Lateral Partner Onboarding & Intake Director

Sidley Austin LLP; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 300,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, Illinois, seeks a Lateral Intake Director to lead the onboarding of new lateral partners and their client matters. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, you will coordinate conflicts, new business intake, and cross-functional teams to ensure fast, accurate transitions with minimal disruption to practice continuity.

The role requires a JD, 10+ years in conflicts/new business intake or legal operations at a large firm, plus strong program and project management

Qualifications

• J.D. required with bar admission.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in conflicts, new business intake, legal operations, or related risk management at a large firm, including 3+ years in leadership.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Working knowledge of ABA Model Rules and law firm conflicts processes.
• Experience with law firm new business intake and lateral partner integration.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and conflicts/risk management applications.

Responsibilities

• Direct the lateral partner onboarding and intake program as the principal point of accountability for opening new matters.
• Collaborate with Lateral Recruiting, Lateral Clearance, and New Business teams to prioritize conflicts searches and matter openings.
• Coordinate with Accounting, Billing, Records Management, IT, HR, and BD to align systems access and billing setup.
• Establish onboarding timelines and KPIs; escalate delays to senior leadership.
• Serve as primary contact for lateral partners during transition.
• Develop and maintain firm-wide policies and playbooks for onboarding.
• Lead cross-functional staff, provide guidance and performance feedback.
• Report on status of transitions, onboarding metrics, and risks.
• Collaborate on pre-arrival due diligence and onboarding planning.
• Perform special projects related to integration and new business intake.
• Leverage AI to improve processes.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Discretion/confidentiality

Communication skills

Problem solving

Multi-project management

Education

J.D.

Tools

Intapp Open

Intapp Walls

Elite

Job description

The Lateral Partner Onboarding & Intake Director (“Lateral Intake Director”) is a newly established leadership role responsible for the efficient, risk appropriate, and well-coordinated transition of lateral partners’ clients and matters into the Firm. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, the Lateral Intake Director serves as the Firm’s central point of accountability for lateral onboarding, working across the Conflicts and New Business Department, Accounting, and other Firm functions to ensure that new lateral partners and their clients are onboarded quickly, accurately, and with minimal disruption to the partner’s practice. Given the direct connection between onboarding speed and the Firm’s ability to realize the value of lateral hires, this role carries significant visibility with Firm leadership and requires sound judgment in balancing speed, accuracy, and risk.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Direct the Firm’s lateral partner client onboarding and intake program, serving as the single point of accountability for the timely opening of a new lateral partner’s clients and matters.

• Partner with the Lateral Recruiting team, the Lateral Clearance team, and the New Business team to prioritize and expedite conflicts searches, client evaluations, and matter opening for incoming lateral partners and their client rosters.

• Coordinate with Accounting, Billing, Records Management, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Business Development to synchronize the systems access, billing setup, file transfer, and related workstreams required for a seamless lateral transition.

• Establish and monitor onboarding timelines and key performance indicators for each lateral partner transition, escalating delays or obstacles to the Deputy General Counsel, Conflicts and New Business Operations Senior Director, and relevant Practice Group Leaders.

• Serve as the lateral partner’s primary point of contact at the Firm during the transition period, addressing intake related questions and issues promptly and professionally.

• Develop and maintain firm-wide policies, procedures, and playbooks governing lateral partner onboarding and intake, and drive continuous improvement of the process.

• Lead and coordinate the staff and cross-functional team members supporting lateral onboarding, providing guidance, training, and performance feedback as applicable.

• Report regularly to the Deputy General Counsel and Firm leadership on the status of pending lateral transitions, department-wide onboarding metrics, and emerging risks.

• Collaborate with the Office of General Counsel and New Business Committee on pre-arrival due diligence, risk assessment, and onboarding planning for prospective lateral partners.

• Perform special projects related to lateral partner integration and new business intake as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel.

• Use AI to work with and develop process and procedures to make operations more efficient.

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• J.D.

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in conflicts, new business intake, legal operations, or a related compliance/risk management function at a large law firm or comparable professional services organization, including at least 3 years in a leadership or management capacity

• Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines

• Working knowledge of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and law firm conflicts of interest processes

• Working knowledge of law firm new business intake and lateral partner integration processes

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience with conflicts or risk management applications (such as Intapp Open, Intapp Walls, and Elite)

Preferred:

• Prior experience with lateral partner recruiting, integration, or onboarding at a large law firm

• Project management certification (such as PMP) or equivalent experience

• Experience with the Elite Enterprise financial system or a comparable practice management system

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Strong organizational skills

• Strong attention to detail

• Good judgment

• Strong interpersonal communication skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others

• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion

• Able to work under pressure

• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

#LI-GK1

#LI-Hybrid

The target salary range for this role is:

$300,000 - $360,000 if located in Illinois.

Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [e-mail] (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.