Conflicts Specialist - Legal Research and Analysis

WilmerHale; Washington; On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

WilmerHale is seeking a Conflicts & Compliance professional to support the firm’s conflicts of interest workflows, due diligence, and client intake processes. You will analyze data, draft letters, and coordinate with attorneys across matters to ensure smooth operations.

Responsibilities include researching new clients, reviewing conflicts reports, and communicating results clearly to senior staff. The role requires confidentiality, strong organization, and adept use of legal research tools.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to compile, review, and determine logical conclusions or recommendations based on data.

Responsibilities

• Monitors intake mechanisms and workflow to facilitate smooth daily operations of the department.
• Actively manages internal clients’ expectations by communicating project status and issues, resolving concerns and escalating as needed.
• Serves as resource for attorneys and staff regarding new matter opening, engagement/waiver letters, and other department functions.
• Conducts research and due diligence using third-party resources for new clients and other assigned work.
• Reviews and analyzes conflicts reports for new client business and updates, making recommendations to senior personnel.
• Resolves identified conflicts of interest under guidance of senior personnel.
• Drafts and reviews waiver letters for clients under guidance of senior personnel.
• Communicates conflicts of interest information to lawyers and staff in writing and orally.
• Assists with ethical walls and resolving related conflicts questions.
• Maintains knowledge of rules of professional conduct and client relationship considerations.
• Contributes to department work product through collaboration and communication.
• Performs special projects and other duties; overtime and weekend coverage as needed.
• Maintains a professional, positive, solution-oriented approach in interactions.

Skills

Data analysis

Project management

Confidentiality

Organizational skills

Research techniques

Written communication

Oral communication

Office software

Intapp Open

Tools

Lexis

Westlaw

Dun & Bradstreet

PACER

Intapp Open

Job description

WilmerHale is a leading, full-service international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located throughout 12 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Our lawyers work at the intersection of government, technology and business, and we remain committed to our guiding principles of providing quality, excellent legal and client services; developing diversity among our lawyers and staff and cultivating an environment that promotes an ambitious spirit, collaboration and collegiality by drawing on the extraordinary talents and dynamic experience of our lawyers. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our clients and the communities in which we practice.

What You Will Be Doing

• Monitors intake mechanisms and entire workflow process to facilitate the smooth and timely daily operations of the department.
• Actively manages internal clients’ expectations by effectively communicating project status and issues, resolving concerns and escalating and trouble-shooting as needed.
• Serves as an informational and procedural resource for attorneys and staff regarding new matter opening, generating engagement or waiver letters, and other department functions.
• Conducts research and due diligence using third-party business resources for all new clients and for other assigned work as needed.
• Reviews, analyzes and summarizes conflicts reports for new client business, new hires, updates to existing matters and other types of conflicts of interest search requests and makes recommendations to senior personnel highlighting potential conflicts of interest and paths to resolution.
• Resolves identified conflicts of interest under the guidance of senior personnel.
• Drafts and reviews waiver letters for clients under the guidance of senior personnel.
• Communicates and disseminates conflicts of interest information to lawyers and staff orally and in writing, including following up with lawyers and others as needed to handle all due diligence and ensure that files are complete and up-to-date.
• Provides support to senior personnel regarding ethical walls, including resolving conflicts questions and responding to ad hoc requests from former or current attorneys and staff.
• Actively maintains working knowledge of the applicable rules of professional conduct, client relationship considerations, and related developments.
• Consistently contributes to the department work product by communicating and collaborating in a manner that enhances individual and team productivity.
• Conducts special projects and performs other duties as assigned.
• Works overtime as needed and approved, including weekend and holiday coverage shared with other conflicts staff on a rotating, calendared basis.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to professionalism, delivering high-quality service, and maintaining a positive, solution-oriented (“can-do”) approach. Effectively supports internal departments, external clients, and vendors through clear, courteous communication via electronic correspondence, telephone, and in-person interactions.

What You Will Bring to This Position

• Demonstrated ability to compile, review, and determine logical conclusions or recommendations based on data and information that is varied in content and format.
• Ability to initiate, follow through on all details, and complete time sensitive assignments with minimal supervision.
• Ability to operate under a high degree of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, including attention to detail and the ability to work effectively in an atmosphere of multiple projects, shifting priorities, and deadline pressure.
• Ability to apply research, critical thinking and analysis techniques and methodologies to assigned projects.
• Effective writing skills including knowledge of business English, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, and spelling as necessary to present routine business information in established formats.
• Good oral communication skills as necessary to communicate and coordinate with others on routine but varied issues and work effectively with people at all levels at WH.
• Ability to use standard office software applications and subject matter databases in use at WH as directed. Intapp Open experience is a plus.
• Proficiency using on-line research tools such as Lexis, Westlaw, Dun & Bradstreet, PACER, and various other resources.
• Remains open to technological change as generative AI becomes more integrated into the firm’s practice, actively develop comfort with new tools, and adapt how work is performed to support efficiency and innovation.