WilmerHale is a leading, full-service international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located throughout 12 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Our lawyers work at the intersection of government, technology and business, and we remain committed to our guiding principles of providing quality, excellent legal and client services; developing diversity among our lawyers and staff and cultivating an environment that promotes an ambitious spirit, collaboration and collegiality by drawing on the extraordinary talents and dynamic experience of our lawyers. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our clients and the communities in which we practice.
What You Will Be Doing
Create practice-specific budget templates, analyze comparable data, and develop standardized task pricing for all legal matters. Develop budgets/estimates in support of client requests and/or alternative fee pricing. Monitor budgets, identify overruns, alert partners, and recommend solutions. Maintain and update budget database. Provide client rate arrangement analyses. Provide firm, practice and office focused profitability statistics, modeling, and analysis under the general direction of a PBA Manager, the Director of PBAS, and/or the Managing Director, Finance. Prepare and distribute weekly and monthly financial reports in approved formats, analyze results, and prepare observations for firm management. Provide statistical support for attorney compensation processes. Prepare submission of firm financial information for survey and publication purposes. Assist with proactively supporting client service by actively participating in the firm's Service Excellence initiative. Ensure that staff members are providing quality service to internal members/departments of the firm as well as external clients and vendors by displaying professionalism via electronic and print correspondence, over the telephone and in-person and by encouraging an atmosphere that rewards a "can do" attitude.
About This Role
- Develop budget templates; compile and analyze entries to create database of comparable matters by practice for use in generating budgets/estimates; develop standardized task pricing averages.
- Develop hourly budgets or Alternative Fee Arrangements for legal matters in collaboration with Partners / matter team to meet client requests; budgets to be based on matter scope and staffing assumptions, as well as phases of engagement; provide quality assurance in the budget process.
- Leverage warehoused budget metadata for statistical intra & post matter analysis and for comparable matter budgeting.
- Incorporate Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs); provide notification of deadlines to Partners and update budgets to meet client requirements; update OCG budget database with new/updated OCG requirements.
- Monitor actuals against budgeted fees and update budgets in light of actual work performed; submit reports to Partners.
- Participate in firm-wide matter management program including, but not limited to theorizing, review, and validation of matter management reports.
- Analyze impact of client rate arrangements including financial modeling and impact analysis of alternative rate scenarios on the firm and client.
- Participate in the annual billing rate budgeting process that supports the firm’s revenue objectives; includes supporting and contingency recommendations; includes updating our billing system with firm standard rates and firm level variations; prepare annual office and practice group revenue budgets; includes financial modeling and risk and opportunity analysis related to revenue.
- Prepare and deliver statistical support for Attorney Compensation review processes, including Partner Compensation and Capital process; provide information related to revenue generation and management components for Partners and individual productivity statistics of partners and other attorneys; includes maintenance of revenue FTE variations.
- Prepare firm financial information for survey and publication purposes; analyze results and prepare observations for firm management. Work to be accomplished under general supervision.
- Provide decision-support to Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer, Managing Partners and Practice Leadership as assigned, ensuring information approved prior to release; decision-support includes monthly statistical reporting, issue/problem definition from both a business and financial perspective, developing, analyzing, and quantitatively modeling feasible/realistic alternatives, and presenting recommendations.
- Assist in developing financial and operational presentations for Finance Management to Partners, Senior Administrators and Firm Management as assigned.
- Look for opportunities to improve processes and activities by using/leveraging business technologies and other resources.
- Participate in special projects and other duties as assigned.
- Contributes to the firm's Service Matters initiative to consistently improve its image internally and externally; displays professionalism, quality service and a "can do" attitude to internal members/departments of the firm as well as external clients and vendors via electronic and print correspondence, over the telephone and in person.
Required Skills
Your Qualifications / What You Will Bring
- Demonstrated ability to effectively use PC-based and on-line technology, database, presentation, and spreadsheet software
- Knowledge of mainframe-based general ledger accounting systems and statistical & financial modeling software
- Knowledge of matter planning and legal terminology
- Demonstrated ability to perform research that involves interpretation and analysis as necessary to develop recommendations on broad, complex topics and issues that have long-range impact
- Demonstrated ability to identify and analyze problems, propose solutions, and anticipate future opportunities before initiating action and implementing solutions
- Excellent project management and organizational skills, including the ability to work effectively, under general supervision, in an atmosphere of multiple projects, shifting priorities, and deadlines
- Excellent business writing and oral skills including knowledge of business English as necessary to present information that requires some origination and/or compilation
- Excellent document interpretation skills
- Ability to work with partners, clients, and staff
- Demonstrated ability to work with supervisor, peers, subordinates, and support personnel, keeping others informed of work status and changes that relate to their activities and stimulate team cooperation to successfully complete the task or assignment
- Ability to make customers and their needs a primary focus of one’s actions, developing and sustaining productive relationships
- Ability to work independently in a flexible, team-oriented environment with enthusiasm, courtesy, adaptability, and spirit of cooperation
- Demonstrated competency in knowledge and skills relating to the position, keeping up with current developments and trends in area of expertise
Required Experience
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting required; CPA or MBA preferred.
Experience:
- Minimum 4 years’ directly related experience in the field of financial management, pricing, budgeting, data-mining and/or financial analysis.
- Law firm experience preferred.
For additional information about our benefits, please click here.
This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by employees in the position. It is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills for positions. The firm reserves the right at all times, in its sole discretion, to add or subtract duties and responsibilities, as it deems necessary.
WilmerHale is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, age, disability or veteran status, or other protected status.
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