Assistant Director: Practice Management - Litigation

Mayer Brown LLP•Chicago, IL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.We are a collegial, collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm. Responsible for practice group strategic planning, including developing business development strategy, and working with the Firm Practice Leaders (“FPLs”) in the overall management of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice (“Practice Group”). This Practice Group consists of more than 500 attorneys globally. Provides the leadership, management and vision necessary to ensure that the Practice Group and its sub-groups are strategically positioned in the market and have the proper operational controls and people systems in place to ensure a highly-functioning practice group that is positioned for long-term viability and success.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, MBA or JD preferred
Minimum of 6-8 years of related experience
Proficiency in Microsoft Office products and ability to learn and work in various software applications as needed
Strong executive presence
Strong customer service skills and high degree of emotional intelligence, able to anticipate needs and exercise independent judgement while teaming and navigating a high-performance environment
Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where multi-tasking and working across organizational lines is the norm
Comfortable taking input and direction from multiple sources, synthesizing, and finding common ground to ensure key initiatives move forward
Self-starter with a high level of initiative
Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects
Exercises solid strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate effectively and in a professional manner with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors
Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience
Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies
Process and service-oriented with strong leadership and project management skills
Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner

Nice To Haves

Experience in operational roles within the legal industry
Experience supporting delivery of legal services (as a lawyer or non-lawyer working alongside lawyers)
Experience of coordination or leading change in a legal or professional services environment
Understanding of legal industry
Strong data and financial analytics skillset
Understanding of law firms business services operations
Experience of working with legal technology

Responsibilities

Manages the Practice Group operations to optimize quality and efficiency, leverage technology, precedents, and full scope of operational resources
Ensures firm-wide tools are being fully utilized by the Practice Group
Establishes and implements best practices, repeatable models, standards, controls, and monitoring procedures
Works with the FPLs on communication strategies and materials, including driving meeting agendas and action plans to help advance business goals
Prepares and manages communication and reporting to the Management Committee and other Firm administration on the Practice Group reporting, priorities, and strategy
Oversees logistical support for Practice Group internal meetings and events
Shares responsibility with the FPLs for approving BD budget expenses
Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives
Monitors backlog and new business pipeline to ensure appropriate resources are available to address client work
Establishes lateral partner integration process for the Practice Group, and leads the integration of Global Litigation Practice Group lateral partners
Collaborates with partners, and relevant business functions on paralegal and business services staff performance management
Maintains oversight of the selection and delivery of training provided to the Practice Group, including leading efforts related to associate development and training
Monitors attorney and paralegal workloads and productivity levels to foster manageable workloads that optimize attorney utilization, support professional development and promote Practice goals and profitability
Analyses staffing levels and participates in the recruitment process as needed
Works with the FPLs to ensure attorney engagement and Practice Group culture are considered when planning Practice management activities
Reviews and analyses the Practice’s monthly Inventory (WIP and AR), approves write offs, supports collections, monitors attorney and paralegal utilisation, and tracks the Practice’s overall financial performance to identify anomalies, and generate proposed solutions for areas of opportunity and/or concern
Liaises with Finance department leadership to ensure billing, eBilling, rates, and other financial operations are meeting the needs of the practice
Monitors compliance with fee arrangements and ensures timely billing of each matter in accordance with those arrangements
Oversees and manages the Practice Groups’s use of external resources to optimize quality and efficiency, and ensures invoices are received and processed quickly
Accountable for operational budget analysis and recommendations, including monitoring expenses and reviewing monthly budget variances
Proactively and independently identifies and analyses problems, develops solutions and delivers results – initial focus on addressing administrative operational challenges (including monthly billing process and matter intake), and long-term focus on improving Practice Group profitability and performance
Enhances the experience for top clients by serving as a point of contact for the in-house legal operations team to improve the overall engagement and efficient delivery of legal services
Leads change management efforts within the Practice through formal communications and informal influence, and works closely with IT and other business teams to identify needs and coordinate development, rollout and training for change initiatives
Works closely with innovation team to identify both internal and client-facing technologies to improve efficiency and enhance firm as a market-leader
Leverages services such as knowledge management, legal project management, innovation, and others, to support Practice goals and profitability
Works with Practice Group leaders and Business Development & Marketing to develop business plans in alignment with the firm’s strategic plan then manage and execute plan goals
Collaborates with the Business Development & Marketing team on RFP responses, pitches, marketing initiatives, thought leadership promotions, research and analysis and competitive intelligence-gathering for strategic planning, competitive firm positioning and business development activities
Support Partners with generation of business leads, expansion of existing client matters, and identification and pursuit of cross-selling opportunities

Benefits

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous paid time off (PTO), as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

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