Taft is currently seeking a Client Compliance Counsel to join our team in our Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis or Minneapolis office.
Join a modern law firm in supporting client-first initiatives and furthering efforts to ensure compliance with client contractual requirements and Outside Counsel Guidelines. This role is intended for a self-starting individual with the ability to be both detail oriented and have a strong understanding of broader goals and initiatives while providing guidance and directions to key stakeholders. The individual hired in this role will work closely with the Client & Innovation Office, General Counsel's Office, several operations departments and functions, firm leadership, and relationship partners to identify, effectively communicate, and monitor the firm's client obligations under Outside Counsel Guidelines, Requests for Proposals, client audits and questionnaires, and other client-communicated requirements. This position will be critical in improving and managing a robust process that includes internal communication and expectation-setting with key stakeholders, gathering, managing and tracking information, ensuring timely responses to clients, identifying and communicating important client requirements, obligations, and trends, and collaboratively engaging with several departments and individuals across the firm to ensure ongoing compliance with client requirements.
Scope of Responsibilities:
- Management and oversight of the firm's obligations under existing Outside Counsel Guidelines ("OCGs") and other client-required agreements.
- Responsible for ensuring ongoing compliance with client-required obligations.
- Effectively work with the Client & Innovation Office and the General Counsel's Office to identify client compliance and adherence needs, obligations, and deliverables.
- Responsible for ensuring timely, effective, and complete responses to client questionnaires and audits.
- Develop, execute, and manage processes to track, organize, and centralize information and responses to client questionnaires and audits and identify and utilize appropriate approaches and technology tools to support such processes.
- Oversee the utilization of platforms and technology tools for OCGs, client questionnaires, and other tracking and knowledge management platforms.
- Identify key stakeholders responsible for carrying out the firm's obligations under OCGs, other client-required agreements, submitted RFP responses, and client questionnaires; establish and manage the process to communicate and track initial directions and ongoing compliance with such obligations.
- Provide direction and guidance to key stakeholders regarding compliance with client-required obligations.
- Identify and develop an appropriate cadence and overall approach for recurring and consistent confirmations that obligations in OCGs, client questionnaire responses, successful RFP responses, etc. are in compliance.
- Develop strong relationships with internal departments and coordinate the methods of information sharing, data collection, centralized processes, knowledge management, and response requirements.
- Identify key themes within requirements and requests from clients in client questionnaires, OCGs, and RFPs; document and communicate such themes to the appropriate firm stakeholders with recommendations for policies, trainings, and internal communications.
- Identify, develop, and centralize preferred language and responses for client questionnaires and certain RFP questions.
- Supervise professional staff supporting client compliance-related work and initiatives.
- Maintain current knowledge of the firm's organizational structure, policies, and procedures.
- Facilitate and foster effective, timely, and responsive communication with client contacts and internal stakeholders.
- Work with Client & Innovation Office, General Counsel's Office, IT, Marketing & Business Development, Operations, HR, and other department teams as collaboration opportunities and needs arise.
- Other duties as assigned.
Skills and Experience Required:
- Experience working in a professional services, legal, law firm, and/or law department setting.
- Familiarity with OCGs and client questionnaires.
- Ability to take initiative and build new processes and approaches.
- Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to assess, interpret, and effectively communicate contractual obligations and requirements.
- Strong communication and organization skills with superior interpersonal skills.
- Superior judgment and ability to problem solve.
- Collaborative mindset and ability to effectively collaborate.
- Client service mindset.
- Strong to advanced technology skills.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to adapt to changing demands and work well in a fast-paced environment.
- Enthusiastic professional who maintains and upholds confidentiality and has an initiative-taking work ethic.
Basic Qualifications:
- Degree: Juris Doctor
- Work Experience: Four or more years working in a legal or professional services setting, and two or more years of process oversight or management experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience in a client compliance, legal operations, outside counsel management, and/or legal project management role.
- Experience with Intapp Terms, Aderant Onyx, and/or similar technology platforms.
- Prior law firm experience.
- Prior corporate law department experience.
Candidates interested in the Chicago office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Cincinnati office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Cleveland office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Columbus office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Dayton office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Detroit office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Indianapolis office should apply here.
Candidates interested in the Minneapolis office should apply here.
Taft is a State of Minnesota and City of St. Paul Affirmative Action Employer as required in those jurisdictions. Taft is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The information in this posting presents general duties, tasks, and responsibilities but is not intended to be an exhaustive listing. Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP participates in E-VERIFY.
