Silicon Valley - Conflicts Attorney I

Winston & Strawn is a leading global law firm offering business professionals a dynamic, collaborative environment with a commitment to excellence, diversity, and professional growth. Known for its collegial culture, the firm values teamwork and the contributions of its business professional team.

About the role

The Conflicts Attorney I is a key member of the Firm’s Conflicts Department, supporting new business and conflicts intake, lateral hiring, firm growth initiatives, and risk management programs. This role involves identifying, analyzing, and resolving ethical conflicts and related business issues while ensuring compliance with professional conduct rules and firm policies. The Conflicts Attorney I collaborates with attorneys and staff across the firm to facilitate conflict clearance and contributes to best practices within the department. The firm is committed to fostering professional advancement through training, mentorship, and career development opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Review and process new business and lateral hire requests, conducting thorough searches on the firm’s databases and researching entities using internal and third-party resources.
• Analyze search results in accordance with applicable ethical rules and firm policies; prepare detailed conflicts reports and propose effective resolutions.
• Draft and review engagement letters, waivers, and ethical wall memoranda.
• Conduct legal research on rules of professional conduct, case law, and jurisdictional issues related to conflicts clearance, lateral hiring, ethical walls, and related matters.
• Advise firm lawyers on conflicts of interest issues.
• Collaborate with firm lawyers, Assistant General Counsel, Conflicts team members, and other personnel to resolve conflict and business issues.
• Maintain and update the firm’s conflicts database with precise and current information on clients and matters, ensuring thorough documentation of conflict resolutions and waivers.
• Provide training and support to Conflicts Department colleagues, fostering a collaborative team environment.
• Respond to urgent conflict matters outside of normal business hours and participate in after-hours on-call as required.
• Assist with software implementation, testing, and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school and an active license to practice law in the U.S.
• Minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in a large international law firm Conflicts environment or minimum of two (2) years of experience practicing law as an Associate at a large law firm.
• Substantive knowledge of ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and other relevant jurisdictional rules.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel; ability to adapt to new software and applications.
• Experience with Intapp conflicts checking and new business intake software.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent professional interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment and make effective decisions.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively.
• Ability to maintain a high-level work product in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Commitment to providing high-quality, customer-focused service.

The role is available as either hybrid or fully remote and requires residency within a commutable distance to the applicable office.

Benefits

Winston offers comprehensive benefits that provide a full spectrum of coverage and support for full-time employees and their families.

Pay

Illinois applicants: The target annual salary range for this role is $110,000 - $142,000 based on a regular, full-time schedule. Compensation is determined by experience, qualifications, market data, and internal equity. Total compensation includes a comprehensive healthcare benefits package, yearly retirement contribution, and may include an annual discretionary merit bonus.

Los Angeles & Washington, DC applicants: The target annual salary range for this role is $115,000 - $148,000 based on a regular, full-time schedule. Compensation is determined by experience, qualifications, market data, and internal equity. Total compensation includes a comprehensive healthcare benefits package, yearly retirement contribution, and may include an annual discretionary merit bonus.

New York applicants: The target annual salary range for this role is $120,000 - $155,000 based on a regular, full-time schedule. Compensation is determined by experience, qualifications, market data, and internal equity. Total compensation includes a comprehensive healthcare benefits package, yearly retirement contribution, and may include an annual discretionary merit bonus.

Bay Area applicants: The target annual salary range for this role is $130,000 - $168,000 based on a regular, full-time schedule. Compensation is determined by experience, qualifications, market data, and internal equity. Total compensation includes a comprehensive healthcare benefits package, yearly retirement contribution, and may include an annual discretionary merit bonus.