Conflicts Counsel – Attorney Hiring

ABOUT BAKER BOTTS

Baker Botts is a leading international law firm recognized for its deep understanding of the industries it serves. With offices across major global markets, the firm delivers sophisticated legal services while cultivating a collaborative, inclusive culture where both attorneys and professional staff contribute to client success and organizational excellence.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Baker Botts is seeking a Conflicts Counsel – Attorney Hiring to join our Office of General Counsel team in our Austin, Dallas, Houston, New York, or Washington, D.C. offices. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated, detail-oriented professional with strong analytical abilities and experience in attorney-hire conflicts to contribute meaningfully to the review, analysis, and resolution of conflicts related to the Firm’s staff and lateral attorney-hire efforts. In this role, you will work closely with members of the Office of General Counsel, including the Senior Conflicts Counsel – Attorney Hiring, and you will have a high degree of contact with Firm department leadership, Partners, and our Recruiting team to proactively identify and resolve conflicts for staff and lateral Associate candidates and other new lawyers (e.g., Summer Associates, New Fall Associates, and Counsel). You will be responsible for keeping other relevant stakeholders apprised of a candidate’s progress/status. This is a full-time, remote, exempt position reporting to the Assistant General Counsel.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Primary Responsibilities

• Review and analyze conflicts reports for lateral hire candidates, new lawyer hires, and staff hires.
• Communicate with candidates and Firm lawyers to gather information regarding potential conflicts.
• Draft extensive communications with candidates and Firm personnel, screening memoranda, and other ethical disclosures.
• Implement ethical walls, as needed, to assist with the resolution of conflict issues.

Additional Responsibilities

• May be required to analyze conflicts reports for new business intake, as needed.
• Other ethics or risk management-related projects, as assigned by the General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, or Deputy General Counsel, including drafting engagement letters and policy reminders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Required

• J.D. from accredited law school.
• Active law license in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction. If not licensed in the jurisdiction where employee will work, must be willing to become licensed at the earliest available opportunity.
• Minimum 2-3 years’ experience as a conflicts attorney or similar role.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational and calendaring skills; ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.

Preferred

• Experience with lateral/attorney hire conflicts
• Familiarity with Intapp Open conflicts software and Intapp Walls
• Familiarity with S&P Capital IQ and Dow Jones RiskCenter software

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE

A successful candidate in this role will, within the first 6 months, be able to work independently in assessing and resolving potential conflicts of interest for all staff and non-partner attorney hires.  This process includes being able to review conflicts reports from the Intapp Open software, analyze the report to identify potential conflicts of interest based on applicable rules of professional conduct, communicate any potential conflicts to internal stakeholders, communicate directly with the candidate to gather additional information to resolve potential conflicts, communicate conflicts clearance status to internal stakeholders and the candidate, and prepare for onboarding by implementing ethical walls and drafting any required notices.  Success in this role requires a detail-oriented self-starter who can think critically, stay organized in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, and communicate clearly and succinctly, both verbally and in writing.

HOW YOU'LL WORK

Work Model: This role is fully remote. You will be required to come to the office when there is a business or client need. Position may require occasional out-of-town travel, including weekends.

Schedule: Position is full-time and requires a five-day work week and standard hours as outlined in the Firm policy manual. Employees are expected to maintain regular availability and responsiveness during the Firm’s established standard hours. Additional hours, including weekend and evening hours, may be required to perform the essential functions of the job.

Physical Requirements: Routine office environment. Must be able to sit at a computer for extended periods. Occasional lifting of files and materials up to approximately 10 lbs.

COMPENSATION

Baker Botts L.L.P. offers a competitive total rewards package, including salary, health and welfare benefits, retirement savings, paid time off, and professional development support.

• New York Office: $148,000– $190,000 annually
• Washington, D.C. Office: $144,000 – $185,000 annually

Actual compensation will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, and market conditions.

Baker Botts L.L.P. is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.