We have a brand new opportunity for a Conflicts Analyst to join our Risk & Compliance team, in a full time, permanent role, based out of our Bristol office on a hybrid working arrangement.
Our business services professionals play a vital role in enabling our lawyers to deliver a high-quality, efficient service to our clients. The Risk & Compliance team is central to this, ensuring that clients and matters are accepted in line with professional conduct rules and internal risk policies, and that the firm’s regulatory, reputational and commercial interests are protected.
The opportunity
The Conflicts Analyst will support the identification, analysis and management of legal and commercial conflicts of interest across the firm.
Working as part of the Risk & Compliance team, the Conflicts Analyst:
- carries out conflict searches and initial analysis
- supports fee earners and business services teams to ensure that new matters and clients are accepted in line with professional conduct rules and internal risk policies
- escalates complex or sensitive issues to senior colleagues
The role underpins the firm’s conflicts and client/matter inception controls and contributes to the protection of the firm’s regulatory, reputational and commercial interests.
You will work closely with Partners and fee-earners in the UK and international OC offices, the General Counsel, Risk & Compliance leadership, and key business services stakeholders (including Finance, HR and IT). You will be expected to:
- deliver a professional, high standard of service to the business
- promote a culture of collaboration and innovation through effective communication across OC UK and OC International
- contribute to a positive and supportive team culture, where diversity of thought and continuous personal development is highly valued
Key responsibilities
Conflicts identification and analysis
- Review new client and matter requests to identify potential legal and commercial conflicts of interest in accordance with firm policies and procedures.
- Conduct conflict searches using the firm’s conflicts database, practice management system and other internal tools, ensuring searches are complete, accurate and properly recorded.
- Analyse conflict search results to identify relevant relationships, mandates and party connections, and prepare clear summaries for review by CMI leadership.
- Provide initial views on conflict risks, including own interest, client conflicts, positional conflicts and confidential information issues, seeking guidance and escalating where the risk is complex, sensitive or unclear.
Matter opening and client intake support
- Work closely with fee earners, PAs and the CMI/AML teams to ensure that client and matter details are accurate, complete and fit for purpose for conflicts checks.
- Support the client and matter opening process by confirming the outcome of conflicts checks and documenting relevant approvals in line with internal policies and regulatory requirements (e.g. SRA Standards & Regulations and any applicable local bar rules).
- Assist with the implementation and documentation of conflict waivers, consents and information barriers as directed by senior members of the Risk & Compliance team.
Advisory support and escalation
- Provide clear, concise guidance to partners, fee earners and support teams on the conflict position for routine matters, explaining the outcome of searches and any standard risk options.
- Recognise when issues fall outside normal parameters; escalate complex, high risk or sensitive conflict issues promptly to CMI leadership or General Counsel, and support them by gathering information and preparing summaries.
- Participate, as appropriate to your level, in discussions relating to conflicts aspects of panel appointments, pitches, major transactions, lateral hires and strategic initiatives, under the direction of senior colleagues.
Information barriers and confidentiality
- Assist with the practical design, implementation and maintenance of information barriers and ethical walls where required, following established procedures and templates.
- Work with IT, HR and matter teams to help put in place appropriate access controls and confidentiality safeguards, ensuring that key steps are documented.
- Monitor and help support compliance with information barrier procedures (e.g. by checking access lists and responding to day-to-day queries), escalating concerns or exceptions where necessary.
Policy, process and systems
- Contribute to the day-to-day application and maintenance of conflicts policies, procedures and guidance notes, flagging any areas of ambiguity or recurring issues to senior colleagues.
- Support the CMI Ops Manager and Senior Conflicts Analyst in testing, refining and improving conflicts systems and workflows (including conflict checking tools and databases), for example through user acceptance testing and feedback.
- Assist in preparing and delivering, or coordinating, training and communications for lawyers and business services staff on conflicts and client/matter inception processes.
Monitoring, reporting and audit support
- Maintain accurate and complete records of conflict checks, advice given, decisions made and approvals obtained, in accordance with firm policies and audit requirements.
- Assist in collating data and preparing regular MI and reports on conflicts activity, trends and key risks for review by CMI leadership and General Counsel.
- Support internal audits, regulatory requests and client panel audits relating to conflicts and matter opening by gathering documentation, responding to routine queries and implementing agreed actions under supervision.
You may also be asked to contribute to broader Risk & Compliance initiatives and projects where conflicts expertise is relevant and appropriate to your level of experience.
What we’re looking for
We're looking for someone who has experience working within a similar R&C function within a professional services environment. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate a strong understanding of conflicts of interest in a legal context and awareness of relevant regulatory frameworks (e.g. SRA Standards & Regulations and/or applicable local bar rules).
More specifically we'll also be looking for:
Client centric
Demonstrates a strong client service mindset; focused on providing timely, practical support to partners, fee earners and business services colleagues. Builds credibility as a helpful, reliable point of contact on conflicts queries, while recognising when issues need to be escalated.
Commerciality
Awareness of the commercial context of a law firm and the role of conflicts management in enabling client and matter acceptance. Able to apply policies and rules in a pragmatic way, seeking guidance where the balance between risk and commercial objectives is unclear.
Communication
Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to explain conflict outcomes and risk issues clearly and succinctly to non‑specialists. Confident in asking questions, probing for relevant information and communicating clearly when further details or approvals are required.
Organisation
Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment. Demonstrates a high level of attention to detail and accuracy in data entry, analysis and record‑keeping.
Decision making
Exercises sound judgement within clearly defined policies and procedures; knows when to seek guidance and escalate. Understands own remit and decision‑making limits and is comfortable taking ownership of routine decisions while deferring higher‑risk matters.
Technical
Good analytical and problem solving skills, with the ability to interpret fact patterns and relationships and identify potential conflicts. Confident user of Microsoft Office and practice management systems; comfortable learning and using conflicts/search tools and databases.
Collaboration
Works effectively as part of the conflicts and wider Risk & Compliance team, sharing information and supporting colleagues. Builds positive working relationships with partners, lawyers, business services teams and international offices.
Career and development
Demonstrates a commitment to learning and developing expertise in conflicts of interest, professional conduct and wider regulatory issues. Open to feedback, coaching and training; contributes to a culture of continuous improvement, including suggesting ways to streamline processes and improve data quality.