Senior Associate, General Counsel & Risk, Conflicts and General Compliance

Practice Group / Department:

Job Description

We're Norton Rose Fulbright - a global law firm with over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide. We provide the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. At Norton Rose Fulbright, our strategy and our culture are closely entwined. We know that our expansion will mean little unless it is underpinned by truly global collaboration and we understand that pioneering work only takes place when our people have room to move and think beyond boundaries. As well as the relevant skills and experience, we're looking for people who are innovative, commercial and value the work that they do. 

The Team

The Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (NRFLLP) General Counsel & Risk function is overseen by our General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer, assisted by a General Counsel for each of Financial Crime & Business Conduct; New Business; Partnership & Corporate Governance; and Professional Claims & Insurances respectively. The General Counsel & Risk Team covers EMEA’s 24 offices and is constituted of approximately 85 people, who are a mix of lawyers, managers and officers, based in London, Newcastle, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Melbourne.

NRF LLP is required to comply with all relevant laws and professional obligations in every office. Failure to comply can be a breach of professional standards rules or a criminal, or in some cases civil, offence. The General Counsel & Risk Team is responsible for overseeing compliance with those rules in order to avoid penalties or other sanctions and damage to our reputation.

The Role

We are looking for a senior solicitor/lawyer with considerable conflicts and general compliance experience to join the Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (NRF LLP) General Counsel & Risk function, based in London. The role will report into our London based Head of Conflicts, but will closely work with the General Counsel for New Business based in Singapore and the Head of CMI, based in Newcastle. While the majority of the work will be internally focused, there is the possibility of being involved with client facing work. Some domestic or international travel may also be required in future.

Our General Counsel & Risk Officers work on a roster Monday to Friday until 10pm to provide cover for various time zones. The Associates/Managers/Counsel (including this role) operate a rota to supervise (on an escalation basis) the officers covering these shifts.  There is also a rota to cover urgent queries over the weekend.

This is a dynamic and varied role in a supportive and friendly global team. It involves engaging directly with the Practice daily, as a senior trusted advisor, on issues relating to conflicts, client terms and general compliance queries and undertaking the following (non-exhaustive) tasks:

·       Evaluate and advise on legal and regulatory risks presented by the firm’s new and existing business.

·       Provide senior level advice to partners and senior management on conflicts and regulatory issues.

·       Assist with complex risk decisions relating to conflicts issues, including different ethical rules that apply across EMEA and the verein, and balancing the firm’s regulatory obligations together with its strategic and commercial goals.

·       Assisting the General Counsel for New Business, the Head of Conflicts and Head of CMI with implementing compliance processes that operate effectively across the firm.

·       Supervising and mentoring more junior members of the team and being responsible for their development.

·       Stay abreast of SRA regulatory developments affecting Norton Rose Fulbright’s business.

·       Management and development of systems, procedures and internal knowledge resources in relation to conflicts and general compliance issues.

·       Providing guidance to the business and junior colleagues on the review of engagement and relationship letters, panel appointments and non-disclosure agreements produced by clients, and advising as to their acceptability; Monitoring and reviewing the wording of our standard form engagement letters.

·       Play a key role in the continuing development and management of the firm’s global reputational risk processes.

·       Lead or collaborate on various General Counsel & Risk or firm wide projects requiring input from a risk and compliance perspective.

·       Provide ad hoc advice on a day-to-day basis on conflicts and regulatory risks to the firm and the firm’s COLP; and

·       Contributing to the promotion of a risk management culture throughout the firm, including facilitating training sessions for the Practice and other Business Services teams.

Skills and Experience Required

·       Qualified Solicitor, REL, RFL, or qualified Barrister or Solicitor in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa or the United States, with 5 to 8 years qualified experience in an international law firm or in-house in a regulatory/general counsel area.

·       Ability to analyse highly complex legal issues.

·       Strong relevant experience of advising on conflicts and regulatory issues.