Description
Role purpose
To manage a client revenue function in the London office. The client revenue function will coordinate assignments, budgeting, billing, e-billing, collecting, and reporting for local office and non-local offices' clients.
Main responsibilities
- Influence Billing Partners/Matter Management Attorneys and local billing teams across all offices via regular communication to achieve agreed billing cycle deadlines
- Ensure with assistance from the Pricing Team, compliance with agreed billing processes and procedures throughout the local and global billing community
- Ensure matters fully reflect client requirements / maintain our clients' data in SAP
- Ensure all WIP balances are addressed. Monthly WIP unless it is a project matters should be no older than 30 - 60 days
- Communicate to the local billing community via regular meetings on client change and how this impacts them in their day-to-day roles
- Ensure compliance with the relevant client fee deals and terms of engagement
- Deliver decisive analysis and advice on billings, WIP, AR, and Client Account as the finance expert for the key client relationships
- Keep schedules/WIP Tracker Reports up to date, to report on status as and when required
- Attend regular internal meetings/calls with local and overseas billing teams (where necessary) to discuss lock-up and recommendations for action
- Work closely with Revenue Team Leader and Revenue Manager to ensure the appropriate escalation of issues takes place
- Spot-check invoices for accuracy and work closely with the Matter Management, Pricing Analyst, and eBilling Team on identifying and addressing the causes of inaccuracy
- Work closely with other CSR with the same clients, to ensure the service provided is seamless
- Present options and recommendations to the client teams on requests received, based on general know-how of SAP and the most efficient processes
- Attend regular internal team meetings, to discuss issues of concerns and resolution, and share resolutions to issues / positive changes to existing processes
- Management/delivery of bespoke analysis requested by the client teams and local office Finance Management at periodic intervals or on an ad-hoc basis. Re-visit them to see if they can be automated
- Lead client meetings/calls in the areas of lock-up, ensuring the billing cycle is efficiently coordinated between our clients and the Firm
- Create a network both internally and externally linking in contacts to maximize efficiency around the billing cycle and collections management
- Be the first point of contact for the practice, business, the clients on all financial issues in London
- Be accountable for the management of both paper and electronic billing for our clients and keep track /records of bills sent directly to the client/or passed by Fee Earners
- Versed HMRC, Solicitors Regulatory Authority, and Firms Guidelines, to ensure compliance
Travel requirements : Limited if any travel
Function
The Finance function provides the following services to the Firm:
- Supporting strategic decision-making from a financial and business perspective
- Managing cash flow, including accounts payable, credit checks, billing, and collections
- Ensuring Firm-wide purchasing excellence and efficiency
- Providing financial reporting, budgets, and forecasts
- Securing financing across the global Firm
You will report to : Client Revenue Manager, Finance & Accounting
Your direct reports, if any : N/A
Key relationships : Internal Clients, Fee Earners and Support Staff and External Clients including Vendors
About the candidate
Technical skills, qualifications and experience:
- Significant knowledge of and experience with SAP, and especially the Firm's current implementation
- Significant knowledge and experience of electronic billing systems
- Significant business administrative experience
- Experience with the ability to advise senior leadership on key issues and make appropriate decisions to support Firm needs
- Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills
- An energetic, forward-thinking, and creative individual with high ethical standards
- An individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgement, and strong operational focus who is well organized and a team player
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to deal effectively at all levels
- Ability to establish productive working relationships with Billing Partners, Client Managers, Business Development Leads, Matter Management Partners, Overseas Offices, and Global Shared Services
- Teams
- Commercial pragmatic attitude and understanding of our client relationships
- Ability to establish working relationships with a client's accounts payable and procurement teams
- Ability to influence clients to refine current billing practices and resolve issues, both theirs and ours, without detriment to the overall client relationship
- Delivers high-quality work
- Maintains a courteous and professional manner
- Able to present information concisely and professionally
- Deals with sensitive information in an appropriate manner
- Is positive, polite, and attentive in all situations, responding promptly to requests
- Demonstrates a positive approach to working as part of a team and is a reliable and effective team member
- Is aware of the impact of own actions and modifies behaviours accordingly
- Willing to assist team members even when busy
- Works effectively with others outside formal lines of authority to accomplish organizational goals
- Respects and enjoys the diversity of cultural, social, and academic backgrounds found in the Firm
Personal qualities
These personal qualities represent the shared characteristics of high performers across Baker McKenzie, regardless of job level and location.
Know-how
- Demonstrates the ability to identify the real issue, and to anticipate requirements and potential consequences; distils a range of possibilities by thinking in a considered, prudent manner
- Has a capacity to take on new ideas and develop knowledge and think holistically about business and address media, analyst, employee, and client audiences
- Able to move through a variety of tasks requiring different approaches, knowledge, and expertise, with the agility of mind and capacity for analysis and synthesis
Dedication
- Driven by a strong personal sense of integrity and upholds exemplary quality standards
- Prepares thoroughly, takes responsibility, uses initiative, and is self-reliant to ensure work progresses to the fullest extent possible
- Hardworking and diligent with a keen understanding of client demands
- Demonstrates composure when dealing with difficult situations
Personal Impact
- Uses complex, coordinated influencing/negotiation strategies, adapted to people, organizations, and/or the situation, e.g. networks
- Leverages direct reports to facilitate increased collaboration across the organization
- Builds partnerships based on a common agreement that acknowledges individual differences but creates a new commonality beyond root belief large-scale
- Creates a positive impression at all times; develops relationships through collaboration and reciprocity
- Negotiates to achieve mutually satisfactory outcome; shows good judgment on when to stand strong and when to compromise
- Invests in, nurtures, and builds a network of productive relationships
Humanity
- Respectful to others, regardless of their position, and earns the respect of others by being transparent
- Has care and concern for others and a genuine interest in others as people
- Treats delicate or confidential issues with discretion
About Baker McKenzie
Complex business challenges require an integrated response across different markets, sectors, and areas of law. Baker McKenzie's client solutions provide seamless advice, underpinned by deep practice and sector expertise, as well as first-rate local market knowledge. Across more than 70 offices globally, Baker McKenzie works alongside our clients to deliver solutions for a connected world.
We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for all. Our unique international culture is reflected in the drawing together of a worldwide family of individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds in all of our offices. We encourage the best people -- regardless of race, religion, or belief if any, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or age -- to fulfill their professional aspirations with us.
The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of recent awards, including:
- Thomson Reuters (formerly Acritas' Sharplegal) Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index, 2010- 2022 - ranked 1st
- The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021-2022: currently ranked 52nd
- Thomson Reuters ranked the Firm No. 1 for cross-border deals for the last 12 years. More than 70% of our deals are cross-border.
- For the 14th consecutive year, the Firm was ranked first for deals with emerging market involvement, by both number of announced and completed deals.
- Law360 ranked the Firm as one of the 400 Largest US Law Firms in in its annual survey in 2020.
- Identified as one of the Hall of Fame for best law firms for women by Working Mother magazine, 2011-2021.
- Received a a Gold Award in Stonewall's Global Workplace Equality Index of Top Global Employers for LGBTQ+ Inclusion.
- Ranked as one of the Top 20 Employers in the 2023 Social Mobility Employer Index.
- Received Double Certification for earning top marks in the 2022 Corporate Equality Index and Equidad MX of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
- Winner of the Europe Mentorship Programme - International Firm award in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Europe Awards 2021
- Winner of the Gender Diversity International Firm, Talent Management International Firm, and Work-Life Balance International Firm awards in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Asia Awards 2021
Have a look at our YouTube channel to find out more about us!
To Apply
Please click on the Apply icon to start the online application process for this role. We will then be in touch with you once we have reviewed your application.
For more information about this position or to discuss any adjustments you may require during the process please contact in confidence, David Roberts, Recruitment Manager, on email david.roberts@bakermckenzie.com
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NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Please note Baker McKenzie does not accept unsolicited CVs. Please click here for details of our Agency Policy and commitment to sourcing directly.
Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
As the first truly global law firm, diversity and inclusion are foundational to our culture and strategic vision. We are a Firm of individuals from across the globe with different backgrounds, ideas, and points of view who collegially work together to solve complex problems and design practical solutions for our clients. Our multiple perspectives come from many sources, including the diverse ethnicity, culture, gender, nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, parental status, education, social background and life experience of our people.
Our global strategy is focused on our people, our culture, our clients and the communities where we operate. In 2019 we enacted ambitious new targets related to gender, racial and ethnic diversity at the Firm. These targets are viewed as a floor, not a ceiling, to advancing underrepresented groups, and they are backed by a variety of strategic initiatives aimed at achieving our goals. Our strategic vision is supported in London by six active employee led networks which champion diversity, lead on a number of internal campaigns and deliver a range of activity to celebrate differences in identity, inclusion, and key dates throughout the year including: LGBT+ History Month, International Women's Day, International Trans Day of Visibility, Mental Health Awareness Week, Pride, Black History Month, Social Mobility Week, International Day of Disabled Persons and many more!
Baker McKenzie London has been accredited by Disability Confident, joining over 18,000 organisations that have signed up to help change behaviours and cultures in businesses, networks and communities and reap the benefits of inclusive recruitment practices.