Sr Legal Practice Manager

DLA Piper•Short Hills, NJ

22h•$130,000 - $207,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Legal Practice Manager (LPM), 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 role ensures seamless integration of billing, matter management, and administrative functions across multiple teams while also helping to drive the strategic direction of the practice. You will act as the central coordinator and leader of a multidisciplinary 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. You will serve as the operational hub, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and client satisfaction in all aspects of matter lifecycle management and ensures that there is strategic vision alignment.

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.
8 years of experience in legal operations, practice management, or professional services environment.
Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and external audiences.
Produce high-quality work and respond to correspondence in an efficient, timely, and professional manner.
Meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and commit to meeting high standards.
Comply with firm policies and procedures.
Maintain confidences as required in a law firm environment.

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.
Involved in strategic planning process.
Ensure strategic plan outlines actions to achieve Firm performance goals.
Monitor plan execution and regularly report on progress against plan to Practice Group Leader and Firm Leadership.
Adjust plan to ensure it remains relevant in light of changing market dynamics, economic climate and business trends.