Senior Commercial Attorney (In-House Risk Team)

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have 16 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 50 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 seeks an experienced senior commercial lawyer to join our in-house global Risk team 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 be responsible for working across a spectrum of legal, regulatory, ethical, business and strategic issues to draft and negotiate complex client-facing contracts and commercial agreements, advise the firm’s partners on client contractual requirements and business-related requests, and collaborate with partners and counsel, as well as business teams across the Firm including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and other lawyers and professional staff on the global Risk team.  This role is well-suited for a proactive, detail-oriented, and practical attorney who is comfortable making risk-based judgments and enjoys working creatively to achieve business goals while protecting the organization.

• Work across a spectrum of legal, regulatory, ethical, business and strategic issues.
• Draft and negotiate complex client-facing agreements for various business sectors and types of representations, including data privacy, intellectual property, and technology agreements.
• Help ensure that the firm’s contracts comply with applicable regulatory requirements, ethical standards and the firm’s internal policy requirements.
• Identify and evaluate business and legal risks in client contracts and find solutions to mitigate them while achieving business goals.
• Advise and work collaboratively with the firm’s partners on client agreements, requirements and commercial or business-related requests.
• Draft and manage agreements, templates, client-facing and other external communications, playbooks and processes.
• Help draft and manage firm responses to client compliance and risk-related audits.
• Increase the efficiency and scalability of the commercial legal support provided by the firm’s in-house global Risk team. Guide and mentor more junior lawyers on the team.
• Collaborate with business partners and teams across the firm, including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, as well as other lawyers on the global Risk team. Supervise and collaborate with the global Risk team’s administrative staff.

• Requires a JD and at least 7+ relevant legal experience at a top-tier law firm and/or in-house. Experience working in a law firm’s general counsel’s office and/or in a senior in-house commercial attorney role is a plus.
• Requires experience and passion for drafting and negotiating contracts. Strong communication skills (written and verbal) and excellent client-facing and interpersonal skills a must.
• Must possess strict attention to detail and be accustomed to working to very high standards of accuracy and efficiency, coupled with strong project management skills and the ability to effectively manage priorities in a fast-paced and rapidly-evolving environment.
• Requires great judgment, ability to make risk-based assessments, and capability of solving problems and making smart decisions quickly in the face of ambiguity and imperfect information.
• Must possess 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.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $250,000 to $275,000 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 it is not overtime pay eligible.

At Cleary Gottlieb, all members of our community deserve respect as individuals and appreciation for the contributions they make to our community. We champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, and creating equal opportunities to develop and succeed.