at DLA Piper in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let’s see what we can achieve. Together.
Summary? ??
The Client Operations Lead is an advanced level Legal Biller with analytical and job priority sequencing responsibilities. This position will not have permanently assigned billing responsibilities is expected to successfully but dynamically manage the firm’s top-tier billing portfolios based on an as needed basis potentially supporting multiple managers / billing teams to temporarily assume the duties for billing support models to include highest volumes and fees for institutional, high-profile clients and attorneys. Based on overlapping assignments from multiple managers or for providing interim support for multiple biller’s positions, the Operations Lead will be responsible to analyze and prioritize responsibilities to ensure maximum contribution to the larger billing organization, which includes process and gap analysis to be incorporated into customized training and mentoring to other staff members on all billing procedures. As part of the team, the position provides and ensures a cohesive, full-cycle billing support solution to billing attorneys with complex domestic and international billing books. Serves as proxy for regional managers as needed and is considered a subject-matter expert in the field of billing. May provide temporary managerial support in the absences of designated regional managers or be a functional supplemental senior-level billing resources during absences, unplanned vacancies and/or during periods of increase work content within a designated regional territory. Represents the department by participating in client meetings and across groups and sets and drives agendas impacting billing practices and processes.
The position will report to a Manager, Sr Manager, or Director in the department with ongoing assignments that require taking directions from or providing support to multiple regional managers simultaneously. This position is remote and may require work across various time zones and may require dynamic work schedules that change according to business needs of assigned region.??
Location
This position can be remote. Candidates may be required on occasion to visit the local office when/if needed.
Responsibilities ?
+ Provide temporary managerial support in the absences of designated regional managers.
+ Provide temporary functional supplemental senior-level billing resources during absences, unplanned vacancies and/or during periods of increase work content within a designated regional territory.
+ Be the Subject Matter Expert to help provide legal billing surge support for several regional billing teams / managers. Internal assignments made on an as need basis to provide short to mid-term support for designated billing groups experiencing temporary production surges or shortfalls of required billing resources. Assignments may include splitting time and working in allocated incremental assignments for multiple managers providing billing for multiple billing attorneys.
+ Review data for accuracy prior to submitting it; gather and submit accrual information based on client requirements.
+ Research and resolve electronic billing rejections.
+ Research client billing data and provides detailed analysis to attorneys and support staff.
+ Track and resolve tickets assigned by the Accounting Service Desk on a daily basis.
+ Works across multiple teams of support specialists within both Legal Support Services and Accounting teams to provide effective, streamlined billing and client account services to attorneys of the firm.
+ Responsible to analyze and prioritize responsibilities to ensure maximum contribution to the larger billing organization, which includes process and gap analysis to be incorporated into customized training and mentoring to other staff members on all billing procedures.
+ Maintain an accurate description of all client billing requirements which may also include guidelines established by the client’s general counsel. Update and track changes to the requirements as necessary.
+ Interact with billing department stakeholders to understand business problems and define solution requirements.
+ Analyze legal billing process and supporting systems and develop business cases, build metrics and perform reporting. Document and communicate functional and system requirements and build process-flow diagrams. Also, continually review internal processes for opportunities to improve efficiencies.
+ Apply best practices for effective communication and problem solving, create standardized department reports, analyze data and document areas requiring improvement.
+ Support projects and reporting efforts and liaise with project participants and follow up routinely to ensure effective communication and completion of tasks.
+ Interface with IT and various departments to support execution of cross-functional project requirements and perform system testing and requirements validation.
+ For US clients: support the full billing cycle to reviewing and editing proformas, seeking requisite approvals for deferrals, write-offs, and time transfers. Field billing inquiries from adjacent support groups and attorneys. Create and maintain complex monthly reporting.
+ For global clients: coordinate and lead global client unified billing, which includes review data for accuracy prior to submission, managing global client account assignments and performing all full-cycle billing functions associated with both the firm’s and the client’s billing requirements. Create and maintain complex monthly reporting. Liaise with international attorneys and/or finance counterparts to obtain accurate accrual and forecasting information for monthly client reporting. Follow-up frequently with international counterparts to ensure that engaged locations stay within budget and issue invoices timely. Troubleshoot issues with finance counterparts as needed. Track and resolve tickets assigned by the Accounting Service Desk on a daily basis. Generate global client LEDES files for electronic billing based on client requirements.
+ Develop training programs to ensure consistent billing processes across the team and provide training to attorneys and staff as needed.
+ Finalize invoices and submit them directly to the client (per policy) or provide them to attorneys for transmission to the client (per approved exceptions to policy), also, includes other billing information as needed.
+ Serve as a point of escalation and Quality Analyst to support and coach more junior Specialists; provide support, guidance, mentoring, and training to staff as needed.
Minimum Education ??
+ Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or Business Process Management from an accredited institution or comparable experience gained through advanced on the job experience as a senior-level Legal Biller
Preferred Education
+ Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or Business Process Management from an accredited institution or additional comparable experience gained through advanced on the job experience as a senior-level Legal Biller
Minimum Years of Experience ?
+ 5 years experience in a Sr. level Legal Billing position managing high volume billing portfolio in a fast-paced customer environment, customer service and business analysis
Essential Job Expectations ??
While the specific job requirements of a DLA Piper position may vary depending upon scope of the job and area of specialty, there are certain universal requirements that are expected of all DLA Piper employees, which include but are not limited to