice) and working as part of the General Counsel team, this role will play a critical role in providing escalation support and legal advice on all matters relating to conflicts, providing guidance to the Business Acceptance Team, as well as liaising with key stakeholders across the business. This role requires specialist expertise in assessing new business intake conflicts of interest and supporting all conflict-matters, while also supporting the wider General Counsel team on regulatory and governance matters.

This newly created role will play a critical part in continuing to build the one-team ethos that values teamwork, continuous development, and providing the highest legal rigour and advice to the business. It will support junior team members with their ongoing professional development, acting as a manager and role model across the wider department. This role will work closely with the General Counsel, with a clear opportunity for ongoing development.

As the Firm continues to grow and expand the Mishcon Group both here and overseas, the challenges facing the team are also increasing. As the Firm attracts new talent, it generates an increasing number of strategic initiatives which often involve the GC Team. We are therefore embedded into the senior management of the Firm, working closely with a range of stakeholders who seek our counsel and input into projects and initiatives. It will suit individuals who have a commercial mind, excellent common sense and drafting skills. The ability to demonstrate agility will be critical.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Working closely with the Conflicts team management and serving as a point of escalation to the Business Acceptance Team, resolving complex conflicts of interest issues and escalating where appropriate to the COLP.
• To serve as an escalation point for legal and commercial conflicts across the broader MDR Group, providing sound expert advice to Partners and senior stakeholders on issues or risks likely to arise due to new or existing business.
• To manage the escalation of queries and issues from the Business Acceptance Team, providing advice and guidance on any questions concerning new business intake and the process of onboarding clients.
• To be responsible for the design and implementation of relevant conflicts training in the conflicts team and across the MDR Group, promoting compliance with our risk management ethos.
• Champion process improvement, embracing new technologies for the benefit of the conflicts process and the function as a whole.
• To support other team members with their ongoing learning and professional development.
• To act as a manager and role model for more junior team members across the wider R&C team – to be able to act as a mentor, deliver training and provide additional support on ad-hoc projects as needed.
• Working with the COLP on updating and maintaining policies and procedures relevant to conflicts of interest and wider regulatory and governance issues.
• Advising senior Operational stakeholders on conflict and broader risk issues, including those from our People Team and wider Business Operations Teams.
• Where appropriate, working with the COLP to provide legal advice and assistance in relation to internal reviews, investigations and assurance processes.
• To take a proactive mindset towards the ever-changing regulatory landscape, assessing the impact of changes against existing Firm's processes and enacting amendments/changes as required.

Skills/Experience

• Significant conflicts experience within a Risk and Compliance team in a UK law firm is essential.
• This role is for a qualified lawyer. Other qualifications and relevant experience will be considered.
• Proven experience of managing people is essential.
• Proven experience of managing key processes and procedures is desirable.
• Experience using Intapp is valuable.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to present themselves in a commercial and confident manner to a range of stakeholders and colleagues.
• The highest standards of legal rigour, delivered with care in a professional and pleasant manner.
• An inquisitive mind, with an eagerness to learn and understand our business.
• Excellent drafting skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and prioritising skills, to meet the demands of challenging and commercial internal clients, as well as dealing with competing priorities.
• Efficient and responsive with an ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage own diverse workload.
• Proactive, resilient and calm under pressure.
• Takes responsibility for and attends to self-development.
• Flexible and agile approach to the workload, with the ability to work in close collaboration with the General Counsel and other members of the team.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

About Mishcon de Reya LLP

Mishcon de Reya is an independent law firm, which now employs over 1400 people with more than 650 lawyers offering a wide range of legal services to companies and individuals. The firm has grown rapidly in recent years, showing more than 40% revenue growth in the past five years alone. With presence in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Hong Kong and UAE, the firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply. The work the firm undertakes is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, centred around three increasingly entwined and connected sectors: the Innovation Economy, Private Wealth and Capital, and Real Estate. The firm is known as a disputes powerhouse with a formidable capacity firmwide for dispute resolution. We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk flexible working.