Manager - Financial Crime & Sanctions at Allen & Overy in New York, New York

Job Description:

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimize your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.



Department purpose



The Business Acceptance Unit (BAU) is a dynamic, global, collegiate team responsible for assessing all new business before it is accepted by the firm's partners, to ensure the firm's commercial objectives and legal obligations are met. The team work closely with partners and other senior stakeholders to identify and resolve legal and commercial conflict issues, sanctions and anti-money laundering risks, as well as reputational and values issues in each of the jurisdictions in which A&O Shearman operates. The BAU has a unique, wholistic view of the firm's business and clients, and facilitates strategic decisions by the firm's partners and leaders as well as managing the firm's risk exposure with regard to new work. The BAU is widely respected throughout the firm and strongly supported by the firm's management.



Role purpose



Managers within our Financial Crime & Sanctions team take a lead role in ensuring a first class service is provided to our partners and clients.



Role and responsibilities

• Liaising with the existing BAU Managers, Senior Analysts and BAU team management in relation to the allocation of resources within the team to ensure the BAU's processes in these areas run as smoothly and efficiently as possible and that workload is managed and completed in a timely way.


• In conjunction with the existing BAU Managers, assisting with the day-to-day management of those members of the BAU team focused on AML and sanctions compliance.


• Working closely with and supporting the Head of Financial Crime & Sanctions and Global MLRO to implement enhancements and changes to the BAU's processes in respect of AML compliance to ensure the strategic objective for the firm's global AML compliance is achieved and monitoring the same on an ongoing basis.


• Analysing and resolving (or, where appropriate, facilitating resolution of) professional, legal, regulatory and commercial issues relating to business acceptance and client engagement in the areas of financial crime and sanctions, which are referred by the BAU analyst and legal teams, by partners and by all other levels of lawyer and support staff, including in the following areas:
  
  
  • anti-money laundering client ID issues;
  
  
  • reputational and suitability issues; and
  
  
  • sanctions questions.
  
  
  
  


• Being a senior contact point for local MLROs globally in relation to the BAU team's processes and procedures.


• Monitoring changes in practice, professional rules, regulations and the law as affects financial crime and sanctions globally and escalating any proposed adjustments/enhancements to the Heads of Business Acceptance Unit and Financial Crime & Sanctions for consideration.


• Assisting and supporting the Money Laundering Compliance Officer and Head of Financial Crime & Sanctions in ensuring that firm and BAU policy and procedure in the areas of financial crime and sanctions, including client ID checks, meet applicable requirements and that the process is as efficient and streamlined as possible, while remaining thorough and rigorous.


• Helping to develop and refine internal databases and evaluating external databases of information /services for use in the business acceptance process, particularly technological solutions in the area of AML compliance.


• Helping in the design of and taking day-to-day responsibility for the management of major financial crime and sanctions projects (e.g. introduction of new technological solutions and processes, sanctions matter records sweeps, group lateral hires, client re-identification and AML data deletion).


• Assisting in the design, implementation, and delivery of training for the BAU team and fee earners in the areas of financial crime and sanctions, particularly anti-money laundering compliance.


• Supporting the Head of Financial Crime & Sanctions with and helping to manage the day-to-day aspects of the recruitment processes in relation to vacancies in the BAU team.


• Where requested, representing the BAU in the areas of financial crime and sanctions at cross-departmental and external meetings.


• Supporting the AML Regulation Manager in responding to regulatory audit requests relating to AML compliance, including working with the Head of Financial Crime & Sanctions to ensure any post-audit recommendations implemented.


• Assisting with anti-money laundering compliance audits commissioned by A&O Shearman.


• Assisting with the day-to-day aspects of the process for ongoing client and counterparty screening using the Accuity software, including helping the Head of Financial Crime & Sanctions in refining and further developing the use of that technology.


• Providing regular reports and updates of team workload to BAU team management.


• Being flexible in undertaking the above responsibilities and any others so required.

• Strong academic background.


• Existing senior level experience of work and responsibilities of an international BAU team in the areas of AML and sanctions compliance.


• Detailed knowledge and experience of BAU systems and processes in the areas of AML and sanctions compliance.


• Ability to analyze facts and scenarios thoroughly (and yet quickly) and to proactively put forward resolutions to problems.


• Top-level task management and organizational skills and a proven ability to manage multiple tasks under time pressure.


• Strong communicator with a proven ability to motivate others and communicate positively and effectively with team members, fee earners and support staff.


• Authority and credibility to inspire confidence in and lead team members.


• Some experience of and an interest in further developing people management and mentoring skills.


• Willingness to work hard and to take day-to-day responsibility for the BAU's workload and key processes in the areas of AML and sanctions compliance.


• Enthusiastic, positive-minded, self-motivated, and proactive.


• Possessing a "can do" approach with an ability to solve problems and look beyond practical and logistical challenges by suggesting solutions and implementing them.