Department Practice Director – Litigation

Fox Rothschild•Washington, DC

111d•Onsite

About The Position

Fox Rothschild seeks a dynamic and experienced Department Practice Director to join our team. This role is pivotal in building and expanding our practice management team, starting with the firm’s Litigation department, and eventually expanding the function across other practice areas. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in practice management, with a proven track record of successfully leading and developing cohesive teams across multiple offices. Experience in a high-paced Litigation team is strongly preferred. The Department Practice Director is a strategic partner to Department Leadership, responsible for overseeing the operational, financial, and talent-related functions of the department. This role serves as the primary liaison between attorneys and business professional teams, ensuring alignment with firm goals and driving performance across key areas such as revenue management, staffing, profitability, risk management and strategic planning. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is passionate about driving excellence and innovation within a large national law firm.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, or related field; MBA or JD seen as a plus.
Minimum 10 years of experience in legal operations, practice management, or law firm administration.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex projects.
Ability to proactively identify problems, develop solutions and deliver results.
Strong financial acumen and experience with law firm profitability models.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a demanding environment.
Responsiveness, discretion, judgment, and virtual communication skills.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis now and in the future.

Nice To Haves

MBA or JD

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for Department Leadership on all operational and strategic matters.
Collaborate with the COO, CFO, and Finance to deliver data-driven performance metrics and financial reporting.
Monitor billable hours, realization rates, accounts receivable, unbilled time, non-compliant billing attorneys, pre-billed write-downs, and exception billing rates; identify and address performance gaps.
Partner with the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Client Operations and Compliance Officer on the setting and monitoring of billing rates and AFA approvals.
Lead profitability initiatives and provide insights into client and practice-level financial performance.
Evaluate expense requests, review monthly operational expenditures, and escalate issues and proposed solutions.
Coordinate and drive year-end billing and collections push.
Monitor compliance with all Firm policies and procedures.
Socialize and integrate firm-wide goals within the Department.
Ensure staffing appropriateness by jurisdiction and acumen.
Coordinate with the Office of General Counsel and NBI teams on client/matter risk assessments.
Oversight of new client and new matter intake and approval processes.
Monitor utilization and capacity; identify skill gaps and hiring needs.
Support lateral recruiting and integration in collaboration with the Chief Growth Strategist and the Strategic Growth Committee.
Partner with Professional Development and other leadership to manage attorney performance through regular evaluation and feedback, including the annual cycle of compensation review and promotions.
Work with Professional Development and Human Resources departments on morale and retention issues.
Develop and manage departmental and practice group (when appropriate) business plans with measurable goals.
Collaborate with Business Development to identify cross-selling opportunities and support go-to-market strategies.
Assist in managing the department’s marketing budget and visibility initiatives.
Partner with KM/Innovation department on the use of solutions including artificial intelligence.
Work with Department and Firm Leadership in devising and implementing growth strategies.
Coordinate with Department Chairs, Practice Management Partners and others on strategic initiatives, partner development, and succession planning.
Support practice group steering committees and subcommittees.
Maintain documentation of processes, policies, and operational needs.
Identify training needs and collaborate with Professional Development and other appropriate groups or committees to develop learning tracks and curriculum.
Oversee mentoring programs and development initiatives.
Facilitate internal communications, team-building events, Department, and practice group meetings.
Maintain intranet content and practice group resources.
Other duties and projects, as assigned.