Business Acceptance Analyst

The opportunity

An opportunity has arisen to join our Business Acceptance team where each Business Acceptance Analyst is involved in conflicts, AML and sanctions work. Intapp is the firm's system for registering new clients and matters, including conflict checks and anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions compliance. Accordingly, this recruitment is likely to provide the candidate with opportunities to learn and become proficient in areas beyond their current area of expertise. Training will be provided.

The Team

The Business Acceptance team has 45+ members, comprising of Junior Business Acceptance Analysts, Business Acceptance Analysts, Senior Business Acceptance Analysts, Business Acceptance Team Leaders, Business Acceptance Managers and Head of Business Acceptance. The central team are based in the London office, alongside a remote UK team and an Asia team in Hong Kong. The Business Acceptance team are responsible for client and matter inception. The team deal with all aspects surrounding matter opening including conflict checks on all new instructions and AML checks comprising of due diligence and sanctions compliance. The team works alongside Risk under the leadership of the General Counsel. Bird & Bird is committed to providing a consistently high level of service for the firm and its partners and staff in relation to all risk and compliance issues. The firm's strategy is to position itself as a One Firm culture. We are looking for candidates with a keen interest in risk and compliance, taking a pragmatic and commercial approach, who are looking to develop their skills further.

What You'll Do

Compliance

• Maintain knowledge of the firm's relevant processes, policies and procedures and industry standards.
• Advise PAs, fee earners and partners on best practice in relation to client matter opening procedures.
• Handle incoming administrative queries from the wider firm in relation to the client and matter opening process through the helpline and Business Acceptance Inbox
• Occasionally required to work with Accounts, Cashiers, Marketing and Business Development, Financial Systems and IT departments.
• Provide training to PAs on business acceptance/filing open procedures.
  
  

Conflicts

• Review new client and matter forms to ensure complete details are provided and query instances where the information is unclear or incomplete.
• Conduct conflict searches using the firm's conflict database.
• Analyse conflict search results and manage conflict resolution.
• Analyse and deal with complex conflicts scenarios.
• Liaise directly with Partners and Fee Earners on identified potential legal or commercial conflicts, obtaining when necessary relevant information on the matters, in order to make a decision on whether a conflict or potential conflict is present.
• Escalate legal or commercial conflicts in accordance with the appropriate internal conflicts escalation routes.
• Record conflict clearances and any communication with stake holders centrally against the matter for the purposes of compliance and audit.
• Maintain and update the firm's conflict database as key information becomes available on existing matters.
• Research, implementation and maintenance of information barriers, whilst protecting confidentiality at all times.
  
  

AML

• Undertake research on new and existing clients by using data provider software and other online sources.
• Analyse and establish the corporate structure of the client where relevant and identify the ultimate beneficial ownership, including complex ownership structures.
• Undertake negative news searches.
• Guide Partners and Fee Earners on the required documents in instances when information is not publicly available or provided by online subscriptions.
• Collate the client due diligence research.
• Attribute a risk rating and frequency of review to the client.
• Deal with high risk and complex AML clients and scenarios.
• Escalate AML issues in accordance with the appropriate internal AML escalation routes.
• Perform on-going monitoring of existing clients and update client due diligence documents when required
• Recording the decisions taken to onboard the client and undertaking risk assessments whilst applying a risk based approach.
• Assist with ad hoc and sanctions searches
  
  

About You

• General
• Excellent communicator.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Team player.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability and enthusiasm to work in a fast paced environment.
• Excellent command of written/spoken English, and the ability to tailor style as appropriate. Ability to communicate with non-native English speakers is essential. Conscientious and methodical approach and the ability to analyse.
• To recognise when to escalate an issue and to whom.
• Willingness to learn and develop as the role itself develops. A self-starter who shows readiness to ask questions and verify information.
• Flexibility and adapting to different workstreams and prioritising various tasks, in accordance with business needs.
• Open to suggestions and ideas for process improvement.
• Keen interest in risk and compliance.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

• 1 year+ experience within a Risk and Compliance function with working knowledge in conflicts and/or AML.
• Essential applications experience: Word and Outlook.
• Experience of Intapp (preferred but not essential)
  
  

The main responsibilities of this role are outlined above; however, this description is not exhaustive, and the job holder may be required to undertake additional duties from time to time to ensure the smooth running of the department. The role may require some working outside our normal working hours of 9:30am- 5:30pm.

If you require any assistance, please email us at [email protected]

To apply, click on the 'apply' button to submit your details.

Bird & Bird opens up a world of possible for lawyers and professionals everywhere. Working for a leading international law firm like Bird & Bird means working alongside people who are truly collegiate in the way they work with everyone. We work as one global team, with over 70% of work involving people from across the firm. And that's only increasing! It's this common purpose and shared approach that makes for a more productive and collaborative place to work. Your firm. Your future.

If you want to find out more, visit www.twobirds.com

As a disability and neurodiversity inclusive employer we want to ensure that you have a barrier-free recruitment experience at Bird & Bird. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please provide details to your recruitment contact who will be in touch to discuss any details provided and understand more about your individual adjustment needs.

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