The Role
Lead billing operations and teams across US and Asia to ensure accurate, timely billing and month-end close; drive process and technology improvements, manage unbilled WIP, oversee IP billing and PwC audit coordination, support partner billing guidance and staffing/HR activities.
Summary Generated by Built In
Director of Client AccountsCooley is seeking a Director of Client Accounts to join the Accounting & Finance team.Position summary: The Director of Client Accounts partners closely with attorneys and firm leadership to drive strong billing practices, support overall financial performance, and enhance billing efficiency. A key focus of the role is leveraging technology and process improvements to optimize billing workflows and shorten the billing cycle, while maintaining high standards of accuracy and service. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:Position responsibilities:
- Lead and manage US and Asia direct reports, including staffing, workload oversight, and employee lifecycle activities in partnership with HR
- Oversee end-to-end billing operations, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and timely month-end close, and deliver performance reporting to CFO and Director of Revenue
- Drive continuous process improvements to eliminate inefficiencies and enhance billing workflows
- Monitor, report, and escalate unbilled WIP aging to partners and leadership, ensuring visibility to revenue exposure on matters where work has been performed but invoices have not yet been billed
- Work closely with New Business to evaluate new and updated Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs), propose amendments, identifying non-compliant or unfeasible requirements, and determine overall acceptability of engagement terms
- Oversee Intellectual Property (IP) billing operations, including management of patent fixed-rate structures, annual rate updates, creation and retirement of task codes, guidance on billing procedures, and implementation of invoice template changes
- Serve as a resource to billing partners, by providing guidance on billing best practices, including discounting, matter closures, financial analysis, and effective invoice presentation
- Oversee biannual PwC audit processes by coordinating the collection of approved pro formas and supporting documentation, ensuring all billing approvals (including write-offs and discounts) are properly documented, validating compliance with client billing guidelines, and managing submission of audit materials through the PwC portal
- Track and manage secondment agreements, including identifying new agreements and coordinating with the team to issue monthly secondment services for prior periods
- Serve as direct supervisor and mentor to direct reports
- Provide day-to-day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with assigned work hours and monitor for compliance with all firm and department policies. Manage staffing coverage, review and process time logs/time off requests
- Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities
- In collaboration with immediate supervisor and central HR, participate in hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination and other employee lifecycle events
- All other duties as assigned or required
- After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications
- Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
- Ability to travel, as required
- 10+ years of directly relevant exempt level applicable experience in the field with 5+ years management experience in relevant roles
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Supervisory experience
- Prior law firm experience
- 3E experience highly preferred
- Entrepreneurial by nature
- Excellent attention to detail
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with ability to facilitate and solve problems
- Ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities often under tight timelines
- Ability to drive projects to completion and achieve goals
- Strong judgment
- Team-player with collaborative spirit
- Unwavering ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, and client data
- High level of professionalism at all times
- Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent
- Proactive, analytical mindset
- Effective presentation skills
Skills Required
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications (after orientation)
- Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
- Ability to travel, as required
- 10+ years of directly relevant exempt level applicable experience
- 5+ years management experience in relevant roles
- Bachelor's Degree
- Supervisory experience
- Prior law firm experience
- 3E experience
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The Company
What We Do
Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law. Cooley has 1,300+ lawyers across 19 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe, and a total workforce of more than 3,000. Attorney Advertising: This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your access or use of the content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Cooley LLP, Cooley (UK) LLP, Cooley SG LLP, Cooley HK or any other Cooley entity (collectively referred to as “Cooley”). By reviewing this content, you agree that the information provided does not constitute legal or other professional advice. This content is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction and you should not act or refrain from acting based on this content. This content may be changed without notice, and it is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up to date, and it may not reflect the most current legal developments. This content may be considered attorney advertising. Do not send any confidential information to Cooley, as we do not have any duty to keep it confidential. Cooley’s privacy policy: https://bit.ly/CooleyLLPprivacy
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