Billing Assistant

Clifford Chance•New York, NY

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Clifford Chance US LLP is seeking a full-time Billing Assistant. The Billing Assistant will be responsible for supporting the client billing process. This role will collaborate and liaise with Billing Coordinators, partners, associates, and secretaries in connection with various aspects of client billing. The Billing Assistant will also be responsible for assisting with revising bill/time entry narratives, coordinating client billing cycles, and working closely with the billing team to prepare client invoices. This position can be located in any of our three US offices (New York, Washington, DC or Houston, TX) and will report to the Billing Supervisor.

Requirements

1+ years of relevant billing, accounting, or finance experience; experience in a law firm or professional services environment strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or a related field preferred.
Strong client service orientation, with the ability to build a positive rapport with internal clients (attorneys, staff) and external clients when needed.
Ability to work under pressure and remain flexible when juggling multiple competing deadlines (especially during month-end/quarter-end billing periods).
Detail-oriented and analytical, with strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to identify billing issues and assist in resolving them proactively.
Excellent time management, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a professional demeanor.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel) and familiarity with billing software and document management systems; experience with legal billing platforms (e.g., Elite 3E, Aderant, e-billing portals) is a plus.
Ability to work independently on routine tasks with minimal supervision, while effectively collaborating within a team-oriented billing department.
Must be able to work outside core business hours as needed, particularly during peak billing periods (e.g., month-end).
Must be able to comply with the Firm’s Agile Working Policy, which requires employees to work from the office at least three days each calendar week.
Must be independently legally authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

experience with legal billing platforms (e.g., Elite 3E, Aderant, e-billing portals) is a plus.

Responsibilities

Assist with all aspects of the monthly client billing process and distribution of invoices to clients.
Prepare and distribute monthly prebills to the responsible billing partners and their teams, under the guidance of Billing Coordinators.
Process and incorporate comments and revisions from partners and associates on prebills, ensuring changes are accurately reflected.
Monitor time and disbursement transfers and write-offs, ensuring the necessary approvals are obtained in accordance with firm policy before processing them in the billing system.
Prepare and distribute draft bills for attorney review and approval.
Confirm billing partner approvals are obtained before finalizing and issuing invoices.
Assist with preparing, submitting, and monitoring e-bills, and update e-billing workflow notes as necessary.
Post finalized bills in the firm’s billing system and assist in coordinating their delivery to clients.
Ensure each posted bill’s backup documentation is properly saved in the designated billing folder within the firm’s document management system (iManage).
Liaise with billing partners and attorneys—in coordination with Billing Coordinators—regarding matter billing status, special billing arrangements (e.g., fee caps, fixed fees), and any required clarifications.
Develop familiarity with Work-In-Progress (WIP) provisions and assist in monitoring aged WIP and special discounts for matters to support billing partners in meeting monthly billing goals.
Review and ensure compliance of billing matters with Clifford Chance client agreements and outside counsel billing guidelines, flagging any discrepancies to the Billing Coordinator or Supervisor.
Assist in setting up new matters in e-billing systems, ensuring correct time increments, rates, discounts, e-billing codes, and matter file numbers are applied as directed.
Verify client- or matter-specific fee arrangements are properly reflected for each matter to ensure accurate billing and WIP accrual.
Coordinate with the Accounts Payable team to help resolve any vendor billing discrepancies related to client matters.
Maintain billing files and documentation in accordance with the firm’s billing policies and audit requirements.
Respond to routine partner and client billing inquiries in a timely, professional manner and escalate complex issues to the Billing Supervisor and/or Billing Coordinator as needed.
Assist with billing reports and projections by gathering data and preparing monthly billing projection reports and other billing analyses as requested by attorneys or management.