Senior Advisor / Conflicts Lawyer - Conflicts, Ethics and Commercial Advisory

Ashurst; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000

Job description

About Ashurst:

Ashurst is a leading progressive global law firm with a rich history spanning more than 200 years. We are proud of our history and are future-focused, having expanded into new technologies through our NewLaw division, Ashurst Advance, and our consulting arm. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing excellent standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit www.ashurst.com

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks. These checks are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations.

Role Overview

As a Senior Advisor / Conflicts Lawyer within the Conflicts, Ethics and Commercial Advisory team, you will be a key member of the global Risk & Compliance function, ensuring that conflicts of interest are effectively managed within a risk-based commercial framework. You will oversee complex conflict assessments, working closely with partners and senior stakeholders to facilitate business acceptance decisions that align with both regulatory and strategic commercial objectives.

This role requires a proactive, commercially aware legal professional who can navigate nuanced conflicts issues while supporting the firm's business strategy. You will play a crucial role in assessing client relationships, contractual obligations, and business conflicts, ensuring that the firm's growth strategy is executed without legal or regulatory impediments.

Hours of Work

Core business hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Flexibility is available, but additional hours may be required, including out-of-hours (on-call) support for urgent conflict matters.

Main Responsibilities

As a Senior Conflicts Advisor, you will manage conflicts of interest within a structured risk framework, balancing regulatory compliance, commercial priorities, and strategic business execution. You will conduct conflicts assessments for new clients, matters, and hires, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. Your role includes resolving conflicts efficiently, advising partners on confidentiality, disclosure, and business risks, and ensuring business acceptance decisions support long-term client relationships.

You will provide practical risk guidance on conflicts clearance and mitigation strategies, including information barriers, consent procedures, and scope limitations, while supporting policy development and enhancing risk systems and analytics. Additionally, you will lead training initiatives, mentor junior team members, oversee complex conflicts assessments, and contribute to cross-jurisdictional risk projects. You will also collaborate on AI-assisted risk detection, ensuring conflicts management evolves with technological advancements.

Conflicts & Compliance Risk Management

• Oversee and conduct detailed conflict checks for new clients, matters, and hires, using the firm's conflict management systems and other internal databases.
• Analyse and resolve potential conflicts of interest, applying ethical, legal, and commercial judgment to business acceptance decisions.
• Balance regulatory requirements with commercial priorities, ensuring that conflicts management aligns with the firm's growth strategy and competitive positioning.
• Provide expert guidance on client confidentiality, disclosure issues, and fiduciary duties, ensuring all matters are taken on in a compliant yet business-conscious manner.
• Conduct independent meetings with partners, discussing conflicts risk in the context of strategic client relationships, business development, and commercial opportunities.
• Work closely with the Conflicts Management Team and the Director of Risk to ensure that conflicts policies align with broader risk and business execution frameworks.

Regulatory & Strategic Compliance

• Monitor and interpret regulatory developments, ensuring that conflicts policies remain compliant with evolving professional obligations while enabling business agility.
• Ensure the firm's business acceptance strategy is informed by a clear understanding of risk and commercial objectives, providing solutions that facilitate growth and market expansion.
• Support the development of commercially viable policies, including managing information barriers and ethical walls that enable high-value client engagements without regulatory exposure.
• Maintain and enhance conflicts databases, ensuring all client relationships and business dealings are accurately tracked to inform long-term strategic planning.

Commercial Awareness & Training

• Act as a business partner to senior stakeholders, ensuring that conflicts risk is assessed within the context of commercial client needs and long-term revenue growth.
• Develop and deliver practical, business-focused training on conflicts management for partners, fee earners, and business development teams, ensuring they can navigate conflicts while advancing the firm's strategic objectives.
• Provide tailored conflicts training to specific practice groups and industry sectors, ensuring a risk-aware commercial approach to client engagement.
• Educate new joiners on conflicts procedures and escalation protocols, embedding a commercial mindset in risk and compliance decision-making from day one.
• Collaborate with international offices to ensure harmonised global compliance frameworks that support cross-border transactions and multinational client relationships.

Stakeholder & Team Leadership

• Act as a senior escalation point within the Conflicts Team, assisting colleagues with high-value, commercially sensitive conflicts queries.
• Supervise and mentor junior team members, ensuring they develop both technical risk expertise and commercial acumen.
• Review and oversee conflicts assessments, ensuring risk decisions support the firm's business execution plans while maintaining regulatory compliance.
• Assist in team resource planning, ensuring the conflicts team is structured to support the firm's growth strategy and high-volume transactional work.
• Work collaboratively with partners, risk management, and business development teams to ensure a unified approach to conflicts and business risk.

Project Work & Business-Focused Risk Policy Development

• Participate in global conflicts and risk projects, including system enhancements, strategic risk analysis, and regulatory change implementation.
• Contribute to the development of conflicts policies that support the firm's business execution and client retention strategies.
• Assist in preparing reports for Senior Management and the Board, providing insights into risk exposure, conflicts trends, and commercial implications.
• Work closely with IT and compliance teams to develop data-driven risk management tools that enhance decision-making on conflicts and client relationships.

Essential Skills and Experience

Legal & Regulatory Expertise

• Qualified solicitor (England & Wales) or equivalent legal qualification, with experience in conflicts, compliance, or risk management within a large international law firm.
• Deep knowledge of conflicts of interest laws and regulations, including the SRA Code of Conduct, OFR, and other professional rules.
• Experience in international conflicts management, including regulations in EMEA, APAC, and North America, is advantageous.

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Ability to interpret and analyse legal and commercial information, providing pragmatic, risk-balanced advice.
• Proficiency in conflicts management systems (e.g., Intapp Open, Elite 3E) and data analytics tools to support risk analysis.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop innovative solutions that align risk management with commercial priorities.

Communication & Commercial Awareness

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex conflicts issues into commercially relevant advice.
• Ability to challenge, influence, and negotiate with partners and senior decision-makers, ensuring risk is managed while enabling business growth.
• Strong relationship-building skills, engaging with stakeholders at all levels across legal, finance, and business development functions.

Leadership & Strategic Thinking

• Proven ability to lead and mentor team members, fostering both technical and commercial development.
• Highly organised, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and manage high-stakes conflicts assessments.
• Strong strategic thinking, aligning conflicts analysis with business goals, client strategies, and revenue-generating opportunities.

Why Join Us?

Global Exposure - Work in a dynamic, international firm with a strong presence across key markets.

Business-Embedded Risk Role - Play a critical role in ensuring conflicts management enables business growth, rather than restricting it.

Professional Development - Access training, mentorship, and career progression opportunities.

Impactful Work - Be at the centre of high-value, high-stakes client relationships and strategic transactions.

Collaborative Culture - Work with supportive and high-performing colleagues in a commercially aware risk environment.

Flexible Working - Benefit from agile working arrangements to support work-life balance.

Join us in shaping the future of legal risk and business strategy execution.