Risk & Compliance Lawyer

To work competently as a Risk & Compliance Lawyer to manage and maintain the firm's risk and compliance framework across all of the firm's US offices while maintaining the high standard of service offered to the firm's clients.

Team

Kennedys is a global, UK-based firm, and has had a presence in the US since 2017, following a merger with US-based insurance firm Carroll McNulty & Kull.

We currently have offices in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, Florida, California and Delaware.

Key Responsibilites

• Working with the Head of Risk & Compliance in London to develop, maintain and proactively manage a risk & compliance framework across all the US offices, supporting global risk policies, compliance processes, training and reporting whilst identifying requirements for local variances.
• Ensuring risk & compliance policies and practices are high quality, robust and properly embedded in the business by engaging the full support of senior management.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders across the business, ensuring that staff awareness of the firm's approach to risk & compliance remains high.
• Analyzing and reporting on compliance failures which are material or part of a recurring pattern, making recommendations for action.
• Assisting in the co-ordination of the firm's accreditation to the ISO 9001 : 2015 Quality Management Standard, managing external audits and ensuring awareness of Quality Management processes and procedures in the United States.
• Assisting with the day-to-day management of complaints and professional indemnity claims, ensuring that these are reported centrally to Risk & Compliance and resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible having regard to local and global regulatory, commercial and insurance obligations.
• Keeping up to date with local regional legal and regulatory compliance and applying the implications of such changes to the firm's situation.
• Maintaining effective communication with other business services departments to support the delivery of the risk & compliance service to the business.
• Overseeing the delivery of mandatory compliance training throughout the US and receiving reports regarding non-compliance.
• Assisting with day-to-day queries regarding conduct, conflicts and client requirements.
• Principal point of contact with the relevant bar councils / law societies / regulatory authorities across the US.
• Liaising closely with the Office Managers to co-ordinate / oversee relevant professional and liability insurances.
• Monitoring, overseeing and ensuring compliance with the renewal of Lawyers practicing certificates across all states, in conjunction with the local Office Managers.
• Be responsible for all US offices ISO accreditations in conjunction with the UK teams.
• Oversee privacy and information security compliance across the US including GDPR, including managing / co-ordinating data privacy registrations and subject access requests.
• Oversight of the business continuity and disaster recovery plans developed by Facilities / Office Management, by ensuring these are maintained, reviewed, adhered to and from a risk & compliance perspective.

Ensuring any changes are communicated to the Head of BCP & Facilities Compliance and Partners of the firm.

• Address and resolve potential ethical and business conflicts of interest that may arise in the course of the firm's business with the assistance of Managing Partner when appropriate.
• Assist in the development, deployment and training on new conflict system.
• Recommend changes / improvements to conflict system in order to ensure it is user-friendly.
• Oversee annual ethics and conflicts trainings for all attorneys.
• Conduct research regarding ABA regulations and opinion on conflicts and ethics issues.
• Stay abreast of current developments and decisions relating to conflicts and ethics.

Commercial Awareness

• To have a commercially minded, pragmatic and business-focused approach with an understanding of how professional services firms operate.
• To have a mastery of legal issues and the business of law combined with the ability to identify opportunities to use compliance to support and improve the firm's business.
• To have a passion for compliance and risk management and the benefits it can deliver in the context of professional services organisations.

Communication and Leadership Skills

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• The ability to build effective working relationships at all levels.
• To operate with credibility at a partnership level.
• To inspire, motivate and manage teams, and manage projects.

Personal Characteristics

• Self-motivation with the ability to work under pressure and manage priorities.
• A self-starter who requires minimal guidance and supervision.
• A can-do attitude with the energy to see initiatives through to their conclusion.

This is a developing role and the job profile is not exhaustive and may vary in line with changes in the team's objectives and Firm policy.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.

where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience.

This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 2,500 people worldwide across 45 offices in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and America we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services.

We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm.

Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive and distinctive.

Our are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

At Kennedys, we develop careers in an innovative global environment. s exciting, fast paced and varied and we believe that supporting individual growth and development puts us in the best position to attract and retain talented individuals.

Regardless of role or level, everyone has access to virtual learning to help you develop your skills, wherever you are in the world.

A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority.

We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work.

Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible.

We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.