Lateral Partner Onboarding & Intake Director

Sidley Austin•Chicago, IL

1d•$300,000 - $360,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lateral Partner Onboarding & Intake Director (“Lateral Intake Director”) is a newly established leadership role responsible for the efficient, risk appropriate, and well-coordinated transition of lateral partners’ clients and matters into the Firm. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, the Lateral Intake Director serves as the Firm’s central point of accountability for lateral onboarding, working across the Conflicts and New Business Department, Accounting, and other Firm functions to ensure that new lateral partners and their clients are onboarded quickly, accurately, and with minimal disruption to the partner’s practice. Given the direct connection between onboarding speed and the Firm’s ability to realize the value of lateral hires, this role carries significant visibility with Firm leadership and requires sound judgment in balancing speed, accuracy, and risk.

Requirements

J.D.
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in conflicts, new business intake, legal operations, or a related compliance/risk management function at a large law firm or comparable professional services organization, including at least 3 years in a leadership or management capacity
Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines
Working knowledge of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and law firm conflicts of interest processes
Working knowledge of law firm new business intake and lateral partner integration processes
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience with conflicts or risk management applications (such as Intapp Open, Intapp Walls, and Elite)

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with lateral partner recruiting, integration, or onboarding at a large law firm
Project management certification (such as PMP) or equivalent experience
Experience with the Elite Enterprise financial system or a comparable practice management system
Strong organizational skills
Strong attention to detail
Good judgment
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
Able to work under pressure
Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Responsibilities

Direct the Firm’s lateral partner client onboarding and intake program, serving as the single point of accountability for the timely opening of a new lateral partner’s clients and matters.
Partner with the Lateral Recruiting team, the Lateral Clearance team, and the New Business team to prioritize and expedite conflicts searches, client evaluations, and matter opening for incoming lateral partners and their client rosters.
Coordinate with Accounting, Billing, Records Management, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Business Development to synchronize the systems access, billing setup, file transfer, and related workstreams required for a seamless lateral transition.
Establish and monitor onboarding timelines and key performance indicators for each lateral partner transition, escalating delays or obstacles to the Deputy General Counsel, Conflicts and New Business Operations Senior Director, and relevant Practice Group Leaders.
Serve as the lateral partner’s primary point of contact at the Firm during the transition period, addressing intake related questions and issues promptly and professionally.
Develop and maintain firm-wide policies, procedures, and playbooks governing lateral partner onboarding and intake, and drive continuous improvement of the process.
Lead and coordinate the staff and cross-functional team members supporting lateral onboarding, providing guidance, training, and performance feedback as applicable.
Report regularly to the Deputy General Counsel and Firm leadership on the status of pending lateral transitions, department-wide onboarding metrics, and emerging risks.
Collaborate with the Office of General Counsel and New Business Committee on pre-arrival due diligence, risk assessment, and onboarding planning for prospective lateral partners.
Perform special projects related to lateral partner integration and new business intake as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel.
Use AI to work with and develop process and procedures to make operations more efficient.