Associate Director - Client Agreements (Conflicts & Compliance)

Husch Blackwell LLP is a full-service litigation and business law firm with multiple locations across the United States, serving clients with domestic and international operations.

At Husch Blackwell we believe that diverse, equitable and inclusive teams lead to better outcomes. Husch Blackwell is committed to retaining, recruiting, developing, and promoting talented lawyers and business professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We foster an engaged, diverse, and inclusive team culture of accountability and purpose that makes our Firm and our communities better.

Our firm is committed to attracting and retaining professionals who value each other and the service we provide by embracing Teamwork, Collaboration, Client Service, and Innovation. If you are a motivated professional looking for a long-term fit where you can grow in a role, and will be valued and empowered, then we invite you to apply to our Associate Director – Client Agreements position. This position may be filled remotely, or in any of our office locations.

The Associate Director – Client Agreements provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Conflicts Special Projects and Client Agreements functions, establishing governance, processes, and systems that mitigate risk, support firmwide business intake, and enable consistent execution through functional managers. Essential functions include:

• Directs and oversees the firm’s procedures for acceptance, review, negotiation, and documentation of Outside Counsel Guidelines. 
• Coordinating with Conflicts Management, Business Intake, and other practice groups to coordinate engagement letters regarding new matter opening, maintenance of information within firm databases, review of Outside Counsel Guidelines, and coordination of client agreements  documentation for the firm. 
• Directly oversees the Client Agreements Manager and Senior Conflicts Manager of Special Projects, including supervision of attorney-level work product, review of legal analyses and recommendations, performance management, professional development, and alignment of legal judgment with firm risk tolerance and policy Facilitate escalation and resolution of complex or sensitive issues to firm leadership. 
• Directs and oversees the conflicts and client agreements aspects of Requests for Production and Requests for Information, coordinating responses and providing support to client relationship managers in support of same.
• Partners closely with the Director of Conflicts to set strategy, priorities, and standards for the Conflicts department, including policy development, workflow optimization, quality control, and consistency of legal decision-making.
• Work closely with the Conflicts, Business Intake, and Client Data groups, to strategize and implement team structure, training, and policies to assist in meeting firm’s new business, conflicts, and client agreement goals. 
• Partners closely with the Director of Conflicts to set strategy, priorities, and standards for the Conflicts department, including policy development, workflow optimization, quality control, and consistency of legal decision-making.
• Serve as a cross-functional and departmental leader on client agreement and new business conflicts questions, interacting with attorneys, staff and firm leadership on issues related to the firm’s conflicts process and related client agreement needs. 
• Leads and supports training initiatives, including attorney education on client agreement issues, internal team training, and development of guidance materials, protocols, and best practices. 
• Work with the Business Intake team to design a process for  tracking receipt of engagement letters
• Other duties as assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• JD degree required and active bar license.
• Three (3) or more years of experience managing, drafting, negotiating, and/or reviewing engagement letters and/or Outside Counsel Guidelines required.
• Seven years’ conflicts experience, including at least two (2) or more years of supervisory experience preferred.
• Deep understanding of legal ethics, conflicts of interest rules, waivers, and professional responsibility standards.
• Ability to demonstrate integrity, discretion, and good judgment in personal and fiduciary matters.
• Experience working with senior leadership to make recommendations and build consensus.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, with the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly, establish credibility, build trust, maintain confidences, and develop positive working relationships with team members, firm leadership, lawyers, and other professionals.
• Exceptional judgment, flexibility, and professionalism.
• Ability to work after hours on occasion, as needed.
• Ability to travel to other offices and events, as needed. 
• Knowledge of how a law firm operates, including awareness of the key elements in the relationships between a firm and its clients.
• Demonstrated knowledge of conflicts software, corporate research databases, Microsoft Office products, NetDocs, 3E, and Intapp Walls experience preferred. 
• Experience with Intapp Open and/or Intapp Terms preferred.
• Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete under time constraints.
• Ability to perform effectively with moderate supervision and within established time limits and on-going deadlines.
• Ability to interact effectively and professionally and provide exceptional service.
• Ability to respond to requests requiring analysis and decision making for new clients/matter processing.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities, or requirements. The Firm will provide reasonable accommodations as necessary to allow an individual with a disability to apply for and/or perform the essential functions of a position.  If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, please contact HR.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Employees are entitled to compensation commensurate with skill and experience. The exact compensation will vary based on skills, experience, location, and other factors permitted by law. The expected compensation ranges for this position in various states and jurisdictions are as follows:

• State of California: $151,000 - $308,000
• State of Colorado: $139,000 - $248,000
• State of Illinois: $136,000 - $265,000
• State of Massachusetts: $151,000 - $289,000
• State of Maryland: $146,000 - $222,000
• State of Minnesota: $151,000 - $250,000
• Jersey City, NJ: $164,000 - $297,000
• State of New York: $141,000 - $304,000
• State of Vermont: $149,000 - $286,000
• State of Washington: $146,000 - $278,000
• Washington, D.C.: $195,000 - $286,000

The above salaries do not include a discretionary bonus, however bonus opportunities are non-guaranteed, and are dependent upon individual and firm performance. Full-time employees receive benefits including: medical and dental coverage; life insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax flexible spending account for certain medical and dependent care expenses; an employee assistance program; Paid Time Off; paid holidays; participation in a retirement plan program after meeting eligibility requirements; and more.

Please include a cover letter and resume when applying.

EOE/Minority/Female/Disabled/Vet. Principal Applicants Only.

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Qualifications Education Required Juris Doctor or better. Experience Required Experience managing, drafting, negotiating, and/or reviewing engagement letters and/or Outside Counsel Guidelines Conflicts experience Deep understanding of legal ethics, conflicts of interest rules, waivers, and professional responsibility standards. Experience working with senior leadership to make recommendations and build consensus. Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken, with the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly, establish credibility, build trust, maintain confidences, and develop positive working relationships with team members, firm leadership, lawyers, and other professionals. Knowledge of how a law firm operates, including awareness of the key elements in the relationships between a firm and its clients. Preferred Supervisory experience Demonstrated knowledge of conflicts software, corporate research databases, Microsoft Office products, NetDocs, 3E, and Intapp Walls Experience with Intapp Open and/or Intapp Terms Equal Opportunity Employer
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