Senior Risk Lawyer

LR Legal Recruitment; Slough; Hybrid; GBP 78,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

LR Legal Recruitment is partnering with a leading international law firm to recruit a Senior Risk Lawyer based in London. The role supports the Head of Legal Risk and the Risk & Compliance function across multiple jurisdictions.

Ideal candidates are England & Wales qualified solicitors with 6–10 years PQE, strong knowledge of the SRA Code, AML, sanctions and data protection, plus excellent communication and stakeholder skills.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales, ideally with 6–10 years’ PQE.
• Minimum three years’ experience in the Risk function of an international law firm.
• Strong knowledge of the SRA Code of Conduct and related regulatory framework.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; strong stakeholder management.
• Willingness to travel internationally for audits, training and audits.

Responsibilities

• Advising on all aspects of Risk & Compliance, including the SRA Code of Conduct, professional standards, ethics, conflicts, financial crime, AML, sanctions, client/third-party terms and data protection.
• Liaising with colleagues across Risk & Compliance, business services and fee-earning teams internationally.
• Developing and maintaining a strong understanding of the firm's policies, systems and processes.
• Identifying new or amended regulatory requirements and legal obligations affecting operations.
• Drafting and updating policies to reflect regulatory changes across jurisdictions.
• Maintaining registers and monitoring compliance.
• Supporting audits, training and other risk initiatives.
• Undertaking other ad hoc duties as required.

Skills

6–10 PQE

Risk function experience

SRA Code of Conduct

Communication

Stakeholder management

Contract law

Tort law

Financial crime / AML

Sanctions

Data protection

Confidentiality & privilege

Willing to travel

Discretion & diplomacy

Commercial mindset

IT skills

Training delivery

Indemnity claims

Education

England & Wales Qualified Solicitor

Job description

Senior Risk Lawyer

Department:

Risk & Compliance

Reporting to:

Head of Legal Risk

Location:

London / Hybrid – minimum 60% office attendance

Contract:

Full-time, Permanent

Salary:

Up to £130k

The Firm

A leading sector-focused international law firm with a global presence across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

The firm takes a progressive, commercial and pragmatic approach to supporting its clients, providing specialist legal advice across a range of sectors including construction, aviation, shipping, insurance, commodities and energy.

The Department

The Risk & Compliance team is a well-established international function comprising senior Risk & Compliance professionals, Risk Lawyers, Business Acceptance specialists, Conflicts professionals, Compliance Systems and Data Privacy specialists.

The team operates across multiple international offices and works closely with the firm's General Counsel, COLP and MLRO, as well as senior stakeholders responsible for areas including professional indemnity, sanctions and data protection.

The Role

This is a legal role reporting to the Head of Legal Risk, supporting the Head of Legal Risk, the Risk & Compliance Partner and the COLP across all aspects of their responsibilities internationally.

Key Responsibilities

• Advising on all aspects of Risk & Compliance, including the SRA Code of Conduct, professional standards, ethics, conflicts, financial crime, AML, sanctions, client and third-party terms and conditions, supplier contracts, data protection and AI.
• Liaising with colleagues across the Risk & Compliance function, business services and fee-earning teams internationally.
• Developing and maintaining a strong understanding of the firm's policies, systems and processes.
• Identifying new or amended regulatory requirements and legal obligations affecting the firm's operations.
• Drafting and updating policies and procedures to reflect changes in regulatory requirements across the jurisdictions in which the firm operates.
• Maintaining registers and monitoring compliance.
• Supporting audits, training and other risk and compliance initiatives.
• Undertaking other ad hoc duties as required.

Key Skills & Experience

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales, ideally with 6–10 years' PQE.
• A minimum of three years' experience within the Risk function of an international law firm.
• Detailed knowledge of the SRA regulatory framework, particularly the Code of Conduct.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder management experience.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant areas of law and procedure, including:
• Contract, Tort, Financial crime / AML, Sanctions, Conflicts, Confidentiality, privilege and data protection
• Experience applying and advising on the above areas.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and seek or delegate support where appropriate.
• Motivated, pragmatic and commercially minded.
• Strong IT skills.
• High levels of discretion, confidentiality and diplomacy.
• Willingness to travel internationally to undertake audits and training.

Desirable

• Experience delivering training.
• Experience dealing with professional indemnity claims and complaints.