Conflicts Attorney

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP•New York, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Conflicts Attorney is primarily responsible for conflicts analysis performed in connection with lateral attorney hires, and secondarily for assisting the General Counsel’s Office with tasks relating to engagement letter compliance, information wall implementation and maintenance and reviewing outside counsel guidelines, client questionnaires, codes of conduct, and other similar materials, as needed. The position will be part of the Office of General Counsel, with frequent direct interaction with the Associate General Counsel and Senior Conflicts Attorney, and will work with other lawyers at the firm and firm administrative personnel. Given the demanding and global nature of the firm’s work, the Conflicts Attorney must be available outside normal office hours and flexible with respect to evening and weekend work as circumstances require. The position is not an external client-facing or partnership track position.

Requirements

Working knowledge of the Rules of Professional Responsibility as they pertain to conflicts.
Impeccable integrity.
The ability to work as part of a team.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills, ability to set priorities and multi-task while meeting strict deadlines.
Ability to maintain flexibility as priorities and tasks change.
Keen attention to detail.
Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment, including as to the need for consultation with more experienced colleagues.
Ability to thoroughly research potential conflicts and use deductive reasoning and analytical skills to draw appropriate conclusions about potential conflicts.
Availability outside normal office hours and flexibility with respect to evening and weekend work as circumstances require.
Law degree from an accredited law school and licensed and in good standing to practice in New York.
A minimum of two years of experience in a large law firm.

Nice To Haves

Experience in conflicts clearance in a large law firm is a plus.

Responsibilities

Manage lateral conflict process to ensure conflicts reports are cleared on a timely basis and that any potential conflicts are identified, raised, and adequately resolved, including through maintenance of appropriate records.
Analyze and resolve conflicts independently.
Coordinate with Human Resources and Recruiting team members with respect to lateral conflicts clearance process and onboarding.
Communicate with the candidate and relevant attorneys regarding potential conflicts.
Draft conflicts waiver request letters.
Determine the need for and assist with implementation of ethical walls, as appropriate.
Consult with Managing Attorney to ensure appropriate notifications to government agencies and courts, as appropriate.
Accurately document conflicts resolution, including waivers obtained or relied upon, as applicable.
Liaise with lawyers to identify the need for and scope of information walls involving certain individuals and/or timekeepers on certain matters.
Draft information wall memoranda for review by responsible lawyer(s).
Maintain information walls by reviewing new matter memoranda to identify necessary matter additions, and coordinating periodic notifications to newly added timekeepers.
Identify information wall violations and coordinate resolution with the responsible lawyer(s).
Assist with other compliance initiatives relating to conflicts and legal ethics as needed.
Evening and weekend on-call coverage.
Special Projects, as needed.