Analyst - BAU

Department purpose and structure
The role of the BAU is:

• to process requests from partners for A&O to accept new legal matters including, in particular, performing anti-money laundering, sanctions and background checks on new clients and performing conflicts checks (within internal databases) on each new matter (for both new and existing clients);
• to obtain from relevant lawyers required evidence of identity for new clients (and existing clients for whom the practice has done no work in the preceding two years and whose ownership or control may therefore have changed in the intervening period);
• to screen and, where requested, send conflict search emails (containing information on new legal matters) to all partners and to monitor responses, analyze search results and, in consultation with the originating lawyers, determine whether or not the new legal matter is clear of conflicts and appropriate for the practice to take on;
• to authorize the opening of new legal matters when checks have been completed and any issues or problems satisfactorily resolved;
• to facilitate resolution of legal conflict issues in consultation, where appropriate, with A&O senior management;
• to facilitate resolution of business conflict issues in consultation with relevant partners/senior lawyers including, if necessary, A&O senior management;
• to determine the need for information barriers to enhance the internal security of information and to facilitate them being established to meet the requirements of the situation;
• to intervene (where needed) to direct the required levels of matter/virtual file security within the A&O virtual filing system;
• to receive, monitor and (where appropriate) keep a central record of terms of engagement agreed with clients, to remind lawyers of the need to ensure that the terms of our engagements are clear and documented and to advise lawyers on unusual/non-standard terms and on aspects of the firm's engagement terms policy; and
• to deal with business acceptance queries (including conflicts and anti-money laundering ID queries).

Job description
Responsibilities

• Taking responsibility for individual matter inception request submitted via business acceptance system and then monitoring the progress of such requests to conclusion (using workflow technology).
• Covering all aspects of matter and client inception from conflict checking to client on-boarding through understanding and implementing the appropriate AML/KYC regulations, rules and processes
• Performing relevant databases searches to satisfy A&O's regulatory requirements in relation to conflicts of interest
• Assisting with the conflicts review for lateral attorney candidates, which includes conflict checking and summarizing its content and working with In-House legal to resolve potential conflicts
• Analyzing the information submitted by fee-earners in matter inception requests.
• Applying relevant laws, regulations and A&O compliance policy to matter inception requests covering varied and wide-ranging work types.
• Liaising with relevant fee-earners and with support departments such as Finance and Business Development at appropriate stages of the business acceptance process.
• Applying judgement and decision-making in relation to individual matter inception requests and spotting and, if needed, then referring any issues 'up chain'.
• Helping to develop internal databases of information for use in conducting regulatory checks and searches during business acceptance process.
• Providing reports and updates of items on work list as required.
• Assisting with monitoring service levels of unit (e.g. speed of responses and quality of decision making).
• Undertaking administrative duties including record maintenance as required.
• Being flexible in undertaking the above responsibilities and any others so required.

Key requirements

• Strong analytical skills are essential.
• 2+ years experience of working in-house at an international law firm, risk and compliance or a financial services environment.
• Eye to detail, ability to work under pressure and manage conflicting deadlines at speed.

For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $75,000-$120,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, including, if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job, and other job-relation factors permitted by law.