Brian A. Silva
Seattle,Washington
Summary
An intuitive, reliable, and adaptable operations professional with a keen sense of process improvement, issue spotting, and efficiency. Recognized by colleagues as a "problem-solving ninja," adept at building efficient and effective systems and processes that drive organizational goals. Committed to continuous improvement and lifelong learning, embracing challenges to make a meaningful impact.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Conflicts & New Business Intake Manager
Foster Garvey P.C.
2023.07 - Current
- Manage New Business Intake (NBI) team and Conflicts operational processes.
- Managed three-member team consisting of specialists and an analyst.
- Maintain current knowledge of and apply law firm ethics and risk management best practices.
- Assist General Counsel, C-suite officers, Co-Chairs, and attorneys with resolving complex issues.
- Review all new business intake requests; review and finalize all new client requests and requests with ethics, risk, and business flags.
- Coordinate with other departments, including Business Development, Accounting, Recruitment, and Information Technology, where ethics and risk due diligence is needed; Coordinate interdepartmental projects.
- Responsible for all IT issues related to New Business Intake, including Intapp Open functionality.
Conflicts Administration Lead
Foster Garvey P.C.
2022.01 - Current
- Manage the intake of new business workflow through Intapp Open. Act as the ‘air traffic controller’ of intake operations.
- Review all incoming requests to ensure quality, accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with firm standards; Work with requesting attorneys to clarify or attain further information needed for complete conflicts check; Coordinate and consult with Conflicts Counsel on further information needed for specific practice areas and matter types. Perform research on all new entity clients to confirm identity. Assist requesting attorney with client identification as needed.
- Request Volume: 600 - 700 requests finalized per month
- Delegate requests to Conflicts/New Business Intake staff for the processing of conflict searches and assembly of conflict reports. Provide appropriate instructions in the request to guide staff on any specific needs for the report.
- Run conflicts searches for complex requests. Apply Boolean logic, vet search results, assemble reports, and consult with Conflicts Counsel and General Counsel as needed. Run searches in the absence of C-NBI staff or during periods of high volume.
- Conduct final review of all requests to ensure compliance with all expectations laid out by Conflicts Counsel, General Counsel, Co-Chairs, Chief Operating Officer, and Practice Group Leaders as well as Pro Bono Chair and Cannabis Chair if involved in review. Highlight complex final review issues for General Counsel and make recommendations for remedy as needed. Coordinate with management to resolve issues found during their review.
- Act as a resource for requesting attorneys for questions about the appropriate way to setup requests, most often for complex situations.
- Assist attorneys with preliminary look into possible conflicts issues with prospective clients.
Conflicts Administrator
Foster Garvey P.C.
2019.06 - 2021.12
- Facilitate the intake of new business workflow through Intapp Open, which includes: review of requests to ensure quality, accuracy, appropriateness, and compliance with firm standards; apply Boolean logic, run searches, assemble reports, and provide preliminary analysis of search results and possible solutions to remedy conflict issues; assign client matter numbers; and, conduct final review of requests to ensure compliance with all expectations laid out by conflicts counsel and management.
- Process matter name changes, at times consulting with conflicts counsel on certain requests that require further scrutiny to ensure appropriateness and compliance with firm standards. Apply the change Aderant and iManage, and document as appropriate.
- Train new attorneys and staff on intake of new business workflow, including Intapp Open.
- Run and assemble extensive lateral and bankruptcy reports for counsel, as needed.
- Work on special projects as necessary, including numerous operational and workflow enhancements.
- In consultation with General Counsel and Conflicts Counsel, draft and implement Conflicts-led solutions to certain new business intake issues. Collaborate with other departments as necessary.
- Serve as clearinghouse for all questions related to intake of new business workflow. Advise and assist internal customers as needed and in a timely manner.
- Accomplishments:
- Member of project team that designed and launched the merged Intapp workflow of the legacy firms.
- Member of Opportunity & Progress Council, FG’s diversity, equity & inclusion committee
Legal Assistant (Temp)
Law Dawgs
2018.11 - 2019.05
- Support immigration group within national employment law firm with administrative duties, including research, extensive calendaring for multiple attorneys, processing expense reports for multiple attorneys, tracking attorney time and releasing it for firm processing, coordinating & booking travel, creating and maintaining files in accordance with firm standards, assembling exhibits for petitions (O-1/2, L1A/B, TN, H-1B, P-1, etc.), assembling responses for RFEs, proofreading petition cover letters, converting and formatting documents, filling out USCIS forms, sending petitions to USCIS Filing Centers or federal court, uploading client documents and petitions to firm’s immigration platform, creating and maintaining case status reports for multibillion dollar clients, and processing intake of new matters. Support other practices as necessary, including assisting litigation group with eDiscovery and other administrative duties.
Legal Assistant (Temp)
Access Staffing
2018.01 - 2018.01
- Covered broad range of highly confidential clerical duties for in-house counsel of a large global business consulting firm; formatted, redlined, and filed legal documents; purchased and organized office supplies; arranged domestic and international travel; booked conference rooms and calls; maintained legal department calendar, notices, and meeting minutes; assisted corporate governance; updated internal and external SharePoint sites; facilitated mail; acted as liaison between counsel and internal clients
Freelance Reporter & Columnist
Various Newspapers
2008.01 - 2018.01
- Covered various beats as needed, primarily in South Texas communities, including crime, special events, education and municipal government; Wrote columns of various topics relevant to the community; Assisted with pagination, editing and proofing
Education
BA Journalism - Public Administration
University of Texas-Pan American
Edinburg, Texas01.2012
Skills
- Process Improvement
- Data Integrity
- iManage
- Performance Management
- Issue Spotting
- Intapp Open
- Aderant/CMS
- Legal & Corporate Research
- Inclusive Culture Strategies
- Quality Control
- Training
- New Business Intake
- Conflicts Analysis
- Customer Service
Timeline
Conflicts & New Business Intake Manager
Foster Garvey P.C.
2023.07 - Current
Conflicts Administration Lead
Foster Garvey P.C.
2022.01 - Current
Conflicts Administrator
Foster Garvey P.C.
2019.06 - 2021.12
Legal Assistant (Temp)
Law Dawgs
2018.11 - 2019.05
Legal Assistant (Temp)
Access Staffing
2018.01 - 2018.01
Freelance Reporter & Columnist
Various Newspapers
2008.01 - 2018.01
BA Journalism - Public Administration
University of Texas-Pan American