Director, Risk Management

Location: Flexible and in any state where the firm has an office.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a national law firm, currently has an exciting full-time employment opportunity for a Director, Risk Management. We offer competitive compensation  and an excellent benefits package.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, with a dotted line to the firm’s General Counsel, the Director of Risk Management leads the firm’s enterprise risk management program focused on legal, regulatory, operational, and client-related risk. This includes oversight of new business intake and conflicts, client engagement risk, docketing, records management, and information governance operations. The Director aligns risk management services with the firm’s legal practice and business objectives and serves as a trusted advisor to firm leadership and partners on matters involving professional responsibility, conflicts, regulatory compliance, and records and retention risk, including the development and enforcement of firmwide risk policies, standards, and escalation protocols.

The Director of Risk Management contributes to the firm’s financial performance through strategic planning, budget development, vendor and insurance program management, and the effective leadership of financial and human resources. As a senior leader supporting lawyers, professionals, and staff, the Director must be highly responsive to time-sensitive client and business needs while maintaining a proactive, communicative leadership approach.

Essential Job Functions

• Provide direct oversight and leadership for the New Business Intake and Conflicts, Docketing, and Records departments, ensuring effective service delivery, risk control, and alignment with firm priorities.
• Set strategic plans, goals, and objectives for intake and conflicts, docketing, records management, information governance, and supporting systems and infrastructure.
• Develop, implement, and enforce firmwide policies, standards, and best practices governing business intake, conflicts of interest, ethical walls, calendaring and docketing, regulatory compliance, records retention, and information governance to protect the firm and its clients.
• Review, interpret, and oversee the analysis and structured tagging of client Outside Counsel Guidelines, identify related risk, compliance, billing, and operational requirements, and coordinate with attorneys on engagement and contractual risk issues.
• Recommend, evaluate, and oversee the implementation of technologies supporting departmental objectives, including assessing alternatives, analyzing benefits and risks, and providing business justification for recommended solutions.
• Oversee and continuously improve the firmwide records management program, including coordination with local offices to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Establish standardized workflows and best practices, and collaborate with attorneys and clients, as appropriate, to identify business requirements and support efficient matter intake and management processes.
• Ensure attorneys and staff are trained on intake, conflicts, docketing, and records systems and related firm policies and professional responsibility requirements.
• Develop and deliver reporting and analysis on intake, conflicts, client requirements, and records trends to identify emerging risks and support informed decision-making by firm leadership.
• Lead, develop, and manage departmental leadership teams, including hiring, performance management, role definition, and succession planning.
• Communicate firm policies, expectations, and performance standards, modeling professionalism, high-quality work product, and a strong client-service orientation.
• Provide training and professional development opportunities to support staff growth and departmental effectiveness.
• Negotiate and manage vendor relationships and contracts, oversee vendor performance, and manage departmental budgets and resources.
• Recommend and lead cross-functional initiatives and projects, developing implementation plans and ensuring delivery on time and within budget.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or Juris Doctor preferred, with 10+ years of relevant law firm or comparable professional services experience, including 7+ years in a leadership or management role.
• 10+ years of experience in New Business Intake and Conflicts, Records Management, and related risk functions within mid-sized or large law firms.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams in a collaborative professional services environment, with strong judgment, integrity, and the ability to build trust and influence across the firm.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience working effectively with senior attorneys and firm leadership in time-sensitive settings.
• Strong strategic, analytical, organizational, and project management skills, with experience leading change and improving processes.
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and operational resources within a professional services organization.
• Technology-savvy, with experience using leading law firm intake, conflicts, records, and information governance platforms (e.g., Intapp, iManage, CompuLaw), research databases, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Authorization to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship.

As an EEO/AA employer, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran or disability status or any other factor prohibited by law.