Bressler Risk Blog

I’m pleased to share two new job listings from Alston & Bird.

“New Business Intake Manager” — The Atlanta office of Alston & Bird is seeking a New Business Intake Manger (NBI Manager) to oversee the firm’s new business intake function on a global basis.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• The NBI manager will oversee the New Business Intake team and set the strategic direction for the firm’s new business intake function.
• The NBI Manager will also oversee the implementation of standardized new business intake procedures across offices and liaise with partnership and firm leadership on client intake needs and issues, with escalation to Loss Prevention as needed.
• Individual will maintain expertise in new business intake best practices and advise firm leadership on areas for improvement.
• Serve as Business Lead for firm projects involving new business intake.
• Manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of the NBI Department.
• Develop training materials and ensure the professional development of Department staff.

Skills Needed to be Successful Include:

• Prior new business intake experience utilizing automated intake workflow systems in a law firm environment required.
• Additional skill sets such as prior supervisory experience; excellent written communication skills and the ability to draft and execute complex communications including policies and procedures, and instructional documents.
• Strong knowledge of ethical, legal and risk management rules and requirements governing conflicts of interest and conflicts resolution process required.

“Senior Conflicts Specialist” — Under direction of Conflicts Manager, serve as the role of Senior Conflicts Specialist – Lateral and Quality Control to perform a variety of departmental duties working closely with Loss Prevention, Attorney Hiring, Training, and the Conflicts Department to relay any conflict issues and pertinent information to the Conflicts and Loss Prevention partner(s), train Analysts and monitor work product to align with quality and assurance standards, as well as assist in maintaining the efficient operation of the department and facility.

Essential Duties Include:

• Streamline the lateral process and be the liaison with Attorney hiring, Conflicts Review Committee, and Sponsoring Attorney.
• Review and provide a thorough and timely analysis of all lateral candidates
• Train and develop staff as well as support lead conflicts and compliance initiatives, including policy and procedural refinements and workstreams to continually improve the Firm’s capabilities
• Help train NBI staff, especially with interpreting the conflicts report, search strategy, and research skills from internal and external sources.
• Work to build quality control mechanisms (stats) into the Intapp program.
• Create benchmarks for all the different tasks to disburse the work among the team.
• Assist Loss Prevention partner with the necessary research to aid in conflict decisions and to correctly identify entities.
• Perform data analysis and identify possible issues or “direct conflicts or business issues,” e.g., A&B business and risk policy issues, pending laterals, adversities against significant clients, etc.

Skills Needed to be Successful Include:

• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Exceptional analytical, writing, oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Strict attention to detail , along with excellent follow through skills with minimal supervision.
• Successful candidates will understand legal conflicts. Assist in identifying potential conflicts of interest through Corporate (D&B, Orbis) and Intapp conflicts databases.
• Thorough knowledge of Firm and Administrative Support Service standards, practices, and procedures to meet Firm personnel demands.

For additional detail:

• You can see the specific job postings: [New Business Intake Manager] and [Senior Conflicts Specialist]
• And read more about professional life at Alston & Bird on their excellent careers page, including why Fortune has ranked them as one of America’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For now for 23 consecutive years.

In this BRB jobs update, I’m pleased to highlight an open role at Williams & Connolly: “Senior Applications Support Engineer” —

• This position has the primary responsibility for the administration and maintenance of various off the shelf (COTS) application solutions.
• These include New Business Intake, Conflicts, Ethical Walls, Document Collaboration, Client Relationship Management, Matter Management, etc.
• The Senior Applications Support Engineer will be responsible for installing, upgrading and troubleshooting the various on-premise applications as well as managing various SaaS solutions.
• As the subject matter expert of these applications, the Senior Application Support Engineer is also responsible for third-tier support for escalations. Additionally, the Senior Application Support Engineer will lead the implementation and design of new technology solutions to meet the business needs.

Duties include:

• Provide expert technical support for various technology platforms implemented at the firm.
• Act as the system owner in order to maintain and continuously improve application functionality, performance, and security.
• Identify and implement opportunities for improvement in efficiency by fully leveraging features and capabilities of the firm’s technology platforms.
• Develop workflow enhancements and process integrations as needed.
• Troubleshoot, support and maintain SQL servers, databases, automated routines and scripts.
• Coordinate routine application upgrades and security patching in accordance with the firm’s patching policy, ensuring appropriate test protocols and patch timelines are followed.
• Work with various product vendors to implement and enhance applications.
• Work with practice groups to gather requirements and implement technology solutions.
• Train and mentor User Support Representatives on application functionality and troubleshooting techniques.
• Act as escalation resource for help tickets related to the assigned applications

Requirements include:

• 5+ years of experience in legal technology COTS applications and information technology support.
• Strong knowledge of Windows and Linux Ubuntu Operating Systems, SQL, IIS, and data workflow automation.
• Strong knowledge of database technologies and management tools; ability to assess and create SQL scripts to analyze data.
• Knowledge of Web Server technologies; experience with IIS required.
• Knowledge of Integration Builder a plus.

See the complete job posting for more detail on job and to apply for this position.

Learn more about working at Williams and Connolly on their careers page:

• “At Williams & Connolly, a high percentage of our support staff members have been with the firm for more than a decade. They have been given the opportunity to develop their careers through promotions, increased responsibility, and internal mobility because we know that our professional talent is every bit as important as our lawyers in providing quality service to our clients.”
• “The firm offers competitive compensation, outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities with the sincere anticipation that Williams & Connolly will be a place for our staff to enjoy a challenging career for many years to come.”
• “Washingtonian magazine again selected the firm as one of the Washington D.C. area’s 50 “Great Places to Work.” Our interesting cases, opportunity to work with the most talented lawyers in the world, team spirit, excellent professional rewards, and other notable perks landed us among the featured companies.”

And if you’re interested in seeing your firm’s listings here, please feel free to reach out…

Our next sponsored risk job listing comes from Moore & Van Allen, a prominent business and litigation law firm with offices in the Carolinas: “Conflicts and Matter Intake Systems Analyst” —

• This full-time position with our Conflicts team is remote work eligible.
• Duties include
  • Conducting conflicts database searches and analyzing results
  • Reviewing new client/matter request forms to ensure accuracy
  • Maintaining the quality and integrity of the Intapp workflow system for matter intake and the conflict database, spots issues, recommends improvements, modifications and/or upgrades;
  • Maintains the quality and integrity of the Intapp Walls  ethical screening software
  • Manages the upgrades of current software and the implementation of new software to include designing, editing and testing new reports and training staff on new systems.

The successful candidate will possess:

• At least three years of work experience related to legal research (conflicts research preferable).
• Experience with Intapp risk systems + Integration Builder (preferred)
• Experience or understanding of matter management/time and billing systems including Aderant Expert.
• Conceptual understanding of workflow processes and ability to conduct validation testing.
• Experience or demonstrated understanding of data integrations between systems.

For additional detail:

• You can see more details in the specific job posting here
• And read more about professional life and benefits at the firm  on their careers page:
  • “Moore & Van Allen has built a highly skilled and client-service focused legal and administrative staff, who add greatly to our ability to serve the firm’s clients. As with our legal professionals, paralegals and staff members enjoy a culture that emphasizes teamwork and professionalism.”

And if you’re interested in seeing your firm’s listings here, please feel free to reach out!

John Ferko, the firm’s COO, reached out to note that Richards, Layton & Finger, Delaware’s largest law firm, is seeking an experienced attorney to manage the firm’s conflicts and new business intake functions in Wilmington, DE.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the conflicts, new business intake and due diligence teams. More at: “Director of Conflicts and New Business Intake” —

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Manage the conflicts, new business intake and due diligence teams, systems, and processes, ensuring potential conflicts are quickly accurately identified and resolved and conflicts are cleared for new matters, new clients, and lateral attorneys.
• Provide leadership and facilitate departmental team building and training.
• Review, assess, recommend, and communicate improvements to conflicts and new business intake processes, procedures, and policies.
• Work with General Counsel on issues relating to conflicts of interest and due diligence; provide support through the regular review and identification of potential issues under client Outside Counsel Guidelines.
• Oversee the firm’s Intapp Walls database; train firm users on Intapp Conflicts and New Business Intake applications and continuously develop the firm’s use of these systems.

For additional detail:

• You can see the specific job posting here
• And read more about professional life and benefits at the firm  on their careers page:
  • Our professional staff plays an integral role in delivering the exceptional service that stands as the bedrock of our firm’s reputation. We deeply value our professional staff and promote a welcoming, supportive environment that enables our employees to reach their professional and personal goals.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher is hiring an “Ethical Walls and Conflicts Administrator” —

• Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is seeking an Ethical Walls and Conflicts Administrator based in the New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Palo Alto office.
• The Ethical Walls and Conflicts Administrator will work under the direction of Office of General Counsel attorneys and be responsible for administering ethical walls the firm establishes to govern which attorneys and staff professionals may access documents on the matters the firm handles, running searches in the firm’s conflicts database and updating that database, and communicating with firm attorneys and staff professionals about these matters.

Responsibilities Include:

• Establish and maintain ethical walls in accordance with attorneys’ instructions
• Prepare and circulate ethical wall notices to firm personnel
• Run conflicts reports in response to attorney requests
• Update the firm’s conflicts database with new documents and information
• Assist with opening new matters in the firm’s New Business Intake system
• Address inquiries received by the ethical walls and conflicts team email boxes, escalating for attorney review and resolution as needed
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned

Requirements Include:

• Four-year degree
• Proficiency in the use of databases desired
• Ability to communicate clearly and accurately with all members of the firm, both orally and in writing
• Availability for overtime on nights, weekends, and firm holidays
• Ability to commute to the New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Palo Alto office

See the complete job posting for more detail on job and to apply.

Learn more about working at Willkie on their website:

• “Willkie is an elite international law firm of approximately 1,000 lawyers located in 13 offices in six countries. For more than 130 years, we have represented companies across a wide spectrum of businesses and industries.”
• “Willkie combines the professional benefits of practicing at a world-class firm with the personal rewards of an environment that values both staff development and lasting relationships.”
• “We draw strength from our collaborative style and inclusive culture and strive to hire staff from diverse backgrounds interested in making real contributions to our practice. Whether you are just starting your career or are considering a move, there are opportunities at Willkie.”
• “At Willkie, we believe great people are the key to our success. As such, we are offering a highly competitive compensation package with exceptional benefits. If you are looking to work in a friendly, collaborative environment that affords unique opportunities to expand your professional development, this role is for you.”

And if you’re interested in seeing your firm’s listings here, please feel free to reach out…

Mintz is hiring a “Client Intake Manager” —

This position can be based in Boston or Washington, DC. A JD is a plus but not required. The ideal candidate brings 5+ years of experience working in the conflicts department of a law firm or professional services firm (or equivalent experience).

• “The Client Intake Department is principally responsible for responding to requests for conflict checks associated with prospective new clients, new matters, potential lateral attorneys and support staff candidates, and other related matters. The Department is also responsible for maintaining accurate records regarding the above matters and monitoring compliance with related best practices and policies throughout the lifecycle of each such matter.”
• “The Client Intake Manager will be responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations of the Department. The Client Intake Manager ensures all such requests submitted to the Department are responded to promptly and within stated time frames by Department staff, provides direct supervision to Department staff in the fulfilment of these requests, and monitors compliance with all firm policies, procedures, and best practices.”

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Manage and oversee day-to-day operations of the Firm’s Client Intake Department.
• Develop, manage and lead a growing team of direct reports.
• Supervise the Department’s processing of submitted requests to ensure compliance with Firm policies, best practices, and the Department’s own expectations.
• Supervise the Department’s processing of conflict checks related to potential lateral attorneys and support staff candidates.
• Conduct conflicts-related training of lateral attorneys.
• Create and maintain information walls and screens.
• Supervise conflict and intake records creation and maintenance and manage related data flow and systems.
• Supervise the testing and implementation of new systems, as needed.
• Participate in the training and professional development of Department staff.
• Assist in the development of forward-looking intake policies and procedures, including by staying current with industry trends and evolving best practices, and coordinating and conducting training of attorneys and assistants regarding the same.
• Implement improvements to reporting, clearance, data collection, and maintenance processes for both laterals and new business intake; collect, analyze, and report information from the conflicts team to assist in developing best practices and procedures.
• Work closely with partners to identify and effectively process to conclusion potential conflict and intake issues and certain limited professional responsibility matters, as requested.
• This role requires 60% in office presence; remote work is permissible 40% of the time.

See the complete job posting for more detail on job and to apply.

Learn more about working at Mintz on their careers page:

• “We know that any organization is only as good as its people, and we expect the best from ours. Whether you recently passed the bar, are looking for a change later in your career, or possess gifts in administration, we want you to succeed. You win, we win: it’s that simple. So, what do you care about? How would you like to be challenged? We will ask; come prepared with your answers.”
• “We recognize that the firm’s success is dependent on having high-quality professionals in every position. Our staff members are vital contributors to the delivery of outstanding legal services. We seek talented and driven individuals who are committed to producing exceptional work, and providing critical support to our attorneys. Our environment offers collegiality, intellectual curiosity, teamwork, and an opportunity to grow professionally. We encourage enthusiasm, take pride in our work, and reap the benefits of working with a great group of colleagues.”

And if you’re interested in seeing your firm’s listings here, please feel free to reach out…

John Ferko, the firm’s COO, reached out to note that Richards, Layton & Finger, Delaware’s largest law firm, is seeking an experienced attorney to manage the firm’s conflicts and new business intake functions in Wilmington, DE.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the conflicts, new business intake and due diligence teams. More at: “Director of Conflicts and New Business Intake” —

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Manage the conflicts, new business intake and due diligence teams, systems, and processes, ensuring potential conflicts are quickly accurately identified and resolved and conflicts are cleared for new matters, new clients, and lateral attorneys.
• Provide leadership and facilitate departmental team building and training.
• Review, assess, recommend, and communicate improvements to conflicts and new business intake processes, procedures, and policies.
• Work with General Counsel on issues relating to conflicts of interest and due diligence; provide support through the regular review and identification of potential issues under client Outside Counsel Guidelines.
• Oversee the firm’s Intapp Walls database; train firm users on Intapp Conflicts and New Business Intake applications and continuously develop the firm’s use of these systems.

For additional detail:

• You can see the specific job posting here
• And read more about professional life and benefits at the firm  on their careers page:
  • Our professional staff plays an integral role in delivering the exceptional service that stands as the bedrock of our firm’s reputation. We deeply value our professional staff and promote a welcoming, supportive environment that enables our employees to reach their professional and personal goals.

I’m quite pleased to highlight another job posting from my friend Rodney Miller, Director of Business Information Governance at Alston & Bird. (Always nice to see repeat participants taking advantage of this resource.) He reports a new opening at the firm: “New Business Intake Manager” —

• “The Atlanta office of Alston & Bird is seeking a New Business Intake Manger (NBI Manager) to oversee the firm’s new business intake function on a global basis.”
• “This position is eligible for remote flexibility. Details will be discussed during the interview process.”

Key Responsibilities Include:

• The NBI manager will oversee the New Business Intake team and set the strategic direction for the firm’s new business intake function.
• The NBI Manager will also oversee the implementation of standardized new business intake procedures across offices and liaise with partnership and firm leadership on client intake needs and issues, with escalation to Loss Prevention as needed.
• Individual will maintain expertise in new business intake best practices and advise firm leadership on areas for improvement.
• Serve as Business Lead for firm projects involving new business intake.
• Manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of the NBI Department.
• Develop training materials and ensure the professional development of Department staff.

Skills Needed to be Successful Include:

• Prior new business intake experience utilizing automated intake workflow systems in a law firm environment required.
• Additional skill sets such as prior supervisory experience; excellent written communication skills and the ability to draft and execute complex communications including policies and procedures, and instructional documents.
• Strong knowledge of ethical, legal and risk management rules and requirements governing conflicts of interest and conflicts resolution process required.

For additional detail:

• You can see the specific job posting here
• And read more about professional life at Alston & Bird on their excellent careers page, where I learned that Alston has continued is streak, ranked by Fortune as one of America’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For now for 23 consecutive years.

A few more things…

Rodney holds special honor as the first person to sign up for a BRB job listing. We were catching up on risk generally and his philosophy specifically, when the idea for this now successful experiment came up. At the time, I asked him a few questions relating to his firms work environment and thought I’d re-share the highlights:

Rodney says that professional development is a core part of working on the risk team at Alston & Bird:

“With our firm’s commitment to being a great place to work, we also want to make sure that our staff members are motivated and set up for success. Each risk team member has their own professional development plan. They have aspirations and things for reach for, and a strong appreciation of the importance of what they do, what they bring to the table, and how to grow, present and create opportunities for themselves.”

A few years ago, Rodney introduced a training program covering conflicts searches, analysis and reporting, as well as presentation and communication skills:

“Each analyst has the opportunity to develop his or her presentation skills in front of an audience — a real confidence booster which translates into more confident conversations with our lawyers… Our conflicts analysts have a stronger appreciation for what our lawyers are looking for, and are highly motivated and focused on delivering exactly what they need.”

And it’s just nice to see how this firm recognizes the importance of the conflicts department, as well as their commitment to excellence:

“I’m proud of the way we’ve professionalized and raised the profile of the conflicts department within the firm. It’s not just a group of folks providing your report of conflicts, it’s so much more involved than that. Each member of the team understands that they are very important spokes in the wheel, tied to new business intake, outside counsel guidelines, and all the restrictions that come into play. All of this is exciting to them, and to me. In the end, it comes down to trust. Our conflicts review committee can trust that every conflicts analyst on the team has a foundational understanding of conflicts searching and how it impacts the firm’s business.”

Does this sound like a good fit for you or someone you know?

If so, get in touch with Alston & Bird directly, or pass this on! (And tell them BRB sent you.)

In this BRB jobs update, I’m pleased to highlight an open conflicts role at Williams & Connolly’s Washington, DC office: “Conflicts Analyst” —

Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Primary responsibility to process and analyze all incoming new client and new matter workflow requests and analyze conflict check reports on a daily basis to determine any direct or potential conflicts, including potential conflicts for all incoming employees as needed, in a timely, efficient, and accurate manner;
• Data entry, search and analysis using Williams & Connolly’s new business conflicts and intake databases;
• Assist in retrieval, review and retention of current retainer agreements, outside counsel guidelines and other forms with ethics rules and opinions;
• Provide and decipher Corporate Family Tree information;
• Provide conflicts information to requesting attorneys, Conflicts Attorney, Professional Responsibility and Risk Management Counsel and the Ethics Committee;
• Provide status of new client matters;
• Produce Conflicts Checks or New Matter Forms by Proxy;
• Handle numerous calls and emails as they relate to Conflicts and New
  Client Matters;
• Provide time sensitive Securities Information to the Corporate Group as it relates to performing current client checks for Selling/Trading as needed; and
• Assist with a wide range of research and other requests as necessary.

Key qualifications include:

• The ideal candidate will have an interest in the law, and in particular, experience with conflicts and the Rules of Professional Conduct.
• The candidate must have the ability to work independently and yet still effectively communicate with others and use the utmost care in the handling of confidential information.
• This position requires the ability to interface with firm management, partners, and employees in a highly professional manner, and the ability to manage and prioritize a high volume of work activities meeting all deadlines
• The ideal candidate also will possess legal experience in conflicts and/or new business intake. Knowledge of, and experience working with the Intapp suite of new business products preferred including Conflicts/New Business.
• The position requires a Bachelor’s Degree. Flexible workweek scheduling/hoteling potential.

See the complete job posting for more detail on job and to apply for this position.

Learn more about working at Williams and Connolly on their careers page:

• “At Williams & Connolly, a high percentage of our support staff members have been with the firm for more than a decade. They have been given the opportunity to develop their careers through promotions, increased responsibility, and internal mobility because we know that our professional talent is every bit as important as our lawyers in providing quality service to our clients.”
• “The firm offers competitive compensation, outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities with the sincere anticipation that Williams & Connolly will be a place for our staff to enjoy a challenging career for many years to come.”
• “Washingtonian magazine again selected the firm as one of the Washington D.C. area’s 50 “Great Places to Work.” Our interesting cases, opportunity to work with the most talented lawyers in the world, team spirit, excellent professional rewards, and other notable perks landed us among the featured companies.”

And if you’re interested in seeing your firm’s listings here, please feel free to reach out…

In this BRB jobs update, I’m pleased to highlight two positions open at Blakes, a conflicts analyst role and a team lead position:

“Conflicts Analyst Team Lead / Conflicts Analyst Supervisor” —

• “Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s largest and most successful law firms, is currently looking for a Conflicts Analyst Team Lead or Conflicts Analyst Supervisor to join the General Counsel’s Office (GCO) in the Toronto office. Depending on experience, this is a team lead or supervisor role, which will report to the Assistant General Counsel.”

Primary responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Overseeing or supervising the delegation and assignment of tasks to a team of Conflicts Analysts, including corporate research, search strategy and curation of conflict reports using Intapp Open
• Motivating and supervising the team, while providing coaching and counsel regarding deliverables. Conducting spot checks, providing feedback and applying sound judgment in identifying issues that require escalation to the GCO
• Designing and leading onboarding and continuing training efforts while promoting best practices with existing and new team members
• Defining appropriate search parameters, searching multiple databases to identify potential conflicts of interest and other risk issues such as sanctions, and preparing and curating conflict reports for the Firm’s lawyers to review
• Assisting in the creation of various tracking systems in connection with lateral hires, sanctions and other risk issues, as requested
• Providing coaching and assistance to legal assistants as needed to ensure all required information for new matter opening is captured and recorded accurately, and information for existing matters is updated in a timely manner

Key qualifications include:

• Five years + of professional work experience in a law firm required
• Proficiency with Intapp Open or experience with conflict searches required

See the complete job posting for more detail on job and to apply for this position.

“(Senior) Business Intake/Conflicts Analyst” —

• “Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s largest and most successful law firms, is currently looking for a Business Intake/Conflicts Analyst or Senior Business Intake/Conflicts Analyst to join the General Counsel’s Office in the Toronto office.”

Primary responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• The timely execution of conflict searches and analysis of search data to ensure a thorough review of potential conflicts
• Defining appropriate search parameters, searching multiple databases to identify potential conflicts of interest and other risk issues such as sanctions, and preparing and curating conflict reports for the Firm’s lawyers to review
• Providing coaching and assistance to legal assistants as needed to ensure all required information for new matter opening is captured and recorded accurately, and information for existing matters is updated in a timely manner
• Applying sound judgement to ensure effective review of conflicts and knowing when to escalate issues
• For senior role, exhibiting a keen understanding of Intapp Open, and assisting with project-specific testing for new software developments
• For senior role, providing support and guidance to junior team members, and sharing best practices

Key qualifications include:

• Undergraduate diploma or degree preferred
• Three to five years of professional work experience in a law firm preferred
• For Senior role, working knowledge of Intapp Open and/or experience with conflict searches required

See the complete job posting for more detail on job and to apply for this position.

Learn more about working at Blakes on their careers page:

• “At Blakes, we are all about our people. We are committed to not only providing exceptional client experiences, but also fostering an open and inclusive workplace culture for legal professionals and administrative professionals.”
• “As a winner of the Canada’s Best Diversity Employers award, as well as the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers award, we know that diversity and inclusion are not simply initiatives on the perimeter of our business — they are the core of our success. We understand the importance of cultivating an environment that brings out the best in each person. Our success as a Firm starts with the hiring, development and retention of top talent.”

And if you’re interested in seeing your firm’s listings here, please feel free to reach out…