Assistant General Counsel

Overview

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have fourteen offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations. The firm employs approximately 1,100 lawyers from more than fifty countries.

Since 1946, our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP seeks an experienced litigator with significant law firm and (ideally) in-house experience to join our in-house global Risk team. This team is led by the firm’s General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer in New York and London, with attorneys based in New York, London and Washington, D.C. In this role, you will report to the Associate General Counsel and serve as a lead advisor on a variety of in-house legal matters, with a focus on litigation-related advice, employment matters and compliance with professional obligations.

You will work with a small team of in-house lawyers advising Firm leaders and the Firm’s Human Resources and Talent professionals on employment law; advising the Firm on litigation-related matters; liaising with Firm insurers; drafting and revising key risk management policies; advising Firm lawyers on professional rules; and collaborating with partners and counsel, as well as business teams across the Firm, including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, Inclusion & Culture and other lawyers and professional staff on the global Risk team, to reduce litigation risk across the Firm.

This position assists in overseeing and strengthening the Firm’s risk management function and serves as a trusted advisor to partners and business leaders across functions and jurisdictions. The role requires translating complex matters into practical guidance while fostering collaboration that advances the Firm’s strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Work across a spectrum of legal, ethical, business and strategic issues.
• Advise Firm lawyers on applicable professional obligations in complex, fast-moving situations in a variety of contexts.
• Lead strategy in responding to litigation matters, including subpoenas and information requests served on the Firm.
• Liaise with external employment counsel, provide advice on employment law matters relevant to the business, and serve as a strategic partner to the Firm’s Talent and Human Resources teams on employment law questions.
• Draft and continually revise Firm policies and work strategically to increase awareness of the policies and compliance with them.
• Ensure compliance with reporting requirements that may be applicable to the Firm, e.g., with respect to lobbying, representation of non-U.S. entities, and business registration.
• Assist with coordination of the Firm’s insurance needs to maximize efficient, global insurance coverage.
• Increase the efficiency and scalability of the advice provided by the Firm’s in-house global Risk team.
• Substantively guide the work of the Risk Attorney focusing on litigation-related advice.
• Collaborate with business partners and teams across the Firm to reduce risk, including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, and Inclusion & Culture, as well as other lawyers on the global Risk team.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree, New York bar admission, and at least 10-12 years of total relevant legal experience.
• Experience with litigation in U.S. federal and state courts at a top-tier law firm.
• Experience working in-house in a law firm or corporate legal department environment a strong plus.
• Experience advising on employment matters a strong plus.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (written and oral), with ability to effectively translate complex legal information to business stakeholders and lawyers.
• Strong judgement and ability to make confident, timely decisions with imperfect information in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with senior cross-functional teams across jurisdictions and time zones.
• Meticulous attention to detail and advanced project management abilities.
• Willingness to jump in and do whatever needs to be done in an enthusiastic, proactive and resourceful manner, and a strong work ethic with a high degree of accountability and organization.
• Proven track record of successfully managing, mentoring and developing people to ensure high caliber delivery of client service and retention of strong performers.
• Leadership presence, accountability, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders globally.
• Resourcefulness and ability to work autonomously while being an effective member of a global team.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and remain calm under pressure while meeting deadlines.

The estimated base salary for this position is $300,000.00 to $325,000.00 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This role is exempt meaning that it is not eligible for overtime pay.

*Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits

*We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their positions, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the firm.

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