Senior Manager, Compliance and Privacy

Cornerstone Research • Los Angeles, CA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

Drives the strategic direction of the firm's compliance and data privacy program, shaping policy and procedure development firmwide in partnership with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, leading firmwide training and risk-awareness initiatives, and proactively identifying and addressing emerging regulatory and reputational risks. This role partners closely with colleagues in the Legal and HR departments to monitor enforcement of firm standards and carries specific responsibility for the firm's expert disclosure compliance process, ensuring litigation case teams meet contractual and procedural disclosure obligations to clients and courts throughout an expert engagement. The position reports to the Senior Vice President and General Counsel and supports case teams, firm leadership, and outside counsel on matters of compliance, privacy, and expert-related risk. At Cornerstone Research, you will be part of a thriving, 1,100-strong team that spans nine offices, comprises more than 55 nationalities, and leads the industry in its commitment to develop team members across all levels. Inc. Magazine has recognized Cornerstone Research five times as a Best Workplace for its outstanding employee engagement, collaborative culture, and professional growth opportunities.

Requirements

• 10+ years of directly related experience; prior experience in litigation and familiarity with expert discovery/disclosures strongly preferred
• In-depth knowledge of compliance and privacy laws and issues, and well-versed in legal guidelines and corporate governance best practices
• Excellent knowledge of reporting procedures and recordkeeping
• Demonstrated strong ethics and impeccable professional judgment
• Ability to interact tactfully, courteously, and professionally with clients and employees across all levels of the company
• Ability to work well under pressure and time constraints
• Ability to maintain client and firm confidentiality at all times
• The desire to take initiative and actively contribute to the team and the firm
• Strong business acumen and the ability to learn the firm’s financial and operational functions
• The mindset to provide superior service
• Bachelor’s degree required, Juris Doctorate degree strongly preferred; combination of experience, advanced studies and/or professional certification(s) may be considered
• The ability to commute to our office in Los Angeles, CA, or Washington, D.C., to comply with our hybrid work policy of 2-3 days per week in office.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) and/or Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the firm's primary point of contact on privacy and compliance matters for practice group and firm leadership; influence the development of firmwide risk and compliance strategy in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Develop and implement compliance policies and procedures to prevent, detect, and address violations of legal guidelines and internal policy.
• Draft, modify, and monitor firm policies related to compliance and privacy.
• Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of internal policies and procedures, driving continuous improvement.
• Monitor regulatory developments in privacy law and evolving best practices in compliance program management and adjust firm policy accordingly.
• Develop training content on compliance topics including privacy and data security and prepare risk bulletins for the firm.
• Own and continuously refine the firm's expert disclosure checklist process, ensuring required reviews are completed before an expert is proposed to a client and no later than retention.
• Conduct conflict-of-interest screening with prospective experts before proposing them or initiating any disclosure review and decline to advance any expert with an unresolved conflict.
• Administer standardized disclosure questions with experts consistently and verbally at defined checkpoints throughout the engagement — before client interviews, and ahead of deposition and trial preparation — to surface information relevant to credibility or qualifications.
• Reinforce with experts that disclosure is an ongoing obligation, requiring proactive updates as new information arises during the engagement.
• Apply enhanced disclosure checkpoints and timing required under certain client contracts.
• Verify prior disclosure history and expert background against internal recordkeeping before each review.
• Track and report compliance with the expert disclosure process across active matters, escalating gaps to firm leadership given the associated contractual and reputational risk.
• Partner with Legal, HR and IT to monitor enforcement of compliance and privacy standards and regulations firm-wide.
• Contribute to budget development and oversight for compliance-related initiatives.
• Participate in special projects as requested.

Benefits

• Competitive total rewards package
• Comprehensive healthcare options
• A monthly wellness subsidy
• Complimentary access to premium wellness apps
• Robust retirement savings plans
• Hybrid work model
• Generous paid time off
• Specialized support including fertility treatments, parental leave, back-up childcare, eldercare services, concierge assistance for personal errands, and pet care.
• Firm-wide commitment to mentorship, continuous learning, and a vibrant, inclusive community.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior