Position Summary
The Conflicts Lawyer will work alongside leadership and support Senior Management and the Global Director with matter review and high-level conflict-of-interest analysis. The position entails both independent decision-making and continuous interaction with a global conflicts team that operates nearly 24/7. The role’s primary focus will be to resolve potential conflicts of interest related to new matters/new clients; however, other duties may be assigned to the Conflicts Lawyer as the position progresses and changes accordingly with the growing needs of an expanding department in a global environment.
General Counsel: New Business
White & Case opens more than 13,000 matter every year, or 1 matter per hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Playing a key role in assisting Partners and fee earners to identify potential conflicts of interest during new business intake, you will work at the heart of the Firm’s operations and as a trusted advisor to our lawyers.
Combining both sound commercial judgement and effective communication skills, you will support the Office of the General Counsel (GC) in handling all aspects relating to incoming new business for new clients or existing clients. This includes conflict searches, opening entries, fee approvals and new matter activation. You will also handle many matter lifecycle aspects of an existing matter including changes to matter details, changes to the parties involved and all reactivation requests.
We are committed to clearing conflicts on incoming global matters to provide expedited approval, and provide services from our satellite offices.
Duties and Accountabilities
• Advise the fee earners on conflicts issues including on relevant bar rules and proactively support the global roll out of the concierge model (total conflicts clearance) for both complex and straightforward matters. Liaise with the OGC and other Partners across the firm to clear any complex technical or commercial conflicts issues.
• Reviewing new business for a global partnership on an often expedited basis to determine if the matter can be accepted.
• Communicate clearly and confidentially with the partners any conflict concerns, such as a need for a specific waiver, an ethical screen or a special approval.
• Be well versed in engagement letters, waiver language, outside counsel guidelines, the department’s special approvals and internal mechanics and procedures.
• Possess a strong understanding of conflict clearance protocols for various corporate practice areas including, inter alia, private equity, capital markets, bank finance, mergers & acquisitions and restructuring & insolvency.
• Provide support in respect of the development and delivery of conflicts training materials and programmes run by the OGC.
• Act as a role model for the team in supporting junior team member’s personal development by mentoring them on a daily basis. This includes acting as an escalation point and guiding them through the whole conflicts clearance process.
• Conduct quality control checks on all junior team members conducting conflicts tasks. Provide feedback to the team members to address any knowledge gaps and the Managers for the review process.
Qualifications
• This is an Attorney position and the candidate must be a Philippine-bar passer, active and in good standing.
• Three years experience as a professional attorney, ideally in corporate or finance; conflicts attorney experience an obvious plus.
• Experience at or currently employed at a law firm.
• International experience a plus.
• Strong academic record and intellectual curiosity, creative thinker.
• Ability to see the big picture.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• Strong time management skills, ability to stay calm under pressure when juggling multiple tasks.
• Client service focus.
• Team player.
• Strong judgment.
• Proactive, resourceful, takes initiative.
• Fluency in English.
• Flexible to work in the graveyard/shifting schedule, Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday. Available to work overtime as needed.
• Hybrid work set-up (2x per week onsite every Wednesday and Thursday)
*We are hybrid work set-up and will be utilizing technology in processing your application. Please ensure your contact information is updated and check your email regulary for updates on your application.