Knowledge Management Specialist - Sidley Austin LLP

Summary

The Knowledge Management Specialist (“KM Specialist”) will be part of the Healthcare Practice Area Team (“Healthcare PAT”) and the Global Life Sciences (“GLS”) team’s overall support infrastructure and a necessary function for the lawyers in the Healthcare PAT to work most effectively and efficiently.  The KM Specialist will work with the Healthcare Practice Manager to design processes for the collation of research materials, standard forms, model documents, matter profiles, and other data compilations. Having a dedicated professional to manage both processes and information will enable the Healthcare PAT to operate more efficiently, which will produce both time and cost savings and provide additional value-add for clients.

The KM Specialist will coordinate the implementation of firm-wide knowledge management efforts into the Healthcare PAT by collaborating with the Healthcare Practice Manager, KM Partner and others from the practice to create best practices, gain consensus on standards of operational efficiency, and develop measures of success for the practice’s KM program while promoting access to information and a culture of knowledge-sharing and practice innovation. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Depending on the needs of the practice, duties and responsibilities would include, but not be limited to:

Strategy and Analysis

• Work closely with the Healthcare KM Partner, KM Manager and PAT leadership to analyze and create strategic initiatives to establish goals and objectives for optimal results.
• Develop, define and implement procedures to meet those needs and establish a method for consistent review of the strategy.
• Communicate regularly with the KM Manager and KM Lawyers at the firm to share best practices.

Organization and Dissemination of Knowledge

• Work with the Healthcare PAT KM Partner and members of the Healthcare PAT and GLS group to evaluate the practice’s current KM-related efforts, working to improve the ability to capture and share information and research between Healthcare PAT and GLS group lawyers, and to identify and prioritize new projects that will contribute to the efficiency of the practice.
• Work with Healthcare PAT and GLS group lawyers to generate knowledge content and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and information in general.
• Facilitate the Healthcare PAT and GLS group’s efforts to maintain a searchable knowledge repository (e.g., practice collaboration sites) with key state and federal laws, regulations, sub-regulatory guidance (including current and historic versions), healthcare enforcement settlement materials, False Claims Act (FCA) opinions, as well as exemplar forms, precedent, memos, research, business development materials and other helpful content and work product for the practice such as industry updates and client alerts.
• Maintain procedures for generating, maintaining, updating, accessing and disseminating information (including the Healthcare PAT and GLS group's forms and precedent) and other materials.
• Using Foundation, the firm’s experience management platform, create and maintain matter profiles for current and historic matters.

Management of Legal Processes

• Collaborate with the KM Manager to develop workflow improvements for common legal processes.
• In conjunction with Marketing and the KM Manager, assist in business development efforts for the Healthcare PAT and GLS group, including compiling, organizing, and making available client pitch materials, identifying relevant issues and developments for clients, and preparing contributions to client-facing publications (e.g., bulletins, newsletters, etc.), soliciting matter outcome information, cross-selling databases, and populating client pitches.
• Work with the KM Manager to constantly communicate with the lawyers to establish legal project management processes to track information at all stages of a matter and conduct post-matter reviews of lessons learned in order to update knowledge content and to obtain information in determining what knowledge resources are most relevant

Identification of Current Developments and Trends

• Monitor, inform, and update the Healthcare PAT and GLS group with regard to important legal and industry developments and trends through maintaining internal trackers related to developments, enforcement, legislation, litigation and/or rulemaking.

• Identify legal or business trends and suggest innovative methods to deliver services to clients more effectively
• Draft and collect external thought leadership materials and presentations, including training materials, memos, alerts, practice notes, industry updates, and reports from attendance at CLEs and conferences.

Lawyer Training and Technology Evaluation

• Assist the KM Manager in developing and presenting training for the Healthcare PAT and GLS group on the firm’s various KM technology platforms including, but not limited to practice specific collaboration sites, and tailoring the training to highlight aspects of the technology most relevant for the groups in light of their unique needs.  Provide in-depth training to new and junior Healthcare PAT and GLS group lawyers on healthcare-specific KM resources.
• Coordinate with the professional development team, KM Manager and the KM department to develop, organize and deliver new trainings, as needed.
• Work with the Healthcare PAT and GLS group lawyers, KM Manager, and KM department to evaluate, test and deploy innovative technology to reduce manual data collection, automate document creation, assist with legal research, and to otherwise support the practice.
• Other duties as required by the practice.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below.  The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.  If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources). 

Education and/or Experience: 

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 4 years of experience working on healthcare matters in a large law firm.
• Familiarity with relevant federal agencies, including, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office for Civil Rights, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Resources and Services Administration.
• Familiarity with key healthcare laws and regulations, including, but not limited to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal False Claims Act, the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, government price reporting metrics (for Medicaid, Medicare, Department of Veterans Affairs Programs, and 340B), and state analogues

Preferred:

• Prior experience using Foundation, Lexis or Westlaw, PACER, CCH, and other similar legal databases and resources
• Understanding of legislative process and notice/comment rulemaking at federal and state levels
• Understanding of federal health care programs and relevant industry practices

Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• Strong organizational skills
• Advanced research skills, with a focus on statutory, regulatory, and sub-regulatory guidance at federal and state levels
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer