Client Relations Manager (Client Teams)

San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, New York or Washington, D.C. 

Summary

An Am Law 50 law firm with 17 offices worldwide, has an opening for a Client Relations Manager within their Marketing department. This role can be based in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, New York or Washington, D.C.

Responsibilities

• The Client Relations Manager focuses on growing client relationships while ensuring exemplary service in all aspects of client experience. The manager will take a collaborative, team-oriented approach to working with others in the Client Relations Group, the Marketing Department, and other Firm functions.
• Works closely with Director of Client Relations to develop action plans for assigned client teams, maintains updated plans, and executes on the objectives identified in the plans.
• Regularly communicates with client teams on progress of plans, including through monthly newsletters (prepared with the support of the Client Relations Coordinator), client team meetings, and other avenues.
• Organizes client team meetings, drafting/distributing notes and action plan updates, actively participate in discussions and agenda-setting. Prepares for and attends Department Chair meetings to discuss client relationship.
• Takes a proactive approach in spotting opportunities for growing client relationships and exercises creativity in suggesting approaches to converting those opportunities.
• Suggests, plans, executes, and attends client events, CLE trainings, and sponsorships designed to deepen, and add value to, client relationships.
• Conducts outreach to client relationship partners about invitation lists for firm events, potential CLE training sessions, award nominations, and other value-add services to offer clients.
• Provides guidance to Business Development colleagues on pitches, particularly with respect to client preferences and appropriate strategies. Coordinate pitches when cross-practice or not otherwise covered by Business Development group.
• Coordinates client reporting, both proactive (value-add reports) and reactive (diversity reports) to ensure timely, accurate, and clear responses.
• Ensures excellent client experience in administrative matters. Liaises with other Firm departments and client timekeepers to ensure compliance with client guidelines, assist with billing queries, address conflicts questions, and generally serve as point of contact for internal questions related to the assigned client teams.
• Provides support for client interviews, including prep materials and liaising with client. Ensures appropriate follow-up measures are taken based on interview feedback.
• Remains informed on developments in clients’ and potential clients’ businesses and spots opportunities for new work. Proactively seeks out growth opportunities. 

Ideal Candidate       

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Five years’ experience in the field of legal business development and/or client relations required; experience with a similar law firm strongly preferred.
• Ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with client contacts; experience in directly responding to and satisfying client requests within a legal services environment.
• Knowledge of business and/or strategic planning highly preferred; ability to visualize quantitative and qualitative information.
• Ability to learn and demonstrate knowledge of the Firm, its clients, and its practices and to navigate throughout the firm and understand the implications of proposed solutions.
• Ability to lead cross-operationally, including outside of the Client Relations Group.
• Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills.
• Strong analytical and research skills with the ability to analyze problems logically and methodically, absorb and synthesize large amounts of information into practical intelligence, and identify and define business questions and issues.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely and to interact substantively with all individuals in the firm and to present ideas comfortably in public forums.
• Advanced writing and editing skills.