Business Acceptance Lawyer / Advisor

About the role

Freshfields is looking for a Business Acceptance Lawyer/Advisor to join its in-house Legal Department in London. Working as part of a global Business Acceptance team, you will help navigate complex legal, regulatory, reputational and commercial risks and play a key role in the client and matter onboarding process. The team covers client and matter selection, conflicts of interest, client confidentiality, anti-money laundering, sanctions and reputational risks.

Key responsibilities

• Advise on conflicts, AML and broader risk issues across all jurisdictions where the firm operates
• Analyse potential conflicts of interest and manage client confidentiality
• Draft consent wording and set up information barriers
• Complete client and matter due diligence and reputational risk assessments
• Monitor existing clients in line with CDD policies and identify and assess sanctions risks
• Support policy development and ensure consistent compliance practices
• Respond to queries on legislation, regulation and firm policies
• Deliver training and act as a technical escalation point for analysts

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer or experienced risk/compliance professional with experience advising on conflicts of interest, AML and regulatory compliance in an international law firm
• Strong legal knowledge of the ethical rules and regulatory frameworks governing AML and conflicts analysis
• Strong analytical and organisational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication, able to explain complex issues clearly
• Confident, diplomatic and proactive; detail-oriented and reliable team player
• Able to work under pressure and manage competing priorities