Senior Litigation Practice and Project Manager

Multiple offices: New York, Bay Area, Seattle, Los Angeles

Summary

Premier, forward thinking, global, law firm is seeking a Senior Litigation Practice and Project Manager who will partner with the Litigation Practice Group Director and peer departments (Business Development, Legal Personnel, Recruiting, Finance, Knowledge Management, etc.) on various strategic practice group projects, including implementing process improvements to increase efficiencies across practice and firm operations. In addition, the position will work with Practice Management and Knowledge Management to define, enhance, and integrate project management standards, processes, methodologies, and tools to improve efficiency as well as manage timekeepers and other needs of the practice group.  The Senior Litigation Practice and Project Manager will also work with finance and key partners to develop budgets and implement budgeting processes. This position can be based in any of our offices, Bay Area preferred.

Responsibilities

Project Management

• Lead on the process of large and complex projects and litigations, and drive and enforce standardization of project activities and deliverables.
• Guide and support partners and lead associates in defining matter scope and project approach, track and manage changes, and effectively distribute work and manage work streams.
• Clarify and communicate roles and responsibilities of project team members and all internal/external stakeholders; identify and communicate dependencies.
• Capture explicit and implicit client requirements/preferences and design project approach accordingly; enforce process and project protocol.
• Plan and organize streamlined and cost-effective support model, and engage and direct paralegals, litigation support, and other staff on project activities.
• Propose solutions to manage expectations and manage scope throughout project delivery and enforce solutions and project decisions.
• Facilitate, identify, quantify, and manage mitigation and communication of risks/issues in projects.
• Prepare internal team and client status reports and provide timely updates to client team partners on potential issues identified; follow up with stakeholders to ensure potential issues are addressed.
• Lead on matter review process for key matters and establish practice area best practices through discussions with partners and clients and review of lessons learned; evangelize, advise, train, apply to future projects and support refinement.
• Identify future needs/opportunities for new service delivery and lead analysis and design workshops; work with senior attorney team members on implementing new ways of working and organizing projects on client teams.
• Promote, manage, and deliver the continuous improvement of project activities and delivery.
• Establish and maintain repository of project forms and templates and enforce use as appropriate on applicable matters.
• Monitor and report on costs and fees on an ongoing basis on all large projects in process and assist with budget revisions and tracking.
• Proactively drive any necessary communications with client and/or project team regarding budget adjustments.
• Create and maintain budgeting procedures for select clients.
• Work with the finance team to establish project budget guidance using historical information and cost estimates.
• Remain current with industry LPM and practice trends, tools, and best practices.

Practice Management

• Collaborate with Practice Management colleagues to develop practice group business strategies.
• Play an active role in the development and implementation of key practice group initiatives and play an integral role in the retention and development of our associates.
• Become a trusted advisor to associates, partners and other timekeepers.
• Mentor and guide junior team members, conduct associate check-ins, and manage other timekeepers’ utilization and workflow (ex: staff attorneys and contract attorneys).
• Manage work allocation and utilization within the free-market workflow system, and support partners and associates navigating the free-market workflow system.
• Manage orientation and integration support for lateral associates and junior associates.
• Serve as a first point of contact for associates on workflow and time management.
• Work with partners and Legal Training teams to plan and conduct formal training programs for attorneys.
• Work with the Legal Personnel team to support the evaluation and associate development process.
• Collaborate with our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) experts and practice group leaders to further the firm’s and our practice groups’ DEI goals through work allocation and opportunities.
• Develop substantive agendas and presentations for practice group, subgroup meetings, and other industry meetings as needed.

Requirements

• Ability to lead departmental and firmwide projects and initiatives and manage a diverse set of stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated strong capabilities to engage directly with leadership on strategy and be able to pivot to granular detail within working teams.
• Ability to effectively convey solutions to teams and related support personnel, explaining results within a legal project management framework and achieving buy-in from matter teams.
• Ability to integrate and synthesize information from multiple teams and workstreams in order to analyze complex issues, mitigate risk, and solve problems.
• Excellent organizational, time management, decision-making skills and ability to manage multiple and sometimes competing priorities.
• Demonstrate sharp attention to detail in executing and reviewing work products to ensure the highest quality deliverables in the allotted timeframe.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Possess highly developed organization, writing, analytical, presentation and communication skills.
• Working knowledge of extranets or other collaborative project management tools, Visio, Excel, and financial systems and reports.
• Demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience in compiling executive summaries and status reports for consumption by attorneys and clients.
• Reporting to the Litigation Practice Group Director, the qualified candidate will have 5+ years of program/project management experience in professional services industries. Litigation practice experience strongly preferred.
• Experience working on legal, compliance, privacy and/or related projects.
• Experience influencing and coaching within a professional services environment and building relationships with cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Business, Management or related field. JD strongly preferred.