Audit Response & Conflicts Attorney- West Coast/California

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.
Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer.
This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers.

As an Audit Response & Conflicts Attorney you will be responsible for coordinating the firm’s timely, accurate, and compliant response to audit letters issued by auditors of Firm clients, in accordance with Firm policies and applicable professional responsibility rules or other legal requirements.

During periods of lower audit letter volume, this role will support the Conflicts Department’s primary function of performing conflicts analysis and clearance of conflicts issues, assisting with business intake, and advising attorneys and business professionals regarding conflict and other risk management issues.

What You Will Do:

Audit Response

• Coordinate the Firm's audit inquiry response process, including intake, tracking, internal information gathering, preparation of responses, and issuance of audit response letters.

• Review auditor requests, supporting documentation, and draft responses, to ensure compliance with Firm policies, engagement terms, professional responsibility obligations (including the ABA’s Statement of Policy Regarding Lawyers' Responses to Auditors' Requests for Information), and applicable legal standards.

• Identify pending or threatened claims, and other matters potentially requiring disclosure in audit responses.

• Collaborate with partners and other timekeepers to obtain information necessary to evaluate and prepare audit responses.

• Interface with Finance with respect to unpaid fee-related inquiries from auditors.

• Draft, revise, and finalize audit response letters and related communications, in collaboration with the client relationship partner for the relevant client.

• Monitor audit response deadlines and proactively manage outstanding requests to ensure timely completion of all responses.

Conflicts

• Review and triage new business intake requests to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance with Firm policies.

• Develop search strategies and conduct conflicts searches to identify relationships, matters, and other information relevant to conflicts and risk assessment.

• Analyze conflicts search results to identify actual, potential, positional, business, and other conflicts of interest, and assess associated legal, ethical, and business risks.

• Prepare conflicts summaries with comprehensive analysis of conflicts and other risk management issues in connection with new clients, new matters, changes to existing clients or matters, lateral hires, and other internal requests.

• Advise attorneys, administrative departments, and Firm leadership regarding conflicts issues, proposed resolution strategies, and associated risk considerations.

• Conduct legal research concerning conflicts of interest, professional responsibility, confidentiality, and related ethical obligations.

• Implement ethical screens, draft waiver letters, and draft special engagement letter language, as needed or instructed by partners or departmental leadership.

• Analyze engagement letters and outside counsel guidelines to determine client-specific requirements affecting conflicts review, waiver obligations, information barriers, and related risk management considerations.

• Provide guidance to firm attorneys regarding professional responsibility and related ethical obligations.

• Participate in departmental projects, policy development initiatives, training programs, and process improvement efforts.

Who You Are:

• J.D. from an accredited law school is required.

• Admitted to practice and in good standing in a state in which the Firm has an office.

• Experience with conflicts/business intake systems and ethical wall software (ideally Intapp), document management systems, and proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint.

• Preferred: 2+ years of professional experience at a large law firm or as in-house counsel.

• Preferred: Experience handling audit inquiry responses, litigation management, professional responsibility matters, conflicts analysis, new business intake, or related legal risk management functions strongly preferred.

• Ability to analyze complex legal, ethical, and business issues and develop practical, risk-based solutions.

• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to draft concise, accurate, and professional correspondence.

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage large volumes of work and competing deadlines.

• Ability to work independently while also functioning effectively as part of a collaborative team.

• Ability to adapt to changing priorities, workflow demands, and business needs.

• Preferred: Knowledge of audit letter practices, litigation disclosure principles, confidentiality and privilege concerns, and related risk management considerations.

• Preferred: Comprehensive understanding of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and analogous state rules, and the interpretation/application of such rules as well as relevant caselaw.

• Ability to travel to various offices.

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Benefits and More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Life and disability insurance

• Retirement & Savings Plan

• Emergency back-up child and adult care

• Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays

• Professional development and career advancement opportunities

• Employee recognition and reward programs

• Employee wellness and assistance programs

• Employee discounts and perks