Risk & Compliance Analyst

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; California; Remote; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP seeks a Risk and Compliance Analyst to join the Risk and Compliance Services Department. The role focuses on conflicts checks, due diligence, and research to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations.

The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of conflicts, new business intake, and AML/compliance experience, with proficiency in Intapp Open and external research tools.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of conflicts, new business intake, financial crimes, AML and/or compliance experience.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a high-paced environment.
• Experience with Intapp Open and third-party research tools is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct conflict checks and corporate research on prospective clients and related parties.
• Process client and matter requests to identify conflicts of interest, sanctions and risk factors.
• Perform client due diligence (CDD), including KYC checks and AML clearances.
• Collaborate with Ethics Attorneys and other departments to obtain approvals.
• Respond to calls and emails from attorneys, paralegals, and staff.

Skills

Conflict checks

New business intake

AML compliance

Financial crime

Research & analysis

Tools

Intapp Open

Compliance Catalyst

S&P

BVD/Orbis

Job description

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking a Risk and Compliance Analyst in the Risk and Compliance Services Department, reporting to the Risk and Compliance Managers.

The Risk and Compliance Services department offers a unique perspective into the law firm and plays a critical role in its day-to-day operations. As a risk management function of the General Counsel’s Office, the Risk and Compliance team is firmwide team that is responsible for vetting all prospective representations. The department assists the partnership in complying with:

• ethical and legal duties to avoid conflicts of interest.
• meeting obligations under relevant financial crime legislation (including but not limited to anti-money laundering legislation and sanctions obligations); and
• meeting professional responsibility obligations.

This position has full remote work capabilities, candidates must CURRENTLY reside in California, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut or Illinois.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Conduct conflict checks and corporate research on prospective clients and related parties within the firm’s new business and conflicts application and various third-party research tools and platforms; summarize results for the requesting partner.
• Process prospective client, matter, additional parties, third party payor, client matter maintenance, contract attorney, and lateral hire requests to identify potential conflicts of interest, sanctions, PEP connections, reputational and financial considerations in compliance with service level expectations, policies and procedures.
• Conduct client due diligence (CDD), including know your customer (KYC) checks and anti-money laundering (AML) clearances, for all levels of risk, from simple due diligence (SDD) to enhanced due diligence (EDD), as well as matter assessments for existing clients and on-going monitoring.
• Routinely work with Ethics Attorneys to clear conflicts, as well as understand financial crime red flags, business, or reputational considerations and elevate accordingly.
• Liaise with other departments, including Cash and Finance to ensure that approvals with respect to payments into and out of the Firm, and in all relevant areas, are obtained.
• In connection with processing lateral hire conflict checks, work closely with U.S. and International Attorney Recruiting, Human Resources, Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting, and the firm’s Ethics Attorneys, to ensure all lateral hire requests contain accurate information, are prioritized appropriately and timely updates are provided.
• Process and manage correspondence including outside counsel guidelines, vendor questionnaires, engagement, and confirmation letter requests. Facilitate approvals for non-standard language and fees; ensure fully executed engagement and confirmation letters are obtained through DocuSign or from the partner.
• Facilitate matter disposition process for departing attorneys and the firm’s audit letter response process.
• Respond to calls, emails and workflow requests from firm attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries.
• Perform other tasks as requested by the Risk & Compliance Managers or Director of Risk & Compliance Services.
• Participate in an on-call rotation to provide weekend support.

Qualifications (Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):

• Minimum of 2 years of conflicts, new business intake, financial crimes, anti-money laundering and/or compliance experience.
• Flexibility to adjust working hours to the hours necessary for meeting business needs.
• Experience on-boarding new clients and matters through a new business and conflicts application, such as Intapp Open, and using various third-party research tools and platforms such as Compliance Catalyst, S&P, and/or BVD/Orbis, is preferred.
• Ability to take initiative, organize, prioritize deadlines, and successfully handle multiple projects and competing priorities in a high-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and seamlessly with internal and external teams, promote regular collaboration and foster a positive and inclusive team environment.
• Ability to assess situations and analyze data objectively, weighing alternatives, and executing sound judgment based on experience, knowledge, and information to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Strong research and analytical skills via internet, databases, and other sources, including the ability to synthesize large amounts of client due diligence data and present it in a clear, logical, and succinct fashion.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to articulate thoughts and ideas using written, oral and non-verbal communication skills to various audiences, as well as to listen for meaning and understanding.
• Strong commitment to understanding and meeting customer service needs while adhering to internal service levels and expectations.
• High Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, and the ability to quickly learn and utilize additional software and systems.

The base salary range for this position in Boston, California, Chicago, New York and Washington, DC is $70,000 to $95,000. The actual salary offered will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, years of relevant experience, certifications or other professional licenses held, job-related knowledge and skills, business needs, and the location from which the work will be performed. Additionally, salary or hourly wages may be only part of the total compensation package, which may also include a full range of health and other insurance benefits, financial and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility), a discretionary bonus, and various paid time off benefits. Additional information about benefits and rewards can be found here.