Director of Information Governance

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with offices in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia that represents clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, intellectual property, and transactional and corporate matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation and government-facing matters, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Job Summary

The Director of Information Governance is responsible for leading the strategic development and execution of the firm’s information governance program, driving digital transformation and ensuring the secure, compliant, and efficient management of information assets. This leadership role collaborates with senior stakeholders across Legal, IT, Compliance, and Risk to establish firmwide policies and best practices, fostering a culture of data stewardship and operational excellence.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a digital-first information governance strategy that aligns with firm priorities and regulatory obligations.
• Establish and maintain an information governance framework, including roles, processes, and tools for managing data across its lifecycle.
• Lead the development and enforcement of policies and best practices around data classification, metadata tagging, data retention, structured/unstructured data, and data lifecycle management, providing thought leadership on data architecture and data quality standards to support strategic firm initiatives. 
• Evaluate, select, and deploy technologies that enhance data visibility and control, including data loss prevention, information rights management, and automation frameworks, ensuring effective implementation and integration with firmwide systems.
• Collaborate with Legal, IT, Compliance, Security, and Risk teams to ensure aligned, secure, and efficient data practices, including data policy development, defensible purging, and legacy data management.
• Centralize and drive firmwide efforts to mature data governance capabilities and promote continuous improvement.
• Provide expert consultation on projects involving Information Governance, data migration, and M&A while facilitating stakeholder engagement across lawyers, professional staff, and clients. 
• Ensure compliance with applicable privacy laws and data handling standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA).
• Oversee the development and implementation of defensible retention schedules and audit trails in collaboration with Legal and Risk functions.
• Build a strong Information Governance culture through targeted training initiatives, awareness programs, and enablement strategies for attorneys, paralegals, and professional staff, and measure adoption and progress.
• Manage firmwide change initiatives related to data and technology governance, ensuring user adoption and policy adherence.

Requirements:

Education

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or professional certifications (IGP, CIP, CIPP, CRM, etc.) strongly preferred.

Experience

This position requires a minimum of ten (10) years of experience progressive responsibility in Information Governance, Data Governance, or Information Risk, ideally within a law firm or regulated professional services environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proven experience in managing relationships with vendors/consultants, IT teams and internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in building or modernizing a digital-focused Information Governance program.
• Hands-on experience in data labelling, metadata frameworks, data structure policies, and DLP tools is essential.
• Strong technical acumen with modern Information Governance tools and platforms (e.g., M365 compliance tools, FileTrail, iManage, third party data transfer products, meta data technology solutions).
• Proven ability to influence and partner effectively with legal professionals and leadership teams.
• Excellent communication, change leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong Risk assessment and policy development experience.
• Expert-level knowledge of practice-related information management systems, databases, and software, across multiple practice areas.
• Familiarity with different types of AI and the pros and cons of how AI is integrated into Information Governance.
• Demonstrated ability to apply technology solutions to solve business problems.
• Deep understanding of law firm compliance obligations regarding data preservation, management, and compliance.
• Ability to provide quality legal support to both internal and external clients.  Involves the use of considerable tact, discretion, and persuasion in gaining the cooperation of others.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, with both technical staff and vendors, and non-technical parties such as attorneys, secretaries, and clients.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret information from a variety of sources, apply critical and creative thinking to develop solutions to complex problems.

Crowell & Moring LLP offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package. Our benefits include healthcare, vision, dental, retirement, and all-purpose leave and progressive options such as back up childcare, wellness programs, cultural events and social activities. We take great pride in our positive, friendly culture that rewards hard work and success, at the same time recognizing the importance of family and community service.

Our Firm is committed to fair and equitable compensation practice in accordance with applicable laws. The salary range for this position is $215,000 – $280,000. Additional compensation may include a discretionary bonus. The salary for this position may vary based on location, market data, an applicant’s skills and prior experience, certain degrees and certifications, and other factors.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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