Legal Finance Operations Manager (Real Estate)

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

Based in New York, the Legal Finance Operations Manager will support the Real Estate practice group by managing their inventories to maximize the practice’s profitability. The Real Estate Practice Group handles complex and challenging matters for a wide array of clients, such as the owners, developers and financiers of the largest real estate projects in the United States and Europe, both in the private and public sectors.

The role reports to the Associate Finance Director.

Responsibilities include:

Inventory management:

• Utilize critical analysis to expertly manage the WIP, A/R, and on-account inventories for the New York Real Estate practice group.
• Review daily inventory reports, track progress of real estate transactions, and monitor anticipated closing dates.
• Conduct in-person and virtual meetings with partners and reviewing attorneys to collect updates, provide feedback and suggestions to resolve outstanding items, determine action items, and ensure completion.
• Communicate to practice group leader inventory summaries, matter statuses and escalate issues.
• Collaborate with and provide direction to Billing, Collections and Pricing teams to take appropriate actions against inventory amounts.

Financial reporting:

• Leverage all available resources including Excel, SharePoint, billing system, and other available reporting tools to effectively report on matters as requested by attorneys.
• Streamline reporting and processes to efficiently report on matters to partners.
• Liaise with the Finance team to provide regular and ad hoc reporting on partner statistics for New York’s Real Estate practice group.
• Assist in the preparation of practice group reporting, including the preparation of productivity reports.

Qualifications:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively and collaborate across all levels of lawyers and staff.
• Strong ownership and accountability.
• Needs to be motivated and proactive, demonstrate critical thinking and good judgment, and have a clear understanding of the real estate billing and collection practice.
• Ability to identify and solve problems, take initiative and work independently under pressure.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Economics, Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• Advanced education or degree is a plus.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in legal project management, billing, pricing, and/or financial reporting.
• Experience working with legal billing software, particularly in Aderant or Elite (3E), preferred.
• Intermediate or advanced experience with Microsoft Office Suite.

Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.

Compensation & Benefits:

The annual compensation range for this position is $175-225k. The salary offered within this range will depend upon qualifications and other operational considerations.

Benefits offered for this position include health care; retirement benefits; paid days off, including sick time, and vacation time; parental leave; basic life insurance; Flexible Spending Accounts; as well as discretionary, performance-based bonuses.