General Counsel & Head of Risk

General Counsel & Head of Risk 

Dublin, Ireland

Salary: Competitive Salary

Ardlinn has been retained by a leading Irish Law Firm to find an ambitious and highly competent leader for the role of General Counsel & Head of Risk (GC). The role will report to the firms’ Managing Partner and will entail supervision of the risk management function, enforcement of the firm’s risk management policies and overseeing the firm’s compliance with Data Protection legislation.

Key Responsibilities

• Primary responsibility for risk management at the firm, to include drafting and review of the firm’s risk management policies, education and training in relation to risk management and ensuring compliance with the firm’s policies, for example, confidentiality/information security, file maintenance, document retention and anti-bribery.
• Responsibility for avoidance of or management of conflicts of interest, reviewing conflict searches and facilitating discussions/making decisions in relation to conflict issues in accordance with the firm’s conflicts policy and reviewing the policy intermittently to keep it up to date.
• Joint responsibility with the Head of Professional Standards for regulatory compliance in Ireland and in respect of the firm’s operations in the UK and US.

Miscellaneous interactions with the Law Society and the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority will require to be dealt with from time to time for example, dealing with client complaints against solicitors in the firm. When the provisions dealing with limited liability partnerships in the Legal Services Regulation Act are enacted, review of the firm’s organisational structure is likely to be required.

• The GC looks after the firm’s insurance programme, including professional indemnity insurance and the firm’s other policies, including property insurance, employers’ liability, public liability, D&O insurance for partners, trustee liability insurance, cybercrime etc. Any circumstances which may lead to a claim are notified to the GC who liaises with the firm’s insurers and brokers and manages the issue. Where a matter results in a claim, the GC manages the matter with the solicitors appointed by the insurers. The firm takes a pro-active and very hands on approach to claims.
• Maintains and reviews from time to time central registers required to be kept by the firm such as appointments of process agents, undertakings, lobbying and directorships held by partners. Arrangements in relation to such directorships are effected by the relevant partner in conjunction with the GC.
• Works with the Head of Professional Standards and the firm’s Training Department on the professional standards and risk syllabus for trainees, qualified fee-earners and support staff, preparing the relevant training materials and delivering many of the presentations.
• File reviews of all candidates for promotion are carried out by the GC, in conjunction with the Head of Professional Standards, with a report to Management on the findings.
• Miscellaneous queries relating to firm policies or protocols; reviewing all third party supplier contracts entered into by the firm; liaising with the Finance / Business Development and HR teams in relation to risk related issues or particular projects from time to time.
• Acts as Partnership Secretary and convenes partners meetings, attends meetings (usually held monthly or more frequently where special business is to be considered) and drafts agendas, minutes and other related documents.
• Deals with the admission of new equity partners and the retirement of partners and liaises with the firm’s Managing Partner and the firm’s partnership lawyer in relation to changes to the Partnership Deed. Generally, the GC is responsible for corporate governance at partnership level and for dealing with and advising on partnership affairs.
• Dealing with HR issues where legal action against the firm is threatened or contemplated, including disciplinary, performance management, bullying, grievances or other claims against the firm and data access requests.
• The Information Security Manager also reports to the GC and is responsible for the firm’s information security architecture and ensuring compliance with Data Protection legislation, as well as with the firm’s document retention and destruction policy.
• The GC supervises the firm’s responses to client audits or third party regulatory enquiries (in conjunction with the Head of Professional Standards).

Required Experience & Skills

• Qualified Solicitor with a minimum of 10+ years PQE in a top-tier law firm or corporation
• Substantial experience of working at Partner/Director level in a high profile, complex environment, skilled in understanding and responding to different perspectives and taking a cross-organisational perspective
• Significant in-depth and related experience supporting and/or litigating complex regulatory, compliance, and commercial matters and representing companies in significant regulatory inquiries
• Significant risk and security experience, including engagement experiences and relationships with applicable regulatory bodies
• Experience developing innovative and pragmatic approaches to complex legal challenges with a proven track record providing concise and focused legal advice
• Experience of learning and mastering new areas of law and regulation
• Demonstrated ability to lead and advance large, complex projects in matrixed environments with cross functional stakeholders
• High degree of professional ethics, integrity and gravitas
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to influence significant decisions
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial business acumen
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an absolute commitment to teamwork, professionalism, collegiality, and communication
• Outstanding leadership and team management skills
• In-House/advisory services legal experience supporting a corporate compliance management function would be a distinct advantage

This is a fantastic opportunity for a senior lawyer currently working as General Counsel, Senior in-house legal counsel or at partner level within a top tier law firm. If you are currently working in the UK and considering a move to Ireland we would be very interested in hearing from you.