Job Description

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide.

Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimize your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

The BAU team processes requests from partners for the firm to accept new legal matters including performing anti-money laundering, sanctions, and background checks on new clients, and performing conflicts checks (within internal databased) on each new matter (for both new and existing clients). The team works closely with partners and other senior stakeholders to facilitate resolution of legal and business conflict issues, and to ensure that regulatory obligations with respect to client identification and ongoing monitoring, are met in each of the jurisdictions in which A&O Shearman operates. This role is a 12-month fixed term contract.

What you do

• Taking responsibility for individual matter inception requests submitted via business acceptance system and then monitoring the progress of such request to conclusion (using workflow technology).
• Analyzing the information submitted by fee-earner in matter inception requests.
• Applying relevant laws, regulations, and A&O Shearman compliance policy to matter inception requests covering varied and wide-ranging work types.
• Performing relevant database searches to satisfy A&O Shearman’s regulatory requirements in relation to anti-money laundering and background check on new clients.
• Liaising with relevant fee-earners and with support departments such as Finance and Business Development at appropriate stages of the business acceptance process
• Assisting with review and resolution of alerts generated by client and counterparty ongoing screening tool.
• Applying judgement and decision-making in relation to individual matter inception requests and spotting and, if needed, then escalating any issues.
• Helping to develop internal databases of information for use in conduction regulatory checks and searches during business acceptance process.
• Providing reports and updates of items on work list as required.
• Assisting with monitoring service levels of units (e.g. speed of responses and quality of decision making).
• Undertaking administrative duties including record maintenance as required.
• Being flexible in undertaking the above responsibilities and any others so required.

What you will have

• Experience of working within an AML/KYC team.
• Experience working in a law firm, risk and compliance or a financial services environment is preferred.
• Strong analytical skills are essential.
• Good attention to detail, ability to work under pressure and manage conflicting deadlines at speed.
• Ability to communicate positively and effectively with team members, fee earners, and support staff.

What we can offer you

We recognize that our people are our most valuable assets, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include our occupation pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, online discounts, and lifestyle management services.

We recognize the value of flexible working and embrace hybrid working, allowing our people to work from home up to 40% of their working time. We do, however, remain committed to working together in person for the remaining 60% of the time so that we can learn, grow and succeed together.

Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability

A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including Veterans and Disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual’s relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at US-HRTransactions@aoshearman.com or call +1 212 610 6300 and ask for HR Transactions. This role is open to our New York office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $88,000 - $115,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job-related factors permitted by law. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes a discretionary bonus, paid leave, life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.