Head of Practice Management for US DR

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer•New York, NY

1d•$300,000 - $350,000

About The Position

The Head of Practice Management, US will serve as trusted advisor and operational chief to the US Dispute Resolution (DR) Practice Group Leader and support and advise all US DR partners. The role has primary responsibility for managing and coordinating budgets and resources within US DR, working with practice group leadership to drive profitability, accountability, and operational efficiency. The position reports directly to the Practice Group Leader, with a dotted line to the US COO, and is supported by a practice resource coordinator and a shared secretary. The role liaises with global practice group leadership and regional and global business services leaders to advance the practice group’s goals in financial performance, growth, operations and resourcing, talent development, knowledge and innovation, and other strategic areas. The US DR department includes litigation, investigation, and international arbitration lawyers, as well as practice support functions such as the Managing Attorney’s Office, paralegal support, and eDiscovery.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the Practice Group Leader, partners, and other stakeholders to develop the practice group strategic plan, establish goals, and coordinate reporting on progress.
Use data collection and analysis to support strategic initiatives and operational decisions, identify business growth opportunities, and develop and measure key performance indicators with Finance and Marketing and Business Development colleagues.
Collaborate with Marketing and Business Development on strategic initiatives, resource alignment, capacity analysis, market intelligence, and competitor analysis.
Track implementation of the practice group strategic plan and individual partner business plans.
Support lateral partner recruiting and integration and serve as a liaison for lateral partners.
Analyze financial performance with Finance colleagues, report on key performance indicators, recommend and implement actions to improve financial performance, and monitor progress.
Support development and monitoring of the annual budget and take primary responsibility for monitoring practice group operational expenditures.
Identify opportunities for operational efficiency and cost management.
Provide operational oversight of practice group support functions, including paralegals, eDiscovery, and the Managing Attorney’s Office.
Coordinate with business services departments to ensure appropriate support for the practice group.
Identify and develop solutions to improve business operations, matter management, infrastructure, and methodologies.
Promote innovation in ways of working, resource management, and technology use; contribute to the design and implementation of operating models for resourcing.
Oversee the knowledge program and precedent management system, and oversee development and delivery of practice group training programs.
Support the Practice Group Leader and partners in building high-performing legal teams.
Oversee associate work allocation and utilization with support from the practice management coordinator.
Work with Recruiting on lateral associate and counsel hiring, including preparation of business cases and advising on headcount needs.
Oversee lateral attorney integration and work with Recruiting and Talent on associate rotations.
Collaborate with Talent Development, HR, and partners on annual performance appraisals; escalate utilization and performance issues and help manage associate and counsel performance.
Facilitate professional development and career progression for associates and counsel in collaboration with relevant committees, partners, and business services teams.
Support the Practice Group Leader in the annual partner and counsel promotion process.
Collaborate with Marketing and Business Development to prepare talking points and materials for DR Board and other DR-wide or firm-wide updates.
Oversee development and coordination of practice group meetings and work with the Practice Group Leader to develop agendas for partner-counsel meetings.