Associate Director, Dispute Intelligence

Control Risks; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Control Risks seeks an Associate Director in Hong Kong to lead our global dispute intelligence practice. The role focuses on growing client relationships, winning mandates, and guiding multi-jurisdictional investigations and asset tracing projects, while mentoring teams across regions.

Candidate will drive strategy with senior leaders, ensure high-quality delivery, and foster an inclusive, collaborative culture across the Intelligence & Investigations practice.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering disputes and investigations work across multiple jurisdictions.
• Ability to write and present concisely and convincingly.
• Proven track record of winning mandates and growing client relationships.
• Experience in leadership and mentoring high-performing teams.
• Understanding of legal/compliance issues affecting the investigations industry.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the dispute intelligence practice in APAC and globally.
• Manage client relationships with law firms, in-house counsel, and funders.
• Oversee delivery of multi-jurisdictional disputes and investigations projects.
• Drive innovation in OSINT and source network development.
• Foster inclusive, high-performing project teams and mentor staff.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Client management

Dispute support

Team management

OSINT investigations

Job description

Role purpose

We are looking for an Associate Director in our dedicated global dispute intelligence practice based in Hong Kong. This is a leadership role, and the successful candidate will have responsibility for growing and developing the practice in close collaboration with the head of the team and colleagues across different regions and service lines.

The position's core responsibilities are:

• Managing and growing new and existing client relationships, with a focus on winning high-value, repeat mandates from law firms, in-house legal counsel and litigation funders.
• Playing a leading role in developing our dispute support strategy alongside senior colleagues.
• Overseeing the delivery of complex litigation and dispute support projects, in APAC and globally
• Ensuring best in class execution and innovation around open-source research, source enquiries, and analysis.
• Managing high-performing project teams, while maintaining inclusive and collaborative team culture.

Role tasks and responsibilities

Client management and business development

• Identify and secure new client relationships through pro-active business development efforts with the support of senior business leaders, with a focus on commercial litigators, arbitration practitioners, in-house counsel and litigation funders.
• Grow existing relationships with clients that are regular consumers of our investigation services.
• Represent Control Risks at dispute-related events, in coordination with the head of dispute support, and broader regional management.
• Collaborate with other business intelligence leaders across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas on global business development initiatives, including webinars, thought leadership and targeted client outreach.
• Identify additional sources of income and brand profile building for Control Risks in disputes and litigation support.

Case work

• Oversee the delivery of complex, multi-jurisdictional projects in and beyond APAC, with a focus on asset tracing and investigations in support of litigation and arbitration.
• Manage the dispute support team's output to ensure that high standards of quality and client relevance are consistently met.
• Collaborate with peers in other practice lines to ensure our research is innovative, responsive and of high quality, identifying where technology could be best applied for research efficiencies or improvements in delivery.
• Constantly improve and develop our source network, including ensuring compliance with company-wide policies and awareness of risk in the team.
• Pre-empt and manage risk issues associated with our clients and case management, and mentor others in the practice on these considerations.

Team management and culture

• Foster an inclusive, collaborative environment in culturally and linguistically diverse project teams, drawing in the right resources across the Intelligence & Investigations practice on a case-by-case basis.
• Manage direct reports and mentor other team members, ensuring the development of their investigative and client-management skills across the lifecycle of a project, from pitching to delivery to feedback.
• Deliver and periodically review disputes and litigation support training
• Identify and make recommendations for how to address any improvements in our internal skills and capabilities.
• Ensure that the team's legal and compliance requirements are understood and adhered to, including the implementation of associated training.

Requirements

Candidates invited to interview will demonstrate evidence of holding a leadership role in a team delivering disputes and investigations work. They will have:

• A track record of delivering complex dispute and litigation support services, including experience of asset tracing, human intelligence and OSINT investigations across multiple jurisdictions;
• The ability to write and present concisely and convincingly;
• A demonstrable record of winning mandates and growing client relationships over several years in the disputes and investigations sector;
• Experience of leadership and teamwork, and developing and retaining high-performing project team members;
• A firm understanding of the application of legal and compliance issues, and reputational and ethical considerations, affecting the business intelligence and investigations industry;
• Personal career growth within a global intelligence/investigations firm.