Senior IP Practice Group Manager

Mountain View, CA

Job Description Summary:

A premier national firm has an opening for a Senior Manager position within the Firm’s Practice Management department who will primarily provide senior-level administrative support to the Firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) Practice Group and Practice Group Leader (PGL).

Job Description:

• Works closely with the PGL and subgroup leaders to develop the practice group’s strategic objectives.
• Manages all operations related to the practice group by working with its attorneys and professionals, as well as the Firm’s administrative departments.
• Introduces innovative approaches to improve the overall operation of the practice group, especially in areas that will result in improved service and value to the Firm’s clients.
• Supports and advises the PGL in the development and implementation of annual business plans and practice group budget.
• Project manages strategic initiatives and practice group goals by liaising with other administrative departments.
• Identifies trends and issues to be addressed and makes recommendations to ensure the practice group achieves its agreed-upon goals.
• Manages the free market system and monitors work assignments for all non-partner attorneys and patent agents in the practice group and makes recommendations for improved workload distribution.
• Works closely with the Firm’s Legal Personnel and Training departments to ensure the appropriate development, review, and training of practice group members.
• Works collaboratively and effectively with all administrative departments, in particular IT, Finance, Marketing, Legal Personnel, Training and Recruiting to ensure the practice group’s requirements and responsibilities are optimized with regard to each of these important functions.
• Coordinating within Practice Management and with the Firm’s Executive Committee on the development and rollout of updated and new policies affecting attorneys, paralegals and patent agents including providing input on the IP practice group perspective for firmwide projects and initiatives.
• Working with Finance on tracking and managing AFAs, and other matter management reporting as necessary.
• Coordinating with Marketing on internal and external business development efforts and initiatives.
• Working with Recruiting on any lateral recruiting initiatives and subsequent integration.
• Works with the PGL and subgroup leaders to develop all meeting and retreat agendas and oversees related planning and logistics.
• Works with PGL to develop and disseminate internal communications and collaborates with the Marketing regarding external communications as is appropriate.

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

• Established knowledge of the legal industry and law firm management.
• Ability to continually learn and grow, to quickly absorb the nature of the group’s practice and its sub-specialties and to regularly absorb new information about the practice group’s and Firm’s legal practice, business practices and the industries and technologies of its clients.
• Ability to deal effectively with lawyers, staff and peer administrators, and to influence people at all levels to respond and collaborate without overt use of authority.
• Self-motivated with proven ability to anticipate problems and move things forward with limited direction.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to oversee the development of new systems and processes and to suggest and execute on solutions.
• Superior client service ethic, communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to gather information from a broad range of sources and to influence others to make changes.
• Highly organized, efficient and extremely detail-oriented, with the ability to stay productive under pressure with tight deadlines.