Director of Conflicts

Ultipro; Austin (TX); Remote; USD 195,000 - 427,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental coverage

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Husch Blackwell LLP is seeking a Director of Conflicts to partner with Risk Management and the Office of the General Counsel to establish processes that ensure conflicts are resolved promptly, mitigate risk, and enable consistent execution across the firm.

The Director will lead the conflicts team, oversee conflict checks, train staff, manage budgets, and collaborate with multiple departments to support client intake, ethics compliance, and firm-wide initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD preferred.
• Extensive conflicts and ethics experience in a law firm.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of supervisory experience.
• Proficiency with conflicts software systems (Elite, Intapp Open).

Responsibilities

• Identify and implement best practices in conflicts operations.
• Oversee conflict checking and client matter intake processes.
• Lead training for conflicts managers and analysts.
• Manage department budget and projects to align with firm strategy.
• Collaborate with other departments on risk and intake matters.
• Provide departmental reports and analytics to senior leadership.

Skills

Legal ethics expertise

Conflicts management

Leadership experience

Training and mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Juris Doctor (JD) preferred

Tools

Elite

Intapp Open

Job description

Husch Blackwell LLP is a full-service litigation and business law firm with multiple locations across the United States, serving clients with domestic and international operations.

At Husch Blackwell we believe that diverse, equitable and inclusive teams lead to better outcomes. Husch Blackwell is committed to retaining, recruiting, developing, and promoting talented lawyers and business professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We foster an engaged, diverse, and inclusive team culture of accountability and purpose that makes our Firm and our communities better.

Our firm is committed to attracting and retaining professionals who value each other and the service we provide by embracing Teamwork, Collaboration, Client Service, and Innovation. If you are a motivated professional looking for a long-term fit where you can grow in a role, and will be valued and empowered, then we invite you to apply to our Director of Conflicts position. This position may be filled remotely, or in any of our locations.

The Director of Conflicts is responsible for partnering closely with Risk Management leadership and the Office of the General Counsel to establish processes and procedures to ensure conflicts are resolved in a timely manner, create systems that mitigate risk, and enable consistent execution through functional managers. As part of this function, the Director is responsible for:

• Helping to provide firm-wide operational direction for conflict checking
• Staying abreast of new technologies, trends and changes in ethical requirements in the varying jurisdictions in which the firm operates
• Training (in a supervisory role) conflicts managers, conflicts counsel and analysts, and providing training as needed to other relevant teams such as business intake specialists, as required to maintain effective turnaround times and exceptional work product
• Coordinating with the Business Intake Team and with other departments as required

Essential functions include:

Department Policies and Procedures

• Identify and implement best practices in the assigned functional areas
• Identify efficient methods of processing requests in the functional areas to continually improve service, accuracy, value, turnaround time and cost effectiveness
• Monitor technology developments in the functional areas and recommending appropriate technology adoption to leadership
• Work withleadership to develop and enforce firm-wide policies and procedures that address conflicts, intake, and risk management concerns
• Establish and overseeing processes to capture updated information on firm engagements
• Conduct training for firm lawyers and staff on departmental policies and procedures

Department Execution

• Serves as primary source of escalation for all departmental quality assurance issues
• Responsible for the employment conflict check processes, reviewing and approving specialized new client matter forms (e.g., toxic tort, bankruptcy, etc.) firm-wide.
• Oversees the guidelines pertaining to the implementation of Ethical WallsDepartment Operations
• Prepares and maintains department budget, with particular attention to compensation, operations and project budgets
• Manage department projects and requests to ensure they are on budget, on time, and are meeting the objectives as laid out by the firm’s strategic initiatives
• Provide oversight to the department intranet site (e.g. departmental policies and procedures, forms, department contact information, etc.)
• Ensure accuracy and readiness of supported systems for internal and external audits
• Ensure service standards are met and establishing mechanisms to monitor productivity and service for conflicts function
• Provide statistical information to senior leadership as needed
• Responsible for the design, implementation, and execution of systems that deliver all daily and weekly departmental NBI and conflicts reports in a timely and accurate manner
• Collaborate regularly with other groups across the firm, including Business Professional Recruiting, Accounting, Managing Directors, and others who are involved in conflicts, new business intake, and lateral hiring
• Participating in strategic leadership meetings

Talent Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of professionals, promoting a culture of accountability, inclusivity, and service excellence.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Conflicts team.
• Recruit, train, and mentor team members, ensuring a high level of competence and professionalism.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment that promotes teamwork and employee development.
• Have a working knowledge of responsibilities for all roles within the department
• Provide employee counseling and disciplinary action, as needed, pursuant to firm policies and procedures to ensure satisfactory performance
• Conduct regular meetings (weekly/biweekly) with managers and staff to keep them up-to-date on changes in the department or Firm
• Conduct monthly meetings with managers
• Identify all training and development needs and requirements for the department and working with managers to implement training
• Provide recommendations for annual bonus and merit increases with input from the managers where appropriate

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field required; JD strongly preferred but not required.
• Extensive legal conflicts experience within a law firm environment in an attorney or senior paralegal role.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of increasingly responsible, directly related experience, including significant supervisory experience, in a law firm or similar professional services environment, during which the knowledge, skills and abilities applicable to the position were demonstrated.
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in legal ethics and conflicts rules, practices, and procedures.
• Substantial experience leading company-wide initiatives within a multi-office setting, preferably in a professional services firm environment required.
• Proficiency with conflicts software systems, preferably Elite and Intapp Open.
• Demonstrated ability to provide quality client service to internal and external contacts regarding routine and complex matters, and to develop and maintain effective business relationships with people of diverse backgrounds. Requires tact, patience, and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, and to make presentations to small and large groups in an effective manner.
• Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and commitment to innovating and enhancing the firm’s practices.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize multiple projects in a dynamic and complex environment, meeting deadlines and successfully managing the daily workload.
• Ability to work under pressure and conflicting circumstances.
• A non-hierarchical approach; the flexibility and ability to build consensus.
• Strong integrity, maturity, and fairness in dealing with people and confidential information.
• Strong influencing capabilities and sound judgment.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities, or requirements. The Firm will provide reasonable accommodations as necessary to allow an individual with a disability to apply for and/or perform the essential functions of a position. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, please contact HR.

Employees are entitled to compensation commensurate with skill and experience. The exact compensation will vary based on skills, experience, location, and other factors permitted by law. The expected compensation ranges for this position in various states and jurisdictions are as follows:

• State of California: $209,000 - $427,000
• State of Colorado: $193,000 - $343,000
• State of Connecticut: $166,000 - $421,000
• State of Illinois: $189,000 - $367,000
• State of Massachusetts: $209,000 - $400,000
• State of Maryland: $203,000 - $307,000
• State of Maine: $142,000 - $328,000
• State of Minnesota: $209,000 - $346,000
• Jersey City, NJ: $227,000 - $412,000
• State of New York: $195,000 - $421,000
• State of Virginia: $136,000 - $397,000
• State of Vermont: $207,000 - $397,000
• State of Washington: $203,000 - $385,000
• Washington, D.C.: $270,000 - $397,000

The above salaries do not include a discretionary bonus, however bonus opportunities are non-guaranteed, and are dependent upon individual and firm performance. Full-time employees receive benefits including: medical and dental coverage; life insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax flexible spending account for certain medical and dependent care expenses; an employee assistance program; Paid Time Off; paid holidays; participation in a retirement plan program after meeting eligibility requirements; and more.

EOE/Minority/Female/Disabled/Vet.Principal Applicants Only.

#LI-HT1

Qualifications

Education

Required

Bachelors or better.

Preferred

Juris Doctor or better.

Experience

Required

Subject matter expertise in legal ethics and conflicts rules, practices, and procedures

Experience leading company-wide initiatives within a multi-office setting

10 years:

Supervisory experience in a law firm or similar professional services environment

Legal Conflicts experience within a law firm environment in an attorney or senior paralegal role

Preferred

Proficiency with Elite and Intapp Open

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.