Baker McKenzie

The Deputy General Counsel – Americas Regions (DGC--Americas) will operate under the direction of the Firm's Global General Counsel (GC) and Director of Professional Responsibility (DPR), responsible for a wide variety of duties as part of the Office of General Counsel (OGC), including but not limited to, assisting the OGC to manage risk and compliance specifically, and legal matters generally, throughout Baker McKenzie's Americas Regions. The role-holder will provide legal advice and support to the Americas Chief Executive and Global Management Committee members, regional leadership, office managing partners, and other business professionals on such issues.

Main responsibilities:

• Help manage and mitigate risk and compliance, and legal issues generally across Baker McKenzie's North America and Latin America Regions (Canada / Mexico / United States and Argentina / Chile / Colombia / Venezuela, respectively
• Oversight of the risk and compliance function for the Americas Regions, on behalf of and in close coordination with others in the Office of General Counsel, including counseling on complex risk and ethical issues, internal investigations, AML and related issues, anti-bribery issues, and regional and local regulatory issues
• Provide legal advice in the first instance to the business in the Regions, and legal advice counselling to regional, office, and practice group leadership
• Deliver global risk and compliance training in the Regions, and ensure mandatory completion of the same
• Coalesce and lead the global risk community members in the Regions, as a subset of the broader global risk community 
• Work with Principals and partners to resolve ethical and business conflict issues, including outside counsel guidelines advice  
• Support and advise regional leadership on Firm and Regional governance and constitutional issues
• Support and advise regional and office leadership in relation to the Firm structure, local structure and the regulation of legal services
• Promote and embed consistent global Firm standards of good conduct, professional responsibility and ethics as articulated in the Firm's Code of Business Conduct, Attorney Manual, and relevant workplace and other policies, including conducting or coordinating workplace investigations
• Assist with and advise on employment, labor, and human resources issues in the region, including sensitive internal investigations and supporting and/or counselling management and the HR function as necessary
• Assist with claims defense management and direction, as and when needed by the OGC
• Assist in selecting, retaining and supervising outside counsel as directed by the GC, on claims, employment or other matters. Prepare and update budgets for legal matters within the OGC's area of responsibility. Negotiate fees. Evaluate the performance of outside counsel and review legal bills for accuracy and cost efficiency
• Assist in policy drafting and implementation

Skills and experience:

• An undergraduate degree and a graduate law degree
• Strong, broad-based experience in the legal profession or an in-house legal department is required
• Be bar-admitted and in good standing in the jurisdiction the candidate resides
• In-house legal department and/or dedicated risk management experience is preferred
• Able to work effectively in a team-oriented, fast-paced, highly visible environment where tasks are often sensitive and confidential in nature, and must demonstrate a detail-oriented personality while maintaining a good grasp of the Firm's broader values and strategy 
• Strong cross-cultural communication and organization skills, as well as the professional seasoning, credibility and judgment necessary to gain the respect and confidence of the Firm's senior management, distributed leadership and professionals
• Possess excellent research and writing skills, as well as excellent verbal communication skills, to distill legal problems and their solutions effectively
• Exceptional ability to collect, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data and information, and strong analytic and problem-solving skills, with a focus on process and project management
• Work with minimum supervision, delegate when appropriate, and meet deadlines while under pressure and with frequent interruptions 
• Have outstanding interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively in a consensus-driven organization and to create consensus-based support for processes and outcomes, as well as work effectively with a highly motivated partner group
• Possess a strong moral compass, an unwavering commitment to the Firm's stated values, and the fortitude to objectively advise strong personalities

Reports to:  General Counsel & Director of Professional Responsibility

Direct Reports: Legal / Compliance Directors and Business Professionals across the Regions

Travel Requirements: The DGC-Americas will be required to travel regularly within the Americas Regions to deliver risk management training, assist in conducting internal investigations, and support global risk and compliance initiatives. Some travel outside of the region may be required annually.

Position Type:  Specialist

Development Framework:  Associate Director

At Baker McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave. With our team of 13,000 people, including over 6,500 locally admitted lawyers, in over 70 offices worldwide, we have a passionately collaborative community of 60 nationalities and are committed to world-class career development to everyone in every job at every level. Baker McKenzie can offer you both the uncompromising commitment to excellence expected of a top firm paired with a passionately global and genuinely collaborative working environment.

This position is bonus eligible and includes benefits such as medical, dental, vision, and 401(k) based on the number of hours worked. 

The US base compensation for this position is expected to be $350,000 to $500,000 annually if located in an office in the state of Illinois or California. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

California notice: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories (arrest and conviction records), in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE--Agency candidate submittals will not be considered for this role, and we are not able to respond to inquiries by individual agencies. 

Baker McKenzie is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for all. Our unique international culture is reflected in the drawing together of a worldwide family of individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds in all of our offices. We encourage the best people - regardless of race, religion or belief, if any, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or age - to fulfill their professional aspirations with us.  We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates.  Should candidates require any reasonable adjustments and/or accommodations when applying to or interviewing with our Firm, please notify recruitmentservices@bakermckenzie.com.