Assistant General Counsel

About the role

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Responsibilities

• Advise on compliance and risk management, including ethics, conflicts of interest, rules of professional conduct, regulatory compliance, and the firm’s policies.
• Keep current with legal and regulatory developments.
• Organize and deliver training and communications on the foregoing.
• Advis[e] and represent the firm in connection with litigation holds and subpoenas served on the firm or its personnel.
• Lead the litigation hold team, making decisions on preservation requests and subpoena responses.
• Assist in the defense and resolution of claims against the firm.
• Supervise the Managing Clerks Office to ensure strong department performance, including regarding litigation docketing and e-filings.
• Review, draft, negotiate and advise on varied commercial and vendor contracts, including for IT.
• Advis[e] on attorney secondments, and on restrictions that apply to lawyers moving from or to government service.
• Advis[e] on audits and investigations.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues on firm projects and initiatives.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree and admission to practice law in MA, NY, IL, DC, or CA.
• 7-10 years of experience working in a large law firm.
• Litigation practice experience is preferred.
• Much significant experience in compliance, risk management, and litigation.
• Ability to lead and participate in cross-functional teams.
• Strong research, issue spotting, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage complex regulatory, compliance, and commercial matters.
• Possess a flexible mindset to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities; able to work under tight deadlines and handle multiple, detailed tasks.
• Able to discreetly and effectively manage matters of a confidential and/or sensitive nature.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Able to interact effectively with colleagues throughout the firm, including senior leadership, partners, associates, and support staff.
• Team-oriented, with strong service orientation.
• Experience negotiating varied commercial and vendor contracts, including IT.
• Expertise in conflicts of interest and engagement terms in a large law practice preferred.
• Knowledge of the rules of professional conduct.
• Familiarity with laws governing the following is a plus: lobbying, privacy.
• Ability to plan, organize, and carry out multiple projects simultaneously.