Risk & Compliance Specialist

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 & Compliance Analyst in the Risk & Compliance Services department, reporting to the Senior Risk & Compliance Manager.

Risk & 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 & Compliance team 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.

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

Key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to :

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.

• Assist with Client Due Diligence (CDD) procedures, including Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) clearances, particularly for lower-risk clients that are either listed or regulated.
• Process additional parties, client matter maintenance, third-party payor, 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.
• Respond to calls, emails and workflow requests from firm attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries.
• 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.
• Perform other tasks as requested by the Risk & Compliance Managers or Director of Risk & Compliance Services.

Qualifications (Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of two (2) years of work experience, preferably working directly with attorneys / partners at an international law firm.
• Minimum of 1 year of conflicts of interest, financial crime, and / or compliance experience is preferred.
• 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 California and New York is $50,000 to $75,000.