What We Do

Small Law Firm Recruiting exists to connect the top 5% of entrepreneurial Chief Operating Officers (COOs) within the professional services industry to some of the smartest and fastest-growing entrepreneurial law firms in the country.

Our unique vetting system is designed to identify the best among the rest so our elite clients can trust that everyone we introduce them to is a lock to have the core skills required to perform this challenging role well - shifting most of our role to pairing candidates to the best cultural fit positions for them.

If you think you have what it takes to make it into our unique pool of top-level COOs, keep reading, and apply to start our vetting process when you're ready.

Role Overview

As the most senior non-legal member on the team, the COO will be THE key point of leadership to all staff members and work closely with the owner of an early-stage, but rapidly-growing, law firm on strategy, systems development, and HR issues. The COO will be involved in all phases of administration, personnel, finances, facilities, technology, and security, and will be responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the day-to-day operations of the Firm. Our clients are typically looking for their Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) to help them scale the firm to it's next stage of growth and industry dominance!

It's an opportunity to get in near the ground floor of a rapidly-growing enterprise, make your mark, and help build it into something amazing - sharing in the upside as it grows.

An ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in a COO-level role and will have experience helping startup-level enterprises navigate the complexities of rapid growth. Below are the typical job responsibilities in greater detail for this position.

Duties & Responsibilities

SYSTEMS & OPERATIONAL PROCESS REFINEMENT

• Create, implement and maintain the Firm's policies & procedures.
• Train staff on all policies and procedures, linking compliance with the same to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a job performance review process.
• Create an internal audit system to trigger red flags when policies and procedures are not followed properly so we catch any errors before the client or anyone else does.
• Define and implement productivity metrics whereby we can more accurately measure and improve Firm efficiency.
• Refine and maintain the Firm's technology infrastructure to minimize waste and maximize internal efficiencies within the firm.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

• Liaison with IT, professional service, and other vendors to facilitate the smooth operation of the back-end operations of the Firm.
• Approve the purchasing of office equipment and supplies.
• Ensure emergency protocols are in place, with staff trained on the same, when needed.

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Determine attorney and non-attorney hiring needs. Recruit, interview, and screen applicants for attorney and non-attorney positions.
• Orient, train and act as the firm's supervisor of all non-legal staff, including paralegals.
• Evaluate all non-legal staff around defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and make recommendations to Owner regarding their work assignments, salaries, bonuses and discipline.
• Implements and enforces the Firm's personnel rules and employment policies.
• Coordinate staff vacation schedules, supervise the payroll function and administer the Firm's benefit plans.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Plan and implement the Firm's annual marketing and operations budgets.
• Collaborate with Owner to improve financial controls and analyze key financial reports to identify inefficiencies in the Firm and spot opportunities for improvement to the Firm's bottom-line.
• Coordinate with and supervise the bookkeeper on general ledger and trust accounting.
• Manage the Firm's billing functions (e.g. monitoring work in process, creating systems to ensure sure that completed work gets billed timely and in plain English, etc.).
• Perform collections activities.

MARKETING MANAGEMENT

• Collaborate with the Owner on the Firm's overall Business Plan and Marketing Plan and help strategize opportunities to improve the sales and marketing departments of the Firm to help grow the Firm's top-line revenue.
• Coordinate and handle the arrangements for firm events and assist the Owner with marketing activities.
• Manage the Firm's relationships with current clients, former clients, and outside referral sources.

Education & Experience

EDUCATION

At a minimum, the COO will have graduated from a recognized college or university with major course work in business administration or management, finance, human resources, technology or marketing, or comparable work experience.

An MBA and professional certifications like six sigma or the Certified Legal Manager designation is preferred.

EXPERIENCE 

At a minimum, the COO must have previous knowledge of legal or other professional service organizations and have significant experience in managing business operations such as human resources, technology, facilities, finance, and marketing. Experience in operational process refinement, budgeting, and HR is of the highest importance.

An ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in a COO-level role and will have experience helping startup-level enterprises navigate the complexities of rapid growth.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Analytic Thinking: Ability to structure and process qualitative or quantitative data and draw insightful conclusions from it.
• Organization and Planning: Ability to plan, organize, schedule, and budget in an efficient and productive manner that keeps the big picture in clear view.
• Leadership: Can confidently manage support staff and delegate as necessary, maintaining good interpersonal relations and communications with lawyers and support staff, and helping to safeguard and cultivate the firm's corporate culture.

Compensation

While the compensation for these roles varies by several factors, including the size of the firm and the location, among others, a typical compensation structure for this position includes a low six-figure base (e.g. $100-$140k, typically) coupled with an incentivized compensation structure that could get a successful COO comfortably OVER $200,000 PER YEAR within 18-24 months as the firm hits its benchmarks for increased growth and profitability over the mid-term.

If you think you have what it takes to make it into our unique pool of top-level COOs, apply here to start our vetting process.