New Business Attorney

White & Case LLP

Firm Summary White & Case is an elite global law firm serving leading companies, financial institutions and governments worldwide. Our long history as an international firm means we are perfectly placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they may be. With lawyers operating from more than 40 locations, working in virtually every country of the world, we have invested heavily in building a high-quality full-service practice competing at the top of the market. We are distinguished by our on-the-ground presence in the world’s key financial markets and our strengths in handling complex cross-border work. It’s not just about our global network of offices; it’s the global interconnectedness of the Firm that our people, and our clients, value most. We work well together across geographic and practice boundaries. It’s one of the reasons we attract and retain cross-border work. And why we attract a diverse group of people. Our lawyers are globally minded, enterprising, collaborative and committed to excellence. Diversity is a core value of our Firm and it has been recognized with numerous awards and top rankings around the world. Our people represent 90 nationalities and speak 80 languages. Position Summary The Conflicts Lawyer will work alongside leadership and support Senior Management and the Global Director with matter review and high-level conflict-of-interest analysis. They will be a senior escalation point for the global conflicts team that operates nearly 24/7. The position entails both independent decision-making and continuous interaction with members of the OGC and Partners on conflicts clearances, approvals, and the drafting of waivers. The role’s primary focus will be to resolve potential conflicts of interest but, they must also be mentors for the team providing formal training, developing training guides and up-skilling people regularly. Other duties may also be assigned to the Conflicts Lawyer as the position progresses and changes accordingly with the growing needs of an expanding department in a global environment. General Counsel: New Business White & Case opens more than 13,000 matters every year, or 1 matter per hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Playing a key role in assisting Partners and fee earners to identify potential conflicts of interest during new business intake, you will work at the heart of the Firm’s operations and as a trusted advisor to our lawyers. Combining both sound commercial judgement and effective communication skills, you will support the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) in handling all aspects relating to incoming new business for new clients or existing clients. This includes conflict searches, new matter review, fee and engagement letter approvals and new matter activation. You will also handle many matter lifecycle aspects of an existing matter including changes to matter details, changes to the parties involved and all reactivation requests. We are committed to clearing conflicts on incoming matters to provide expedited approval, and provide services from offices in Tampa, London, Manila, New York and Paris. Duties and Accountabilities1 Advise the fee earners on conflicts issues including on relevant bar rules and proactively support the global roll out of a total conflicts clearance model for both complex and straightforward matters. Liaise with the OGC and other Partners across the firm to clear any complex technical or commercial conflicts issues. Reviewing new business for a global partnership on an often expedited basis to determine if the matter can be accepted. Communicate clearly and confidentially with the partners any conflict concerns, such as a need for a specific waiver, an ethical screen or a special approval. Be well versed in engagement letters, waiver language, outside counsel guidelines, the department’s special approvals and internal procedures. Possess a strong understanding of conflict clearance protocols for various corporate practice areas including, white collar, private equity, capital markets, bank finance, mergers & acquisitions and restructuring & insolvency. Provide support in respect of the development and delivery of conflicts training materials and programmes run by the OGC. Act as a role model for the team in supporting junior team member’s personal development by mentoring them on a daily basis. This includes acting as an escalation point and guiding them through the whole conflicts clearance process. Conduct quality control checks on all junior team members conducting conflicts tasks. Provide feedback to the team members to address any knowledge gaps and the Managers for the review process. Qualifications This is an Attorney position, and the candidate must be Florida barred, active and in good standing. Three years experience as a professional Attorney, ideally in corporate or finance. Conflicts or anti-money laundering Attorney experience is a plus. Experience at or currently employed at a medium or large sized law firm is preferred. International experience a plus. Strong academic record and intellectual curiosity, creative thinker. Ability to see the big picture to identify reputational risk concerns. Outstanding communication skills and strong commercial judgment. Good time management skills, ability to stay calm under pressure when juggling multiple tasks. Client service focus and a team player. Proactive, resourceful, takes initiative. Fluency in English. Location and Reporting This is a staff Attorney role (not partner track) based in Tampa, with potential for international travel. This role reports to the Associate Director of New Business (Tampa) and indirectly to the Global Director (London).
Posted
Title
Staff Attorney
Practice Areas
Litigation
Specialties
Conflicts/Ethics
Experience
3+ years
Type
Law Firm