Conflicts Attorney

Venable LLP; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

Vision and disability coverage

401(k) with firm profit share

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Venable LLP in San Francisco seeks a Conflicts Attorney to evaluate and resolve conflicts of interest across new business intake, matter openings, client updates, and lateral onboarding.

The role conducts in-depth analyses, advises firm leadership on risk and ethics issues, drafts waivers, and supports ethical screens. It requires a JD, CA bar, and 3+ years in conflicts or professional responsibility in a large firm.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and CA bar status.
• Minimum 3 years of conflicts or professional responsibility experience.
• 2+ years in private practice strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with conflicts/new-business intake systems and strong research.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and analytical skills.
• Strong negotiation and diplomacy in handling sensitive information.

Responsibilities

• Identify and analyze actual and potential conflicts for clients using internal systems and external databases.
• Recommend and implement conflict-resolution strategies, including ethical walls and disclosures.
• Draft waivers, disclosures, engagement letter language and supporting documentation.
• Review Outside Counsel Guidelines and engagement letters for conflicts-related provisions; advise on restrictions and updates.
• Conduct conflicts analyses for lateral attorney candidates and coordinate resolutions with leadership.
• Educate attorneys and staff on ethical obligations and conflicts procedures.

Skills

Legal research

Analytical reasoning

Negotiation

Written and verbal communication

Discretion and diplomacy

Conflict resolution

Attention to detail

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

CA Bar admission

Tools

Hoover’s

D&B

Lexis

EDGAR

Job description

The Conflicts Attorney is responsible for evaluating and resolving legal conflicts-of-interest for new business intake, matter openings, client updates, and lateral attorney onboarding. This role conducts complex conflicts analyses, advises attorneys and firm leadership on risk and ethics issues, and ensures compliance with professional responsibility rules and firm policies. The Conflicts Attorney also supports matter opening workflows, drafts waivers and ethical screens, reviews Outside Counsel Guidelines, and contributes to maintaining high-quality conflicts data and processes.

The Conflicts Attorney will be responsible for…

• Identifying and analyzing actual and potential conflicts for existing and prospective clients by conducting in-depth research using internal systems and external databases (e.g., Hoover’s, D&B, Lexis, EDGAR) and interpreting results to assess business and ethical risks
• Recommending and implementing conflict-resolution strategies, including ethical walls, disclosures, consent letters, and engagement modifications
• Drafting and maintaining conflict waivers, disclosures, engagement letter language, and supporting documentation
• Reviewing and analyzing Outside Counsel Guidelines and engagement letters for conflicts-related provisions; advise on restrictions, required screens, and necessary updates to internal data
• Conducting conflicts analyses for lateral attorney candidates, recommending and implementing resolutions with Division Managers and the Ethics Committee, communicating with stakeholders to clear conflicts, and preparing required consent letters and documentation before and after onboarding
• Educating attorneys and legal staff on ethical obligations, conflicts procedures, new business intake, and client relationship considerations

Successful candidates will demonstrate…

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active bar status in CA.
• A minimum of 3 years of conflicts or professional responsibility experience in a mid-to-large, multi-practice law firm
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex legal relationships, business structures, and conflict scenarios
• A minimum of 2 years of law practice experience in private practice strongly preferred
• Proficiency with conflicts/new-business intake systems and strong research and analytical skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make persuasive arguments and present nuanced analyses to all levels of firm leadership
• Strong negotiation skills and consultative approach when working with attorneys and staff
• High level of discretion, judgment, and diplomacy in handling sensitive and confidential information
• Strong attention to detail, client-service orientation, and responsiveness
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, and meet tight deadlines
• Participation in the conflicts on-call rotation and ability to respond by phone to after-hours emergency conflict checks

Pay Range for Candidates in San Francisco, CA: $160,000 - $200,000 per year

The range provided is the minimum and maximum salary that Venable in good faith believes at the time of this posting that it is willing to pay for the advertised position. Exact compensation will be determined based on individual candidate qualifications and location.

Committing your time and talent is no small matter—at Venable, we know that superior client service begins with an investment in our people. Our competitive compensation, robust benefits, and programs that support our employees’ well-being, families, and futures reflect our dedication to prioritizing the whole person, not just the professional.

Venable’s benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flexible spending and healthcare savings accounts, 401(k) with firm profit share, paid time off, firm paid holidays, wellness and personal advocacy programs, family planning resources and leave programs, tuition reimbursement, and more. New employees are provided a detailed orientation to the firm’s benefit offerings upon hire.

Here, we strive to offer the kind of care that radiates, from our colleagues to our clients, to our communities, so that success finds everyone.

Applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act, as applicable. Material job duties for this role include having access to privileged and confidential firm and client information, firm employees, and the firm’s premises. This role requires the hired individual to perform the material job duties outlined in this job posting. If the firm reasonably believes an applicant’s criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with the material job duties required by the role, a conditional offer of employment may be rescinded.