European Information Governance Supervisor

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has more than 1,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Brussels, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.

The European Information Governance Lead will play a crucial role in supporting Information Governance (IG) policies and procedures with a particular focus on file management (both physical and electronic) across the London, Brussels and Luxembourg offices.

This position requires a detail-oriented, proactive individual who will assist in the administration of file management including, matter mobility, intake, closing set assembly, transfers, storage, destruction requests, retention schedule(s) and data access requirements. The IG Lead will work to ensure adherence to an IG framework for all policies, standards and practices, to achieve consistency, quality, data integrity and protection in line with the firm’s business needs. The IG Lead will work closely with key stakeholders, including attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, Knowledge Management, and Information Technology, to foster a strong culture of information governance within the firm. The role will report directly to the Associate Director, Information Governance within the Office of the General Counsel, and will act as the primary IG point of contact for the Firm’s European offices.

The position will also be responsible for the continual analysis of the firm’s governance framework, with a focus on the improvement of data quality, management and security through modifications to the organization’s policies, standards, principles and processes.

• Support the firm's Matter Mobility Program, assisting with   the onboarding of lateral partners' client files, coordinating with partners' previous firms, maintaining records of client authorizations for file transfers, and handling the export of files for departing partners.
• Assist with the closing set process by supporting stewardship of “closing” documents in the Firm’s document management system, ensuring proper document formatting and classification, creating and formatting Word closing tables for internal purposes, and utilizing Closing Folders for external closing set preparation when requested.
• Provide day-to-day support to the firm's Information Governance Program, including file intakes, releases, destructions, and data access procedures.
• Collaborate with IT, Knowledge & Innovation, and legal professionals to create, organize, and document data collection, sharing, protection, and storage processes.
• Process and manage hardcopy legal documents by identifying different document types, entering information into the Firm’s Information Governance platform, creating paralegal indices, reviewing materials prior to updating databases, preparing files for off-site archiving, and submitting service requests via the offsite storage vendor portal.
• Identify locations of unstructured data on the network and organize/migrate data to official repositories or prepare for disposition as appropriate.
• Periodic travel to the Brussels and Luxembourg offices.

• Minimum 5+ years of records and information management experience, preferably in a law firm environment.
• Knowledge and experience working with structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.
• Dependable team player, able to follow written and oral instructions, and excellent judgment about when escalation is necessary or appropriate.
• Strong oral and written communication skills to support and consult all levels of staff on information governance best practices.
• Drive process improvement through collaboration with data owners by understanding business goals and aligning with information governance program objectives.
• Able to identify and analyze data-related issues to recommend solutions.
• Excellent organizational skills including record keeping, data collection, and system information.
• Strong time management skills, including the ability to set priorities, flex with changes in requirements and meet deadlines.
• Ability to handle pressure in a constructive and positive manner and contribute to creative resolution of problems as they arise.
• Demonstrated initiative, and commitment to professional growth for self and others.
• Proven ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment.
• Ability to assess needs, assign priorities, develop strategies and make recommendations when presented with ambiguous or incomplete information.

• Experience using Litera Power Desktop or similar tools for importing/exporting data; familiarity with document management system data migration workflows.
• Experience with records management software, such as iCompli, File Trail and/or Intapp security products or iManage document management systems, accounting systems and archival software solutions required.
• Experience with supporting a team.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office products, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint are required.

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent years of experience.

Salary and Benefits: Competitive

Hybrid: Monday-Thursday in office, ability to WFH on Fridays

Simpson Thacher is committed to ensuring that everyone can reach their full potential, irrespective of background, identity, or circumstance. We know that we are at our best when we bring together diverse experiences and perspectives. This is why we are focused on fostering a collegial environment which maximises collaboration, empowering every individual to thrive and succeed.