Risk Attorney

Overview

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have fourteen offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations. The firm employs approximately 1,100 lawyers from more than fifty countries.

Since 1946, our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP seeks an experienced litigator to join our in-house global Risk team led by the firm’s General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer in New York and London, with attorneys based in New York, London and Washington, D.C.  In this role, you will be responsible for a variety of in-house legal matters, with a focus on litigation-related advice and compliance with professional obligations.

You will be responsible for advising Firm lawyers and personnel on applicable law and ethics rules, and ensure compliance with Firm policies.  Your duties will include drafting and revising policies; advising Firm lawyers on professional rules; ensuring compliance with laws and reporting requirements applicable to the business; advising Firm leaders and the Firm’s Human Resources and Talent professionals on employment law; responding to subpoenas and other requests for information served on the Firm; liaising with Firm insurers; and collaborating with partners and counsel, as well as business teams across the Firm, including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and other lawyers and professional staff on the global Risk team.

Responsibilities

• Work across a spectrum of legal, ethical, business and strategic issues.
• Advise Firm lawyers on applicable ethics rules and professional obligations in complex, fast-moving situations in a variety of contexts.
• Respond to subpoenas and information requests served on the Firm.
• Conduct research and provide advice on employment law.
• Draft and continually revise Firm policies and work strategically to increase awareness of the policies and compliance with them.
• Ensure compliance with reporting requirements that may be applicable to the Firm, e.g., with respect to lobbying, representation of non-U.S. entities, and business registration.
• Assist with coordination of the Firm’s insurance needs to maximize efficient, global insurance coverage.
• Increase the efficiency and scalability of the advice provided by the Firm’s in-house global Risk team.
• Collaborate with business partners and teams across the Firm to reduce risk, including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, as well as other lawyers on the global Risk team.

Qualifications

• Requires a JD and at least 5 years of experience at a top-tier law firm. Experience in an in-house law firm role or other in-house experience in a litigation-related capacity is a plus.
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal) and excellent client-facing and interpersonal skills a must.
• Must possess strict attention to detail and be accustomed to working to very high standards of accuracy and efficiency, coupled with strong project management skills and the ability to effectively manage priorities in a fast-paced and rapidly-evolving environment.
• Requires excellent judgment, ability to make risk-based assessments and capability of solving problems and making smart decisions in the face of ambiguity and imperfect information.
• Must possess willingness to jump in and do whatever needs to be done in an enthusiastic, proactive and resourceful manner, and a strong work ethic with a high degree of accountability and organization.

The estimated base salary for this position is $175,000.00 to $200,000.00 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This role is exempt meaning that it is not eligible for overtime pay.

*Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits

*We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their positions, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the firm.

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