Business Manager-Corporate (M&A and Government & Advisory)

New York, NY

Reports to:  Global Business Director for Corporate, and the Practice Group Leader for Corporate

Role Summary

The Business Manager-Corporate (M&A and Government & Advisory), serves as a senior advisor to practice group leadership to drive business growth through the development and execution of strategic priorities; build, implement and measure performance of business plan(s); manage financial performance and team development; work collaboratively with practice embedded and business services colleagues to continuously improve effective and efficient business processes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Execution

• Work with practice group leadership to achieve firm and practice group strategy, guided by revenue generation and cross-practice and cross office collaboration
• Help create practice group business plan and corresponding individual, industry and/or client plans (ensuring that they are in synch with firm strategy and vice versa)
• Working with business development management, drive implementation of the business plan and monitor performance throughout the year, keeping practice group leadership apprised of progress/issues and suggesting proactive measures to achieve goals
• Organize and attend regular practice group partner meetings (including partner lunches, roundtables and individual meetings) to ensure and support regular and effective communication on issues and opportunities relating to practice development, business development, associate management and financial performance issues; support development of practice group offsites from a substantive and operational standpoint

Financial Performance Management

• Financial Reporting:  In collaboration with FSD, provide financial reports to practice group leadership (on both working attorney and billing partner basis) to help manage team performance; save the PGL time wherever possible through distilling the results, getting questions answered quickly and following up on behalf of the PGL wherever appropriate; and advise on any developing issues and recommendations of corrective action
• Special Fee Arrangements: In collaboration with Revenue Management and LPM, manage administration of special arrangements with clients, including with respect to discounted/alternative fee arrangements, invoice requirements, cost exclusions, electronic billing, tailored reporting, etc.; assist with collection of alternative fee arrangements proposed to clients; collaborate on firm initiatives to track and report on fee performance (e.g., MWT, LPM matter analysis)
• Budgeting:  Help develop and monitor annual revenue and expense budgets; track actual versus budgeted results, and support practice group leadership by helping to identify/enact corrective actions as needed
• Profitability Management:  Monitor practice group, office, client and partner profitability in collaboration with FSD and LPM identify issues and work towards solving same through analysis and education; utilize profitability tools in counseling lawyers on client selection, matter management and staffing issues
• Diaries, B&C and Other Inventory Matters:  Manage and improve the practice group’s performance on diary reporting as well as billings and collections, including preparations of projections and analyses in Q4; also lead collaboration with the Finance team with respect to partner pending accounts and unapplied advances

Transaction/Knowledge Management

• Develop and lead processes with respect to:
• Deal tracking (Global Experience Management),
• Closing set and commitment paper cataloguing (Knowledge Center) and
• League table reporting
• Collaborate with Knowledge Management team and PSL resources on the above and other knowledge management initiatives, such as web-based tools, forms systems and portal pages as requested by the practice group

Recruiting, Integration and Departures

• Work closely with practice group leadership and others, including Legal Recruitment, to develop and execute lateral recruiting strategies; including preparation of financial analyses for lateral partners, preparation of needs analyses for associate hires, identification of potential recruits, coordination with recruiting firms, collaboration with HR to ensure proper approvals are in place
• Work with the relevant partners and employees to manage and facilitate the successful transition and integration of all new members of the team, including junior associates from the Corporate Pool, International Associates and Visiting Attorneys and lateral partners and associates
• For lateral partners, build and administer periodic check-ins to measure performance against expectations and adjust integration plan as needed
• Work with PGL and business services colleagues to facilitate departures, including the handling of voicemail, email and client communications; field calls from clients to departed attorneys on an ongoing basis; facilitate all inventory matters related to departed partners, including with respect to billings, collections, matter transfers to other partners and/or transfers to other law firms; facilitate alumni outreach and communications to departed individuals

Professional Development

• Work closely with practice group leadership to identify training needs and collaborate with HR to ensure that the appropriate training is provided on a practice group basis
• Liaise with HR as requested by practice group leadership, as requested, with:
• Handling personnel matters, concerns, difficult conversations, etc.
• Associate performance management roundtables to ensure meetings lead to timely, effective performance feedback
• Partner feedback and compensation process
• The group’s assignment process, making sure that opportunities are allocated efficiently and fairly among associates 

Resource Management and Special Projects

• Manage or assist in the management of personnel supporting the  practice group to facilitate collaboration
• Assess needs of practice group and liaise with other business services departments to the meet practice-specific needs
• Lead and participate in high value, special projects at the request of firm and practice group leadership, including in collaboration with firm resources inside and outside of the practice group

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

• Extensive knowledge of business and financial management, including proven best practices as well as current innovations
• Strong ability to assess business processes and implement efficiencies
• Outstanding interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to establish relationships at all levels and align expectations with various stakeholder groups
• Exceptional judgment, tact, diligence, and analytical rigor
• Highly comfortable and conversant with technology
• Able to effectively lead and manage people, including recruiting, coaching, delegating, developing and engaging
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred
• 5 to 7 years’ operational and financial management experience in a Corporate Practice
• Bachelors’ degree required.  MBA or advanced degree preferred
• Experience working across a variety of office locations, cultures and time zones

Physical Activity/Other Miscellaneous

• Able to work extended hours and communicate outside of standard business hours as needed