Department: Office of the General Counsel
Duration: Permanent
Location: Any UK or Remote
PQE: NQ-4 years
Reports to: UKIME Deputy General Counsel (DGC)
Direct Reports: None
Budget Responsibility: No

Reference no: 5968

The Department

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) manages complex legal and risk issues for the Firm, our Board, executive management, our lawyers and staff. We focus on all elements of professional practice risk, including claims, complaints, core regulatory compliance, risk management, legal advisory and governance.

The team is spread across three locations: London, Glasgow and Dubai, and is made up of qualified lawyers and other qualified specialists. This enables us to provide a unique perspective on and fashion innovative solutions for the risk issues that arise across the Firm.

The Role

Legal Counsel will be directly responsible to the UKIME Deputy General Counsel (DGC) for:

• supporting the team in the management of claims, complaints, responding to day-to-day compliance issues, working closely with senior members of the OGC;
• undertaking at least one significant risk and compliance project for the Firm each year;
• advising on an ongoing basis on Modern Slavery Act requirements and anti-bribery and corruption Financial Services and Markets Act compliance, DAC6 requirements, Corporate Criminal Offence of Tax Evasion compliance as well as others;
• reviewing, drafting and up-dating firm policies and procedures;
• assisting with client audits, investigations, and risk assessments and risk reporting for the UKME Region;
• assisting with DSAR reviews, information requests, and data protection reviews;
• advising on and managing conflict escalations, engagement, liability professional practice, ethics, reputational and conduct queries; and
• reviewing and negotiating the terms of supplier contracts and NDAs for the UKIME Region.

Responsibilities

General Regulatory Responsibilities

• Working with the DGC on the Designing, implementing, maintaining and monitoring effective compliance programmes for the UK region.
• Reviewing and approving client's terms of business, pitches, tenders and amendments to standard terms and maintaining and effective system for the notification, review and analysis of such terms.
• Assisting with ISO Audits and Client Audits.
• Liaising with HR to complete annual practicing certificate renewals.
• Reviewing and assisting with client panel terms, RFPs and bids.
• Responding to regulatory audits and assisting the DGC with regulatory and internal investigations arising across the UK.
• Promoting a positive compliance and risk culture across all offices in the UK.
• Preparing and delivering training sessions on regulatory and compliance topics internally to the Firm;
• Horizon scanning for points of regulatory or legislative significance.
• Identifying regulatory risks to the business, reporting those to the DGC and formulating an effective response to those risks, including operating the firm’s risk register and department risk log.
• Managing the firm's risk register reporting regime.
• Monitoring the regulatory environment and planning and implementing responses to change when needed (both in terms of internal compliance precedent updates and firm wide policy revisions).
• Assisting the DGC with reviewing and investigating claims and complaints received by the Firm.
• Contributing to and up-dating Firm Breach Registers, Complaints and Claims Logs.
• Advising the firm on the application of the SRA Regulatory framework and designing, implementing and maintaining policies, procedures and controls to ensure compliance with these requirements.
• Providing regulatory compliance advice to the business including advice on sanctions, ABC, SRA and FSMA advice and design, implement and manage related compliance programmes.
• Assisting the DGC and OGC team in ensuring demonstrable compliance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority for the UKME, as well as regional regulators.

General Counsel Support

• Assisting the DGC with minimal supervision to manage claims against the firm.
• Assist the DGC to notify circumstances to the Firm's insurers.
• Assist the DGC to review and answer questions from the practice about our insurance coverage.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

The candidate should have experience in all aspects of this role with strong inter-personal skills and must display strong academics. The candidate must be a qualified solicitor, NQ – 4 years PQE (this is indicative of the level of experience only and others will be considered) and if not a UK solicitor than be working towards UK qualification in addition to maintaining their overseas qualifications. Experience working in a top tier international law firm or international in-house team is highly desirable. The General Counsel Department has a strong teamwork ethic and a first-class client management approach. It is essential that candidates are team players and committed to developing personally and professionally.

Firm Profile

Across over 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organization by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com

Diversity & Inclusion

Essential to our success as a global law firm is our ability to attract and retain the best talent from a diverse range of backgrounds. We want a work environment where everyone can reach their potential and we have an inclusive culture which respects individual differences.

We undertake and support a number of internal and external initiatives aimed at increasing diversity within the profession and we encourage all our partners and staff to get involved. We welcome you to learn more about diversity and inclusion at Dentons. Inclusion and Diversity

Equal Opportunities

Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and support those in the workplace who have a disability. Any disability disclosure will be dealt with confidentially and sensitively and if you want to speak directly to a member of our team, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

If you are interested in applying for this position, we welcome direct applications via our careers page, but if you have any questions beforehand please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com – Enquiries only please, applications will not be accepted via email.

Please note that we will not accept unsolicited CV's sent to the business, nor will we accept any associated terms of business.