Deputy General Counsel

McGuireWoods is seeking a Deputy General Counsel to join the firm’s General Counsel’s leadership team in either Richmond, VA or Charlotte, NC.  The Deputy General Counsel is responsible for providing a wide range of legal advice and counsel to the Firm involving administrative, regulatory and compliance issues, and managing legal resources in a manner that supports the overall priorities of the Firm as well as overseeing institutional compliance. The Deputy General Counsel provides a strategic and collaborative approach to legal issues and develops solutions that balance ethical and prudent legal advice with effective risk assessment, and that are responsive to external and internal needs. The Deputy General Counsel works with the General Counsel and other firm leaders to prioritize compliance areas, develop training plans, and monitor the firm’s compliance with relevant policies, laws, and regulations.

McGuireWoods, one of the world’s leading law firms, has provided legal solutions to corporate, individual and nonprofit clients since 1834. Diversity and inclusion are essential to how we do business, informing how we recruit, retain and promote lawyers and staff to serve clients. Along with excellent benefits, McGuireWoods offers most employees a hybrid remote option allowing flexibility and work-life balance. Our Applicant Disclosures describe your rights. Our Privacy Statement describes how we will process and safeguard your personal data.

• Provide professional and authoritative legal and policy advice relating to Firm matters representing the Firm’s best interest at all times.
• Serve as the clearinghouse for all requests for legal assistance from Firm lawyers and professional staff. Determine if requests for legal assistance shall be handled internally or referred to outside counsel and delegate appropriately. If referred to outside counsel, supervise and monitor such engagements.
• Assist in identifying and monitoring potential legal issues, provide guidance and develop solutions that reduce risk and result in a prudent legal position.
• Advise and recommend policy and procedure changes based on current or emerging case law and precedent and the Firm’s operational needs, and assist in the development, preparation and review of related policies and procedures.
• Keeps abreast of current regulatory and other developments that may impact the Firm’s conflicts of interest avoidance program and compliance with professional and legal requirements.
• Manage outside counsel and litigation.
• Customarily and regularly directs the work of at least two full time equivalent employees. Provides input for hiring, terminating, advancement and promotion decisions and other status change affecting those employees. Supervision Includes, but is not limited to, interviewing, selecting and training employees, setting and adjusting pay and work hours, preparing and conducting performance appraisals, coaching and counseling and planning/apportioning work among employees.
• Assists the Office of General Counsel with reviewing and responding to client-generated terms included in Requests for Proposals and client-generated agreements.
• Assists the Office of General Counsel in advising Marketing and Business Development and attorneys on professional responsibility issues relating to marketing efforts, especially firm and attorney advertising.
• Assists with the Office of General Counsel’s review of Outside Counsel Guidelines and client-generated engagement terms, and preparation and review of firm-generated engagement letters. Works with Manager of Business Continuity, directors, and other administrative heads to identify gaps in compliance with client-imposed terms and helps create and implement policies and procedures to enhance compliance.
• Researches professional responsibility, legal ethics and other regulatory and compliance issues at request of General Counsel, other Deputy General Counsel or other attorneys.
• Collaborates with General Counsel to identify areas where compliance is a risk management issue; develops, administers, and monitors controls to increase compliance and minimize risk.
• Stays current on emerging compliance issues. Assesses whether firm policies and procedures reflect current law and business considerations; proposes necessary updates.

• Requires Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctorate, and prior experience in a risk management or compliance role in a large firm is preferred.
• Must be active and in good standing to practice law in resident office jurisdiction.
• Ability to lead, motivate and direct staff.
• Experience in collaborative problem-solving.
• Must possess high ethical standards, mature judgment and the capacity to foster constructive outcomes in a complex and changing environment involving a variety of stakeholders.
• Good communication skills.
• Ability to respond effectively to clients, lawyers, employees and management, and handle sensitive and/or confidential information and communications.
• Prior management experience preferred.
• Position requires employee to be on-call.

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