Legal Practice Manager

DLA Piper•Palo Alto, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let’s see what we can achieve. Together. Summary The Legal Practice Manager (LPM), working in collaboration with and in support of the firm’s strategic initiatives, is a strategic business professional responsible for supporting a partner, or group of partners, with a large and complex practice. This particular role will support the Emerging Growth practice in Silicon Valley. This role ensures seamless integration of billing, matter management, and administrative functions across multiple teams. The LPM acts as the central coordinator and leader of a multi-disciplinary team of business professionals including pitch and proposal, finance, billing, administrative support, and client service while maintaining strong collaboration with attorneys and practice management leadership. The LPM serves as the operational hub, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and client satisfaction in all aspects of matter lifecycle management. Location This position can sit in our Palo Alto or San Francisco office locations and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Requirements

Strong understanding of law firm economics, billing processes, and client service standards.
Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Proficiency in financial analysis, budgeting, and matter management systems.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
Skilled in interpreting financial data and operational metrics.
Committed to delivering exceptional service and maintaining strong relationships.
Proactive in identifying issues and implementing solutions.
Comfortable with legal practice management tools and data analytics platforms.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, or related field.
5 years’ experience in legal operations, practice management, or professional services environment.
Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.
Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.
Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
Foster positive work relationships.
Comply with all firm policies and practices.
Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.
Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.
Our employees are expected to embrace and uphold our firm values as a part of our DLA Piper culture.
We are committed to excellence in how we represent our clients and develop our people.

Responsibilities

Oversee pitch and proposal activity, matter opening, budgeting, and compliance with client guidelines.
Monitor WIP (work-in-progress), billing, collections, and profitability metrics for the partner’s portfolio.
Coordinate with billing teams to ensure timely and accurate invoicing aligned with client requirements.
Work with collections on tracking payments and allocations.
Track and report on key financial KPIs, proactively identifying risks and opportunities.
Serve as the primary liaison between the partner and internal business teams (finance, billing, administrative support, marketing, etc.).
Lead and coordinate a multi-disciplinary team to deliver exceptional client service and operational excellence, including International where involved.
Implement best practices for matter management, workflow optimization, and resource allocation.
Ensure compliance with client outside counsel guidelines and reporting requirements.
Support client-facing administrative needs, including status reports, budgets, and performance metrics.
Partner with the firm’s pricing and legal project management teams to develop and maintain alternative fee arrangements and matter plans.
Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce administrative burden.
Leverage firm technology platforms for matter tracking, reporting, and collaboration.
Train and mentor team members on best practices and tools.