Counsel, AI Risk & Compliance

McDermott Will & Emery•Chicago, DC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Counsel, AI Risk & Compliance serves at the intersection of legal, technology, risk management, regulatory compliance, and professional responsibility. This role guides the evaluation, deployment, and governance of artificial intelligence tools and related technologies across the firm, while partnering closely with business, technology, and risk stakeholders. The Counsel provides guidance on issues involving confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, professional conduct obligations, client contractual commitments, and reputational risk, in addition to the legal, operational, cybersecurity, and regulatory issues associated with enterprise AI adoption. This role helps shape the firm’s approach to AI governance and plays a central role in enabling innovation while helping the firm manage legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risk in a rapidly evolving environment.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing
Significant legal experience in one or more relevant areas, such as technology transactions, product counseling, privacy, cybersecurity, data governance, regulatory compliance, or professional responsibility
Strong legal judgment
Ability to advise on complex, cross-functional initiatives involving emerging technologies and evolving regulatory requirements
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Ability to provide clear, business-focused guidance
Ability to handle and maintain confidential information
Experience advising on artificial intelligence, machine learning, data use, or technology governance issues in a law firm, regulated industry, or sophisticated in-house legal environment
Familiarity with AI governance frameworks, privacy and cybersecurity concepts, vendor risk review, and contractual allocation of data and intellectual property rights
Technical fluency sufficient to work effectively with technology, information security, and operational teams on how AI systems function in practice
Experience developing policies, training, templates, and scalable processes that support responsible innovation and compliance

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary legal advisor for AI tools, applications, vendors, and initiatives being evaluated, implemented, or used across the firm
Partner closely with IT, Information Security, Procurement, Marketing and Business Development, Knowledge Management, and other stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of AI initiatives, from evaluation through deployment and ongoing governance
Provide practical legal guidance on how AI technologies interact with firm systems, internal data, client information, and operational infrastructure
Advise on legal issues involving data access, permitted use, privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, confidentiality, and professional responsibility
Support vendor diligence, contracting, and risk management processes for AI-related tools and services, including issues involving data rights, model training, service improvement, testing, analytics, retention, subprocessors, and cross-border data transfers
Establish legal and governance standards for vendor terms and AI-related practices that align with client commitments, legal obligations, and firm risk expectations
Assess risks associated with emerging and agentic AI systems, including risks related to autonomy, workflow execution, unauthorized access, prompt manipulation, data leakage, privilege escalation, and operational disruption
Work with Information Security, Privacy, and other control functions to evaluate how AI capabilities may affect existing control environments and legal, regulatory, contractual, and ethical obligations
Review proposed uses of firm and client data in connection with AI development, testing, training, deployment, and related innovation initiatives
Identify and advise on restrictions applicable to sensitive or regulated data, including personal data, health information, and other categories of information subject to contractual, statutory, or ethical limitations
Monitor and interpret evolving AI-related legal and regulatory developments at the federal, state, and international levels, and translate those developments into practical guidance for the firm
Develop and deliver guidance, policies, and training for lawyers and business professionals regarding appropriate AI use, client restrictions, confidentiality obligations, and related compliance expectations
Partner with marketing and business development teams on AI-related messaging, client communications, proposals, presentations, website content, and external representations regarding the firm’s AI capabilities and governance practices