Financial Crime Lawyer

About this role

The Department

The Risk and Compliance team works in collaboration with the business to ensure best practice across the Firm, effectively managing all aspects of the regulation surrounding the efficient running of our Firm.

The Role

As an experienced member of the team, this role will play a critical role in providing escalation support and legal advice on all matters relating to financial crime, sanctions, internal investigations on complex AML matters, as well as liaising with key stakeholders across the business. This role will regularly interface with key stakeholders across the business, including Partners, Lawyers and leaders of our operational and consultancy businesses. The ability to build effective working relationships and become a trusted advisor to the range of stakeholders will be key to its success.

As the Firm continues to grow and expand the Mishcon Group both here and abroad, the challenges facing the team are also increasing. As the Firm attracts new talent, it also generates an increasing number of strategic initiatives which often involve the team. We are therefore embedded into the senior management of the Firm, working closely with a range of stakeholders who seek our counsel and input into projects and initiatives. This role will suit individuals who have a commercial mind, excellent common sense and drafting skills. The ability to demonstrate agility will be critical

Duties And Responsibilities

• To lead on advice and management of sanctions risks across client onboarding and operational functions.
• To provide legal advice and input on financial crime risk issues and investigations.
• To lead on information requests, external and internal audit and annual reporting requirements involving sanctions and broader financial crime issues.
• To provide input on policies, procedures and assurance processes relating to sanctions, anti-fraud and anti-bribery and, alongside the wider R&C team, anti-money laundering.
• To contribute on the training to be delivered to the Firm regarding financial crime, collaborating with other stakeholders in the Risk team and wider firm.
• To contribute towards other risk and regulatory projects within the department as and when requested, which may include collaborating with colleagues across the business acceptance functions and wider Business Operations.
• To engage actively with the Business Acceptance team and Financial Crime Managers as needed, providing expertise and support where required.
• To build a collaborative team environment that delivers the highest standards of advice and guidance to the business.
• To build relationships across the Firm with key stakeholders, to be able to provide advice and guidance as and when requested.

Skills/Experience

• Significant experience advising on compliance with sanctions laws and regulations in a law firm environment.
• Substantial experience and knowledge of financial crime legislation and guidance, including but not limited to anti-money laundering and anti-bribery.
• Substantial experience in a financial crime focussed role in a law firm risk function is essential. Prior experience in new business acceptance escalations would be valuable.
• Experience in supervising colleagues and successfully managing a team is valuable.
• Experience managing internal investigations on complex AML, sanctions and financial crime matters is valuable.
• Qualified Solicitor, whether through the traditional training contract route or by an alternative qualification route.

We are seeking candidates with "hands on" experience who possess the following skills and attributes:

• Strong people management skills with proven experience in successfully building a high performing team.
• Strong interpersonal skills to be able to present themselves in a commercial and confident manner to a range of stakeholders.
• The highest standards of legal rigour, delivered with care in a professional and pleasant manner.
• Excellent drafting skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• A diligent and effective record keeper.
• Strong team player - this role is highly collaborative and requires someone who enjoys working alongside colleagues and takes a supportive and agile approach.
• Strong organisational and prioritising skills, to meet the demands of challenging and commercial internal clients, as well as dealing with competing priorities.
• Ability to review existing systems and listen and work collaboratively to devise best strategies for the Firm.
• Efficient and responsive, with an ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage own diverse workload.
• Robust, diligent and confident, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proactive, resilient and calm under pressure.
• Takes responsibility for and attends to self-development.
• Flexible and agile approach to the workload, with the ability to work in close collaboration with the General Counsel Team and other members of the Department.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

About

About Mishcon de Reya Group

The Mishcon de Reya Group is an independent, international professional services business with law at its heart, employing over 1400 people with over 650 lawyers. It includes the law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP and a collection of leading consultancy businesses that complement the firm's legal services.

Mishcon de Reya LLP is based in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Hong Kong and UAE. The firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply.The work the firm undertakes is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, centred around three increasingly entwined and connected sectors: the Innovation Economy, Private Wealth and Capital, and Real Estate. The firm is known as a disputes powerhouse with a formidable capacity firmwide for dispute resolution.

The Mishcon de Reya Group includes consultancy businesses MDR Discover , MDR Mayfair (in London, Singapore and Dubai), MDR ONE , and MDRi (in Hong Kong). The Group also includes MDR Lab , which invests in the most promising early stage legaltech companies as well as the Mishcon Academy, its in-house place of learning and platform for thought leadership.

In 2024, the Group announced its first strategic acquisition in the alternative legal services market, flexible legal resourcing business Flex Legal. It also acquired a majority stake in Somos, a global group actions management business.

We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk flexible working.

About compliance & regulatory roles for ex-police

Compliance, AML and regulatory roles. Working to PACE, RIPA and CPIA is a stronger regulatory grounding than most civilian applicants can offer — firms increasingly recognise this.