Financial Crime Lawyer

A prestigious international law firm is seeking a Financial Crime Lawyer to join its Legal & Risk - Business Acceptance team in London. This is an exceptional opportunity for you to become part of a small, supportive, and globally connected group that plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the firm's reputation and ensuring robust compliance with financial crime regulations.

You will be at the heart of the firm's efforts to proactively manage risk, develop and implement policies, and provide expert advice on complex financial crime matters. The organisation offers a truly global work experience, exposure to strategic projects that shape the future of the business, and a culture that values inclusion, wellbeing, and professional growth. With flexible working solutions and a commitment to nurturing talent, this is your chance to thrive in an environment where your expertise will be recognised and your career ambitions supported.

What you'll do:

As a Financial Crime Lawyer within this leading international law firm's Legal & Risk - Business Acceptance team based in London, you will play an integral role in shaping how the organisation manages its exposure to financial crime risks worldwide. Your daily activities will involve collaborating closely with colleagues across different teams-providing timely guidance on complex regulatory issues while supporting global partners in meeting their jurisdictional obligations. You will be instrumental in evaluating reputational risks associated with clients or transactions, ensuring that emerging threats are identified early and addressed effectively.

In addition to advising on sanctions compliance and responding swiftly to regulatory changes, you will contribute significantly to developing internal systems designed for continuous improvement. Your responsibilities extend beyond technical advisory work: you will also nurture talent within the team by delivering training sessions, supervising junior colleagues' work product where necessary, and fostering an inclusive environment focused on shared success. By leveraging your expertise in policy drafting and process optimisation, you will help maintain high standards of efficiency while promoting a culture of proactive risk management throughout the firm.

• Provide day-to-day expert advice on financial crime risks and requirements to members of the Business Acceptance team, Practice groups, Legal & Risk Team, other Business Teams, and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer.
• Support Risk Partners globally by advising on compliance with local financial crime laws and assisting with regular regulatory audits across various jurisdictions.
• Evaluate and advise on reputational risk issues presented by clients or matters-including those involving higher-risk jurisdictions, opaque ownership structures, source of funds concerns, allegations of criminal conduct related to shareholders or beneficial owners, and ESG-related risks.
• Participate in the ongoing development and management of the firm's global reputational risk processes to ensure best practices are maintained throughout all offices.
• Assess regulatory and sanctions risks associated with new business opportunities; respond promptly to changes in sanctions regimes to protect the firm's interests.
• Advise on sanctions issues affecting the business while staying abreast of international developments impacting compliance obligations.
• Contribute to the management and enhancement of internal systems, procedures, and knowledge resources relating to sanctions compliance.
• Support all aspects of new business clearance from a financial crime perspective for the Business Acceptance team; help deliver comprehensive training programmes for both new joiners and existing staff.
• Work closely with managers to ensure financial crime processes remain efficient and effective; lead quality control initiatives within the team.
• Assist in developing and managing global anti-money laundering (AML) technical systems; maintain relationships with external service providers to evaluate products that could improve compliance processes.

What you bring:

• Qualified practising lawyer with at least two years' post-qualification experience gained at a large or leading international law firm or within an in-house legal team at a global professional services organisation.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial crime matters-including anti-money laundering (AML), sanctions compliance, bribery prevention-and general regulatory compliance as they pertain to the legal sector.
• Proven ability to manage complex compliance programmes that balance strict regulatory adherence with commercial realities facing an international law practice.
• Experience supervising junior colleagues or managing teams-including responsibility for training delivery and oversight of work quality within a legal or risk function.
• Excellent communication skills enabling you to explain intricate regulatory concepts clearly while building trusted relationships across diverse teams.
• Strong organisational abilities allowing you to assess, draft, update policies/procedures efficiently while juggling competing priorities under tight deadlines.
• Track record of developing/delivering engaging training content on regulatory/compliance topics tailored for audiences ranging from new joiners to senior professionals.
• Capacity for critical thinking when evaluating reputational risks-especially those arising from client backgrounds or transactional complexities such as opaque ownership structures or cross-border flows of funds.
• Familiarity with maintaining/optimising technical systems used for AML/risk assessment purposes; comfortable liaising with external vendors regarding potential improvements.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive team environment where collaboration thrives alongside continuous learning.

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