Conflicts Attorney

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Salary:  $135,000 - $155,000 

Status: Exempt

Location: Seattle

About Us:

Williams Kastner is a premier multi-practice law firm in the Pacific Northwest with more than 60 attorneys in Washington and Oregon. We have been serving clients with high-quality legal services since 1929. As a firm we embrace diversity and inclusion through our people, our work and our support for, and participation in, community programs and projects which foster diversity. 

Williams Kastner Attorneys:

Williams Kastner attorneys are highly regarded in the legal field, with many receiving numerous accolades for their work and community involvement. We take pride in delivering quality legal services tailored to our clients' needs. Integrity is a core value for us, and we are passionate about the service we provide. At Williams Kastner, we invest in our attorneys to help them achieve their personal goals and become integral members of our thriving firm. Our attorneys collaborate to build successful practices that support our clients. They are often recognized as proactive, hardworking, dedicated, meticulous, approachable, and kind. Our attorneys embody the Williams Kastner ethos: exceptional, authentic, accountable, innovative, and resilient. 

Position Overview:

We are seeking an Conflicts Attorney  in our Seattle office. This position will conduct and analyze advanced searches of existing and potential clients to avoid potential legal conflicts and oversee the firm’s records process.

Responsibilities of Conflicts Attorney:

This position generally involves recurring work situations with occasional variation from average to moderate complexity. The employee must perform all duties with minimal supervision. Overtime might occur during periods of high workload.

Responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Review and analyze new business conflict reports, including calling attorneys to verify information contained within the report. For requesting attorney, prepare a summary of potential conflicts identified and recommend appropriate responsive action.
• Plans, develops and implements records management policies and procedures intended to standardize filing, protection and retrieval of records, reports, and other information contained in various storage media. Develops and promotes policies and procedures for determining and verifying the appropriate disposition of all records related to the legal practice and administrative functions of the firm and its members and employees.
• Researches, develops and implements records retention schedules as needed for all administrative and client files.
• Oversees new employee orientation as it relates to records and conflicts policies and procedures; transfers files to clients and outside counsel; and coordinates records and conflicts issues as they pertain to lawyer arrivals and departures. 
• Assist attorneys in communicating with responsible attorney to determine the nature of the potential conflict and whether such conflict may be waived.
• Draft conflicts waiver requests, where applicable, for requesting attorney and responsible attorney. Waiver requests or conflict disclosures will be communicated by the requesting or responsible attorney to the prospective or existing client. 
• Advise firm counsel and/or firm management, as necessary, during the conflict resolution process for appropriate approvals or decisions.
• Responsible for completely and accurately documenting conflicts resolution and recording this information with the appropriate client and matter file.
• Assist firm counsel in clearing lateral or contract attorney candidates by communicating with the candidate and responsible attorneys. 
• Review conflicts clearance questionnaires for new hires.
• Identify and remove out of date information from the conflicts database through research and communication with responsible attorneys. 
• Research and analyze potential and current client corporate family affiliations.
• Review and advise Professional Quality Assurance Committee on external client engagement agreements, litigation guidelines, or any other additional client originated supplemental engagement terms or agreements.
• Draft and review HIPAA Business Associate Agreements with outside vendors and clients.
• Maintain HIPAA cleared vendor and client databases.
• Research and advise attorneys on client related ethical issues.
• Directly supervise two employees in the Records Department. 
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. 
• Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; providing performance feedback; counseling and documenting performance problems and recommending disciplinary action when appropriate.

Qualifications of Conflicts Attorney: 

• 3+ years’ experience in conflicts clearance in a law firm.
• Ability to lead and manage a team.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• A risk management mindset with keen attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment. 
• Maintain flexibility as priorities/tasks change.

Additional experience and educational preferences: 

Any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job.

• Bachelor of Arts Degree Required 
• Juris Doctorate (bar admission in at least one jurisdiction)

Salary Range and Benefits: 

$135,000  – $155,000 This salary range is dependent upon a variety of factors, which include but are not limited to the following: the candidate’s relevant experience, skill level, and demonstrated ability to perform all of the essential functions of the position as well as the ability to perform tasks which would arise from the needs of the position or as assigned and all of the qualifications listed in the job description. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short & long-term disability, 401K, paid time off, and holiday pay. 

Working Conditions: 

This position is capable of working partially remote, based on the needs of the firm. The need to be in the office cannot be predicted as the work assigned will be based on multiple factors. When in the office normal office environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust, temperature, etc. Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time; frequently operates a computer and other office machinery such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer; often works under deadlines; occasionally needs to move about the office to access file cabinets, machinery, etc. Ability to occasionally lift objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Travel outside the office may be necessary occasionally. 

• Be  Exceptional – Fiercely committed to high-quality work, productivity, and being elite players doing next-level work.
• Lighten Up – Kind, authentic humans with positive attitudes having fun and making each other look good.
• Own Your Stuff – 100% accountability for our behavior and impact on each other. Gracefully resolve static and conflict.
• Ever Forward – Never complacent, always learning and improving. Stay humble, innovative, and adaptable.
• Blood Type: Grit – Resilient and scrappy, impossible to discourage, unafraid to dream big and shoot for the moon.