Legal Project Analyst

Company Description

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Job Description

The role

As a Legal Project Analyst, you will have an impact on how we provide the best-in-class service delivery through our legal project management capabilities to our lawyers and support the Legal Project Managers (LPMs) on large and complex projects/matters.

Availability for shifts in CE, UK, or US time zones is required for this role.

Who you will work with

Legal Project Management Team sits within our "Best Delivery" hubs which are aligned to global business units of Corporate, Global Financial Markets and Litigation & Dispute Resolution. The purpose of Best Delivery is to ensure that we can deliver an outstanding client experience on every matter, every time. Our application of continuous improvement principles, smart technology and the most efficient and effective resources are all geared to improving outcomes for our clients' business. It is an established and critical strand to our Innovation change programme with far-reaching global coverage.

What you will be responsible for

You will collaborate closely with LPMs and work in coordination with Legal Support Secretaries, as well as various other teams including the billing team, GPMS IT, Legal technology advisors, and continuous improvement teams to offer financial and project/matter management support for various matters. Building strong relationships with LPMs, partners, and lawyers will be essential in this role.

What you will do

Commercial Support

• Preparing fee reports for internal and external clients
• Tracking project workstreams, preparing budget and forecasting using fee reports to make recommendations to the legal team.
• Conduct analysis on data, such as leverage and profitability calculations, and carry out burn rate and run rate analysis on projects.

Technical Support

• Using defined templates, SOPs and tools to produce reports useful for the matter team.
• Using existing reports and systems available in Clifford Chance to provide best-in-class project management support and improve the overall service delivery.
• Understanding matter processes and how they could be improved, and creating a tool, to address the need.
• Working on Clifford Chance Best Delivery tools such as CC Connect and KIRA etc in updating fee reports, extending accesses to the site to the matter team, third parties and client, uploading and downloading of documents.

Financial Support

• Drafting and circulating time recording guidelines to matter teams, considering appropriate time recording practices and client-specific requirements.
• Tracking CC and third-party fees against budgets/fee estimates for the File Partner, Managing Associate and client.
•  Provide a suite of financial and profitability reporting.

Matter Support and Coordination

• Reviewing draft invoices, and identifying and checking amendments.
• Attending CC matter team meetings and client calls, preparing meeting agendas, and drafting and circulating actions following meetings.
• Assist in tracking Out of Scope work by reviewing Action Log and by analysing timesheets submitted by lawyers on a matter.
• Assist in keeping a track of breach of assumptions mentioned in the engagement letter/contract.
• Preparing Resource planner, Working Parties List
• Providing useful analysis using profitability dashboards for crucial decision making for partners.
• Assisting project managers with organizing and controlling project activities.
• Organising communications among the CC and client teams such contacts lists, distribution lists, absence planning and access to key documents.

Qualifications

Your career experience so far

• Excellent MS Excel, VBA, Access Knowledge is preferable.
• Dashboard & Management Reporting is preferred.
• Understanding of Clarity PPM is preferred.
• Knowledge on Power Pivots is desired but not mandatory.
• Must have strong commitment to quality, detail orientation, customer service & drive for results to ensure maximum system utilization & data integrity.
• Excellent communication, problem solving & developing, organizational & analytical skills required.
• Understanding of financial terms (like net fees, profitability, recovery, Debt details etc. are required).
• Able to work under pressure, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritise appropriately and delegate to others where appropriate.
• able to constructively raise concerns about priorities and capacity building.
•  Strong stakeholder relationship building and networking skills, able to work collaboratively with other teams, such as the Legal Secretaries or Billing community.
• Flair for technology.
• Experience of working on project management software.
• Able to put together scope, timelines, action logs, project plan/WBS using client RFP(request for proposal).
• Assign tasks to internal teams such as legal secretaries and billing and track progress made.
• Help LPMs prepare fee estimates.
• Monitor project progress and flag project risks and dependencies, help LPMs handle any issues (non-legal aspect of the project/matter) proactively.

Professional Expertise & Qualification

• Master's degree or equivalent (Finance domain will be an added advantage).
• 4 + years of work experience in a corporate/MNC.
• Prior experience in project management or project coordination coupled with financial reporting/management and strong relationship building.
• Interest in data storytelling would be a great fit.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Additional Information

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.