Privacy Counsel

Manatt Phelps & Phillips•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$180,000 - $230,000•Hybrid

About The Position

With 500+ professionals and 350+ business professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (www.manatt.com), is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The Firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the Firm to provide a distinct and compelling value proposition. Opportunity This position will work closely with the Legal Risk Management (LRM) team and serve as the Firm’s dedicated subject‑matter expert for privacy‑related issues across all business functions. The Privacy Counsel will oversee and enhance the Firm’s privacy policies and practices, advise on U.S. and international privacy law compliance, review and negotiate privacy and information‑security provisions in client and vendor agreements, and guide the Firm in mitigating privacy and data‑handling risks. This role will support a wide range of stakeholders—including legal, HR, IT, procurement, and leadership—by providing strategic privacy guidance, implementing compliant processes, conducting assessments, and ensuring the responsible management of Firm, client, employee, and candidate data. This role will not be a billing professional but will be a Business Professional role and sit within the Legal and Risk Management department.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active bar membership in good standing
At least 5–6 years of dedicated privacy experience, ideally including both U.S. privacy laws (CCPA/HIPAA) and international frameworks such as GDPR
Experience implementing or managing privacy compliance programs in a corporate or professional services environment
Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating privacy provisions across a wide variety of agreements
Experience handling privacy impact assessments, audits, or regulatory inquiries
Strong Outlook, Excel and Word skills required
Effective and succinct oral communication and clear and concise written communication
Effective analytical, logical reasoning, and problem-solving abilities
Experience with legal ethics and privilege issues
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Demonstrated professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion
Commitment to exceptional internal and external client service
Demonstrated reliability and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a hybrid (remote and in-office) team environment.
The Firm operates on a hybrid work schedule requiring in-office presence Tuesday through Thursday, with optional remote work permitted on Mondays and Fridays. All employees must remain available for onsite work up to five days per week as business needs dictate. This schedule is subject to change; flexibility is required

Nice To Haves

Professional memberships or certifications in privacy (e.g., CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT) preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the Firm’s primary point of contact and resource for all privacy‑related issues, including HIPAA, CCPA, GDPR, and other applicable privacy frameworks.
Review, negotiate, and draft privacy and information‑security provisions in client agreements, Outside Counsel Guidelines, vendor contracts, Business Associate Agreements, and Data Processing Addendums.
Manage and respond to client‑driven Information Security and Data Privacy assessments, questionnaires, and audits.
Partner with internal teams to identify privacy risks and compliance gaps; develop and implement corrective action plans to resolve issues.
Oversee the Firm’s privacy program, including maintaining and updating the Firm’s privacy policy and ensuring firmwide compliance with data retention standards.
Support HR with privacy considerations related to employee and candidate personal data, medical information, and access records.
Work with Firm stakeholders to understand data flows and ensure appropriate privacy and data‑handling controls across Firm systems and processes.
Assist in assessing and advising on privacy risks associated with new tools, technologies, and EPMO‑supported initiatives.
Conduct privacy impact assessments and support audits, regulatory inquiries, and data incident responses as needed.
Act as an issue spotter—identifying risks in complex factual scenarios and advising on mitigation strategies.
All other duties as assigned or required.