Legal Project Manager

Job Description

We are currently recruiting for a Legal Project Manager to join our Project Management team in London. The successful candidate will be a qualified junior or mid-level lawyer or will have experience as a Legal Project Manager and must be hard working, enthusiastic, a team player, have a high level of initiative and a willingness to learn. Advanced organisational skills, attention to detail and exemplary writing skills are key.

The role is permanent and will involve direct client contact therefore excellent communication, professionalism and interpersonal skills are essential.

Additionally to support our most complex matters, the department provides legal project manager resource.

• The purpose of this role is to help increase efficiency, provide exceptional client service and increase profitability on our most complex matters through effective legal project management.
• This position will accelerate our ability to deliver tangible financial and non-financial benefits on selected key matters (in conjunction with the legal team), and to develop, co-ordinate, and implement consistent best practice across our firm.
• Working closely with Senior Legal Project Managers and lead partners, the Legal Project Manager (LPM) will assist the efficient management of sophisticated client engagements and will relieve busy lawyers of certain non-legal activities delegating to more junior members of the PMO as appropriate.
• The LPM will directly support those matters where management to the agreed commercial terms is critical, and where there are a large number of practice areas, fee earners or jurisdictions involved. Support will primarily be given by supporting client teams to better manage project scope and delivery, resulting in capturing out of scope revenue, minimising write-offs, and improving overall matter efficiency
• The LPM will help foster the integration of legal project management techniques into the culture of the firm and in specific client engagements through the utilisation of the firm's technology, the deployment of firm resources, and by helping to engineer engagement plans that result in high value to the client, exceptional client service and high profitability for the firm.
• The LPM will be assisting with defining and implementing legal project management best practices throughout the firm through training and tool development.

Supporting the lead matter partner and matter manager through the lifecycle of our complex matters, specifically:

Assisting the Senior Legal Project Manager with:

• Scoping; budgeting; setting up project phases
• Preparation of project plans / timelines for internal and external use
• Coordinating matter opening process
• Identifying stakeholders and establish a communication plan

Assisting the Senior Legal Project Manager with:

• Co-ordinate work effort; status reporting; liaising with client and communicating progress; tracking scope changes
• Financial management: on-going monitoring of fees, run rates and other key financial metrics; regular updates to the client on fees and disbursement; review of fee-earner narratives to ensure they are to the client agreed format
• Updates to project plans / timelines
• Co-ordinate cross-departmental / jurisdictional activity
• Co-ordinate creation and execution of work plans
• Ensure effective communication with specialist departments and counsel (internal and external); and that the communication plan is adhered to
• Provide timely updates to matter partner and matter manager on potential issues identified
• Risk and change management

Assisting the Senior Legal Project Manager with:

• Supporting the post-matter review process including: update project plans / timelines; review matter finances; facilitate learning for future similar matters
• Ensure know-how is archived
• Co-ordinate matter closing process

Assisting the Senior Legal Project Manager with:

• Identify improvements to work product and processes and support implementation of their improvement
• Maintain a close relationship with support departments to communicate potential improvements to software and systems
• Introduce new working efficiencies where appropriate and coach team
• The position will require the skills of an individual capable of facilitating process mapping planning sessions, data collection and analysis, implementing improvements and controls and leveraging technology and knowledge management solutions

• Experience as a project manager in a law firm or professional services firm on client facing, fee-earning legal projects
• The role is also appropriate for a junior to mid-level lawyer from a magic or silver circle firm, who excels at matter management
• Demonstrated experience in leading and managing (to time and budget) work streams within complex projects that are strategic and large in scope
• It is essential the incumbent is comfortable with financial management
• Advanced organisational and influencing skills,…