Global Senior Conflicts Officer

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Department/Division: Risk and Compliance
Duration: Permanent
Reports to: Senior Conflicts Manager
Type of Role: Remote

Requisition nr: 7524

The Team

Risk management and regulatory compliance are critical to our organisation and are increasingly complex. To meet these challenges, we have a dedicated Risk and Compliance (R&C) function.

R&C work to ensure that legal and professional practice across Dentons is conducted in a professional, compliant, and risk-based manner balancing our ethical obligations with business needs.

R&C comprises of two dedicated teams - Conflicts and Anti Money Laundering. It is staffed with more than 40 compliance professionals based in London, Warsaw, Dubai, Doha, Glasgow and remotely in the UK.

The role of the Conflicts team is to ensure Dentons complies with ethical obligations in particular conflicts of interest and confidentiality rules as well as other compliance issues related to lateral hire clearances, new client matters, outside counsel guidelines and more. By doing this we provide the highest standard of service to the business.

The Role

Ensure Dentons is compliant with the applicable legislative requirements alongside appropriately managing commercial conflicts in line with Dentons global strategy and policies. This involves making sure effective compliance controls and procedures are in place, to ensure the avoidance of conflicts of interest and the protection of confidential information.
They also support Conflicts Team Leaders and the Senior Conflicts Manager on key internal projects, team recruitment as well as wider team training and mentoring.
This role involves the provision of an out of hours (4:30pm - 11:30pm GMT) conflict service for the UK, Ireland and Middle East Offices.

Responsibilities
• Reviewing and clearing medium to high complexity conflict checks, this includes managing legal and commercial issues across the Dentons network and the consideration of potential business conflicts in line with Dentons global strategies.
• Taking ownership of conflict checks throughout the entirety of the conflict checking process from the initial review through to matter record creation.
• Acting as a representative of the Conflicts Team and the first point of contact for any urgent out of hours conflict checks or queries that are received by the Team.
• Working largely independently during the UK out of hours service with guidance from the Team Leaders and the Senior Conflicts Manager.
• Proactive autonomy on the focus of your capacity dependent on the current requirements of the workflow. Primary duties will include focusing on any urgent conflict check requests, assisting with any requests that have been handed over and managing the conflicts centralized email inbox.
• Providing clear and concise out of hours escalations to the Team Leaders and the Senior Conflicts Manager where required.
• Working alongside the Client Terms Team in the analysis of engagement terms, Including providing input on the potential impact of any bespoke conflict terms from a commercial and strategic perspective.
• Identifying sanctions related issues and escalating as required to the Financial Crime Team.
• Adhering to Dentons' internal compliance policies and procedures.
• Using the Firm's global conflicts and new matter opening system and other internal/external systems to review and analyse data.
• Leading on discussions with both lawyers and partners to ascertain the presence of any legal, commercial or confidential information conflicts, and if so possible resolutions. These discussions can relate to highly complex transactions and related matter conflicts in which the relevant stakeholders may possess differing views to one another.
• Ensuring internal conflict flags are up to date and relevant.
• Ensuring that the daily workflow is progressed in a timely manner and in line with SLA.
• Dealing with the ongoing management of matters.
• Assisting with the lower complexity, higher volume workflow where necessary.
• Assisting with Department Projects and Initiatives.
• Helping with the mentoring of new members on the team.
• Acting as the first point of escalation in connection with technical conflict and process queries from junior members of the team.
• Conducting interviews and supporting Management in the recruitment process when required.
• Helping with other duties that may be assigned to fully meet the requirements of the position.
• Supporting Team Leaders, Managers, and Global Heads as required.

Required experience, skills and attributes

Technical skills
• Educated to bachelor's degree level (preferably law) or equivalent experience.
• Relevant professional qualification (desirable)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Relevant conflicts and confidential information experience. Including a minimum of 2-3 years experience acquired in an international law firm.
• Knowledge of Elite/3E and Intapp Open or similar systems
• Knowledge, understanding and ability to apply the SRA Standards and Regulation, Law Society of Scotland Rules, The Law Society of Ireland Code of Conduct and the Dubai International Finance Center (DIFC) requirements. Confidence in providing Guidance on these regulations when dealing with conflicts of interest.
• Able to recognise when the conflicts rules of other jurisdictions will be applicable, e.g. the US conflict rules of the American Bar Association.
• Able to analyse medium to high difficulty legal issues and produce accurate and reasoned opinions on a range of regulatory issues.
• Awareness and understanding of the following regulations:
- Data Protection Act 1998 and equivalents.
- EU Market Abuse Directive 2003/6/EC and equivalents.
- Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 parts relevant to law firms.
- Money Laundering Regulations 2017

Personal attributes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to interact positively at all levels.
• Professional in outlook and attitude.
• Good team player.
• Able to demonstrate excellent client/customer facing skills.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills; can clearly explain and present problems and issues to others and contribute to their resolution.
• Methodical approach to work; takes an efficient and organised approach to dealing with workload.
• Able to make decisions and remain calm while under pressure - particularly when dealing with difficult situations.
• Able to deliver high quality work to tight deadlines.
• Able to exercise tact and diplomacy.
• Can demonstrate initiative and the ability to be proactive.
• Able to analyse and recognise the need for improvement to systems.
• Can fulfill all responsibilities in a way which supports Dentons' values and promotes its equal opportunities and diversity principles.

Firm Profile

Across more than 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com

Inclusion and Diversity

We are committed to building an inclusive culture here at Dentons where our people can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance. As well as being the right thing to do, it makes good business sense too. A richness of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives helps us best serve our clients and the communities in which we operate. You can find out more about inclusion and diversity at Dentons here: Inclusion and Diversity.

Equal Opportunities

Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from everyone including of any age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, neurodiversity, disability, or with parental or caring responsibilities. We also offer flexible working hours.

During the application process, all applicants have the opportunity to tell us about any adjustments or support they require so they are able to perform at their best. Any information you share with us during the application process is treated in confidence.

If you have any questions about this or the role criteria, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com.

While it is not a requirement that you inform your current manager of any internal applications, we would recommend that you do so.