Legal Staff Other in Charlotte, NC

Law Firm

Charlotte, NC

Legal Staff Other in Charlotte, NC

Legal Staff

5-10 yrs required

No

Job Title: Practice Manager - Financial Services

Job Responsibilities:

The Practice Manager in the Financial Services department at a law firm plays a pivotal role in the oversight of the assigned department and provides high-level operational support to the Department Chair. The responsibilities include managing the daily execution of the department’s business and operational functions. This encompasses a variety of duties related to financial performance, lawyer performance, matter intake, marketing and business development, and communications and events. The Practice Manager is entrusted with decision-making authority as agreed upon within the guidelines communicated by the Department Chair.

Key responsibilities include:

Lawyer Performance:
- Monitoring lawyer workloads, billable hours, productivity, and time entry compliance.
- Escalating material anomalies or concerns to the attention of the Department Chair on a routine basis and ensuring follow-up on action items.

Financial Performance:
- Partnering with the department financial advisor to stay informed of key performance indicators.
- Providing guidance to the Department Chair with applied insights to assist in the management of the department.
- Proactively overseeing accounts receivable, unbilled time, and collections, and escalating material concerns to the attention of the Department Chair.
- Liaising with the Department Chair, finance and accounting team, and department lawyers to facilitate the resolution of matter, billing, or process issues and ensuring completion of action items undertaken by department lawyers.

Matter Intake:
- Reviewing and approving routine client and matter intake, conflicts issues, and billing rate exceptions.
- Researching and escalating issues to the Department Chair, as appropriate.

Marketing/Business Development and Department Expenses:
- Liaising with the marketing and business development team to develop department annual budgets and approve proposed expenditures for marketing/business development in conjunction with the Department Chair.
- Partnering with the finance and accounting team to set annual budgets for interoffice travel and department meetings in conjunction with the Department Chair.
- Tracking department spend against budgets and conducting all necessary after-action reporting in conjunction with the marketing and business development team.
- Reviewing and approving expense reports and vendor invoices, escalating to the Department Chair as needed.

Department Communications and Events:
- Liaising with the law firm’s administrative departments on behalf of the Department Chair to ensure that department priorities and needs are met.
- Facilitating department meetings, projects, and events in conjunction with the Department Chair and serving as a hub for communications between the Chair and department members.
- Coordinating with the Department Chair’s practice assistant and assisting as requested by the Chair in managing the Chair’s calendar and coordinating the Chair’s department travel.

Education and Experience Information:

The candidate for the Practice Manager position is required to have a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of relevant experience with a record of achievement and increasing responsibility. Direct experience in a law firm or professional services environment is preferred. The candidate should be highly organized with the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and meet deadlines. Comfort in working with all levels of lawyers and professional staff is crucial, along with a strong emphasis on client service. The role demands strong written and verbal communication skills. Additionally, the candidate must be able to work well under pressure, be a problem-solver, and a team player.

Salary Information:

The text does not provide specific salary information for the Practice Manager position.