Attorney Talent Development Manager in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at Morrison & Foerster LLP

Attorney Talent Development Manager

Locations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Singapore, Singapore; Tokyo, Japan
Req ID: 6084
Position Type: Human Resources
Job Overview

At MoFo, we couldnt write our own success story without yours. Ready to write your story?

Join MoFo as an Attorney Talent Development Manager on our Attorney Talent team!

ABOUT THE ROLE

New Legal Professional Onboarding and Integration

• Legal Professional Onboarding. Supports development of Legal Professional onboarding programs, in coordination with members of the Talent Team and with local office Recruiting Group, Human Resources personnel, and Directors of Administration. Conducts a session during onboarding programs to create awareness of policies relevant to, and available resources to support, career development.
  
  
• Integration. Supports Legal Professional integration. Establishes ongoing touch points with new Legal Professionals, including one-on-one check-ins and regular office hours. Builds community and implements structures to development strong relationships with Legal Professionals.
  
  
• Probationary Reviews. Guides the process of probationary reviews for Legal Professionals to ensure timely preparation and delivery of those reviews, and necessary follow-up steps, in coordination with local/regional Human Resources team.
  
  
• Mentoring. Works with the We@MoFo Group to customize firms mentoring programs, as needed, for local offices. Recommends/reviews matches for Legal Professionals and conducts follow-up with mentors/mentees. Provides insight on local office issues to We@MoFo team to assist them in evaluating effectiveness of mentoring programs in the Regions offices and in considering changes, as appropriate. Collaborates with other members of the Talent and We@MoFo Groups to implement training programs to enhance the firms mentoring programs.

Resource to Legal Professionals

• Outreach. Creates position and resource awareness among summer students/interns, trainee solicitors, partners, and Legal Professionals through email communication and personal outreach, and promotes the firms culture of L&D as a market differentiator. Visits offices outside of home office to meet with Legal Professionals and office leadership as agreed upon with Director, Attorney Talent.
  
  
• Internal Programming. Supports programs and initiatives to enhance the career development and engagement of Legal Professionals.
  
  
• MyMoFo/Career Path Transparency. Promotes awareness of the performance expectations in the MyMoFo structure to guide associates in assessing their development and in setting goals to achieve success.
  
  
• Resource. Serves as a resource for career-related questions, and promotes understanding of firm expectations, procedures, resources, and culture.
  
  
• Licensing. Develops understanding of attorney licensing issues/process unique to the Regions offices; serves as a resource to individuals managing office or firmwide compliance process by responding to questions and gathering information as needed.
  
  
• Policies. Promotes partner and Legal Professional awareness of the firms attorney career development policies. In conjunction with other members of the Talent Team and Human Resources personnel, reviews and suggests changes to legal personnel policies and procedures to promote clearer communication and enhance engagement.

Legal Professional Engagement

• Engagement Strategies and Programs. Works with local leadership to promote Legal Professional engagement and morale; implements related plans and strategies.
  
  
• Associate Committee. Partners with Associate Committee members to promote transparency and open communication between non-partner attorneys and local and firm leadership. Supports local Committee members in developing as leaders within the firm. Attends local and firmwide Associate Committee meetings. Establishes regular sequence for meeting with individual office Associate Committee member(s), Office Managing Partner, and Director of Administration to share information from firmwide calls and discuss local office issues.
  
  
• Sensitive Employee Matters. Partners with senior Human Resources leadership, Directors of Administration, and the General Counsels office as necessary on sensitive employee matters.
  
  
• Legal Professionals Communications. In conjunction with members of the Talent Team, provides strategic input for firmwide communications to Legal Professionals on issues relating to compensation, development, and engagement.
  
  
• Exit Interviews. Conducts exit interviews and reviews exit interview surveys. Reports on trends and discusses concerns with Directors of Administration and Office Managing Partners in the Region.

Performance Management / Talent Development

• Performance Management/Talent Development. Guides and supports partners in Regions offices in performance management for Legal Professionals and in talent development, including requests for resources, coaching, and guidance for Legal Professionals on career development matters. Serves as a resource to help identify external coaching resources in the Region.
  
  
• Implementation of Legal Professional evaluations. Works closely with the Talent Team, practice groups and local office partners to ensure preparation and delivery of evaluations consistent with firm standards for the spring, interim, and annual evaluation process. Advises on protocol and legal, firmwide, and local standards (evaluation process and language, evaluation results and advancement, compensation decisions, partnership admission date changes, and bonuses); provides oversight for meaningful evaluations; resolves issues with labor counsel; interfaces with Human Resources and Practice Administration on compensation issues.
  
  
• Trainee Rotation. Collaborates with Attorney Recruiting and local partners to implement Trainee seat rotation, facilitate integration into new teams upon each rotation, drive feedback/evaluation process, and support, as requested, the process of confirming qualified work experience and other steps needed for qualification following training period.
  
  
• Legal Professional Utilization. Monitors monthly Legal Professional utilization reports for regional offices. Reports on trends and follows up with partners and practice group heads, as needed.
  
  
• Legal Professional Terminations. Works with partners, HR Team and labor counsel as needed in attorney terminations.
  
  
• Training. Communicates to Attorney Learning and Inclusion Manager training needs of Legal Professionals in the region identified in course of evaluation process or in requests from partners in local offices, to support creation and implementation of programs in the Region. Serves as local resource to Attorney Learning and Inclusion Manager for support in identifying speakers, trainers, and consultants in the Region.

Career Transitions

• Transfers. Develops familiarity with policies including those related to hours budgets, bonus eligibility, relocation, and licensing, and coordinates with Global Mobility Lead to ensure unique aspects of the Region are addressed in transfer process. Reviews and consults on memos documenting transfers, and suggests revisions to transfer memo templates as needed.
  
  
• Promotions. Secures practice group and other required approvals for promotions. Drives process for documentation of promotions, including drafting and/or consulting on memos detailing terms of new role, and suggests revisions to memo templates as needed.
  
  
• Other Transitions. Develops familiarity with policies in other areas requested, including LLM study programs and Trainee assignments to other offices, and coordinates with Legal Professionals, Global Mobility Lead, and personnel from other administrative departments to ensure successful transitions and returns. Reviews and consults on memos documenting transitions, and suggests revisions to transition memo templates as needed.
  
  
• Individualized Positions. Develops familiarity with policies related to individualized employment arrangements used within the Region. Works with partners to determine availability of proposed individualized arrangements, after consultation with Practice Administration, Pricing, and other administrative departments. Secures leadership approvals as needed. Reviews offer letters and generates status change memos to memorialize terms of arrangements, reflecting local requirements/regulations.

Inclusivity and Engagement

• Local Issue and Resource Information. Collaborates with Attorney Learning and Inclusion Manager to provide insight into issues of importance, nuances of Regional landscape, and city/Regional consultants and other resources in the inclusivity and engagement areas.
  
  
• Event/Initiative Support. Supports implementation of, and assessment of effectiveness of, inclusivity and engagement initiatives and events in local offices.

Professional Development

• Keeps current on attorney development, training, and inclusion and engagement related issues within the firm and in the larger legal community in the Region; develops relationships with professionals in similar positions throughout the Region and shares resources and best practices; attends meetings and conferences as appropriate relating to these issues and initiatives in the legal profession within the Region.
  
  
• Ensures expertise in technology relevant to the position; proactively uses most current technology to further teamwork, client service, and efficiency.

Client Service, Confidentiality, and Safety

• Consistently promotes and models the Firms Client Service Principles in leadership, teamwork, work product, and personal interaction.
  
  
• Ensures compliance with the Firms Information Handling Policy, including safeguarding confidential and personal information, and reporting any suspected breach appropriately and immediately.
  
  
• Adheres to the Firms General Safety Practices and any unique safety practices for department and building.

OTHER DUTIES

• Travel to regional offices, as requested.
  
  
• Availability for work outside of standard business hours when necessary.
  
  
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

ABOUT YOU

• Law degree and practice experience at a major law firm preferred.
  
  
• Strong background in Attorney Development in a law firm, including experience in talent and performance management.

ABOUT MOFO

At MoFo, we collaborate as one firm, across borders, practice areas, and business functions and value fresh ideas and innovation over conformity and competition.

• About Us: https://www.mofo.com/about
• Inclusion + Engagement: https://www.mofo.com/community/we-at-mofo
• Commitment to Pro Bono: https://careers.mofo.com/careers-pro-bono
• The MoFo Foundation: https://www.mofo.com/culture/mofo-foundation

For questions regarding this position, please e-mail to ytang@mofo.com.

Morrison & Foerster is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran or military status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, domestic partner status, and other categories protected by applicable laws, or in retaliation for opposition to any practices forbidden under this policy.