Attorney At Law

Seward & Kissel LLP is looking for a qualified individual to fill a Conflicts Attorney position performing conflicts analysis on new business and firm lateral hires and advising firm lawyers on conflicts of interest issues. This would be a great opportunity for a junior attorney interested in Conflicts. In consultation with and under the supervision of the Conflicts Counsel and the General Counsel’s Office, the Conflicts Attorney will independently review, research, and resolve conflicts issues and ensure compliance with ethical standards and firm policies. Additionally, the Conflicts Attorney will assist with the substantive review of due diligence information relating to potential new firm clients. Working closely with the firm’s Conflict Counsel and General Counsel, the Conflicts Attorney will also assist with the drafting of conflict waivers and informational walls.

We are open to candidates in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Tasks, Duties & Responsibilities:

Substantively analyze conflicts reports and exercise independent judgment to identify potential conflict of interest issues pertaining to new legal hires, new business or preliminary inquiries submitted by the firm’s attorneys.

Conduct research to gather information or clarification on potential issues and assist requesting attorneys in resolving any such conflicts issues.

Prepare clear and concise communications to attorneys, identifying all potential issues found in the conflicts report in order to provide recommendations to attorneys and facilitate conflict resolution relating to preliminary conflict checks and other inquiries.

Review new business intake forms and other submissions related to client name change requests, reopening of closed matters and addition of new parties to an existing matter.

Draft consents and conflict waivers, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.

Prepare and implement ethical walls.

Perform corporate family tree research as necessary to analyze and resolve any potential conflicts associated with organizational clients and/or adverse entities.

Review client engagement letters submitted with new business requests to ensure that they do not materially deviate from our standard form of engagement letters.

Provide assistance in reviewing and managing client guidelines related to conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and ethical obligations.

Work closely with the Conflicts Counsel and General Counsel to respond promptly to conflicts-related inquiries from attorneys and staff.

Keep abreast of trends and developments involving legal and ethical rules pertaining to conflicts of interest and professional responsibility within the jurisdictions of NY and DC.

Assist in developing and implementing conflicts policies and procedures and educate staff and requesting lawyers on the conflict clearance and new business intake processes generally.

Provide guidance to the Conflicts Analysts with the goal of ensuring accuracy and consistency in preparation and analysis of conflict reports. Coordinate with the conflicts team to update and maintain the conflicts database and ensure accurate conflict reporting.

Assist in training New Business Intake staff and Firm administrative staff.

Perform other miscellaneous conflicts-related tasks as may be assigned by the Conflicts Counsel, COO and/or General Counsel.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Juris Doctor (J.D.) or equivalent from an accredited law school.

Active membership in good standing with the bar association of the relevant jurisdiction where the candidate is located.

Conflicts Department experience is preferred but not required for this position.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess complex legal scenarios.

Excellent attention to detail and exceptional organizational skills.

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to handle multiple priorities and work under tight deadlines.

Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.

Strong computer research and analytical skills and proficiency in Outlook and MS Office Suite products.

Ability to employ the utmost care and use discretion when handling, accessing or otherwise being privy to sensitive and confidential client information.

Maintain a premium customer service experience through proactive communication and follow through.

Willingness to work outside of normal business hours when asked to do so or when the needs of the Conflicts department may necessitate same is highly preferred.

EEO Statement

The firm is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

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