Contracts & Compliance Attorney in Chicago, Illinois at Sidley Austin LLP

Summary

The Contracts and Compliance Staff Attorney will be principally responsible for negotiating client-driven engagement letters, Outside Counsel Guidelines, Information Security and AI Amendments (collectively Client Contracts) for existing and prospective clients on behalf of the Firm and coordinating the input from various Firm stakeholders to facilitate a prompt resolution of issues and agreement with Client Contracts. This position will work under the supervision of the Contracts & Compliance Attorney Senior Manager and directly with Firm partners and management and senior members within the Firms Office of General Counsel and Conflicts and New Business organizations. This position will also help support necessary processes and procedures to ensure compliance with legal and ethical obligations of a global law firm, including compliance with relevant aspects of AML/KYC, AI, insurance, privacy, and data security requirements in both U.S. and non-U.S. offices.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as subject matter expert on the ethical and legal issues with respect to Client Contracts and Client Questionnaires, including facilitating and, where appropriate, leading discussions and negotiations with firm clients regarding such matters.
• Identify terms that should be escalated and discussed with senior members of the Office of General Counsel, Conflicts and New Business or Firm management and facilitate the resolution of issues with respect to problematic ethical and legal terms in Client Contracts.
• Coordinate and work closely with all stakeholders in the OCG process, including Conflicts and New Business, Client Arrangements, Billing, IT Security, Privacy, Vendor Contracting and other teams in connection with the review of Client Contracts.
• Support creation of procedures/manual for the review of Client Contracts, including creating efficiencies and repositories for responses to frequent legal and ethical issues.
• Maintain an updated database for tracking the progress of Client Contracts negotiations to ensure timely resolutions.
• Serve as subject matter expert regarding coding of ethical and legal issues in IntappTERMS.
• Conduct periodic audit of coding for ethical and legal issues in IntappTERMS and correct inaccurate entries.
• Review and analyze conflicting engagement terms in multiple engagement letters and/or Client Contracts for the same client and recommend solutions.
• Work with senior members of the Conflicts and New Business organization, Advance Waiver Committee, and others to identify Client Contracts and engagement letters without full advance waivers.
• Supervise work of contract specialists, project managers and others supporting Client Contracts related initiatives
• Study and stay current with laws and rules pertaining to conflicts of interest, Client Contracts, and related ethical issues in each jurisdiction in the United States where the Firm maintains offices.
• Support necessary processes and procedures to ensure compliance with legal and ethical obligations of a global law firm, including compliance with relevant aspects of AML/KYC, insurance, privacy, and data security requirements in both U.S. and non-U.S. offices.
• Perform various special projects and duties as assigned.

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• Juris Doctor or equivalent degree from an accredited law school
• Minimum 2 years of experience in reviewing, interpreting, and negotiating Outside Counsel Guidelines, Engagement Terms, and Master Service Agreements in a law firm or corporate setting
• Knowledge of rules of professional responsibility
• Admission to a bar in jurisdiction where Firm has an office (preferably Illinois or New York)

Preferred:

• Familiarity with contract terms relating to privacy and data security
• Database research experience, especially IntappTerms
• Experience with Netdocs or other document management systems and Microsoft Office Suite

Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• Strong organizational skills and self-starter
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment and strategic thinking
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and legal research 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 in a high performance environment

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The target salary range for this role is:

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 sidleytalentacquisition@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.