Conflicts Manager or Managing Conflicts Counsel - Remote (MN, TX, GA, IL)

Fish & Richardson•Minneapolis, MN

7d•Remote

About The Position

Fish & Richardson, a premier global intellectual property law firm, is seeking a Conflicts Manager or Managing Conflicts Counsel to join its Risk Management Department. This role is part of The Hub, Fish’s remote-first group, meaning employees work primarily from home. The position is remote-first and currently focused on candidates located in MN, TX, GA, and IL. The Conflicts Manager will manage all aspects of conflicts searching, identification, and resolution for new business and lateral intake, ensuring the integrity of the firm’s conflicts data. The role also involves significant managerial responsibilities, including interviewing, hiring, training, monitoring, and evaluating conflicts staff. The position requires acting as a role model and mentor, providing superior service, and fostering an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement. The individual will coach team members, develop and implement new business intake and conflicts checking processes, and work closely with firm management, including the General Counsel and Intake Committee, to standardize policies, resolve complex conflict issues, and maintain conflicts data integrity. Responsibilities also include preparing for and documenting Intake Committee meetings, providing training to new attorneys and staff, and documenting departmental procedures. The Managing Conflicts Counsel role requires a J.D. and licensure, while the Conflicts Manager requires a bachelor's degree.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree for Conflicts Manager position, or J.D. and licensed in good standing for Managing Conflicts Counsel position.
7+ years of experience working in the conflicts or new business intake department of a law firm with expertise in the identification, analysis, and resolution of conflicts of interest, including ethical, subject matter, and business conflicts.
5+ years conflicts or new business intake experience working in a supervisory or management capacity.
Working knowledge of automated conflicts databases (i.e. InTapp).
Demonstrated proficiency in supervising others and training a variety of personnel including attorneys and all levels of professional staff.
Excellent investigative and analytical skills necessary to conduct complex and detailed analysis of legal matters.
Excellent written and oral communication and customer service skills.
Proficiency in utilizing Microsoft office applications including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Ability to work independently, to identify issues and problems, and recommend and implement solutions.
Ability to oversee team members in various positions and geographic locations.
Demonstrated leadership skills, including critical thinking, risk-taking, and creativity.
Possess the managerial skills necessary in order to interact and communicate with team members, provide instruction and directions, determine work priorities, and coordinate the activities of a team.
Ability to delegate and manage resources effectively.
Highly effective communication skills and the ability to conduct meetings and correspond with firm principals, attorneys, and leadership regarding complex and difficult issues.
Ability to change and adapt to current and future responsibilities and circumstances.

Responsibilities

Manage all conflicts searching, conflicts identification, and the resolution of potential ethical, business, and subject matter conflicts relating to new business and lateral intake and ensure the integrity of the firm’s conflicts data.
Carry out managerial responsibilities in accordance with the firm’s policies and procedures, including interviewing, hiring, and training new conflicts staff; monitoring, planning, assigning, and directing work of conflicts staff; appraising performance and handling personnel-related issues; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Serve as a positive role model and mentor and perform all responsibilities with a commitment to providing superior service to the firm’s attorneys, management, and employees; efficient and effective departmental operations; and an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement.
Act as an effective coach to team members in meeting business goals and inspiring their continuing development through hands-on training, coaching, and performance evaluations.
Involve team members in collaborative or team-empowered decisions, as applicable.
Develop, recommend, and implement new business and lateral intake and conflicts checking processes, procedures, systems, and application updates/modifications, in conjunction with the Director of Conflicts.
Work extensively with appropriate firm management including the General Counsel and the Intake Committee to standardize, implement, and enforce firm policies and practices, analyze and resolve complex conflict issues regarding opening new business and onboarding laterals, and on other related risk management issues.
Manage the ongoing maintenance of the conflicts data to ensure its integrity, including monitoring conflicts forums and annotations to ensure the receipt of client waivers and other required conflict information, and managing and implementing any other changes or additions to the conflicts checking procedures.
Prepare for, host, and memorialize the discussions and decisions of the Intake Committee conference calls, and provide information and assistance to members of the Intake Committee and General Counsel as needed.
Provide orientation and training of new attorneys and professional staff with regards to new business conflicts and lateral hire procedures.
Document (in both a written and online procedure manual) the new business intake and lateral clearance conflict identification and resolution procedures and other department procedures.