Client Account Operations Lead - CT/ET

DLA Piper is a bold, exceptional, collaborative, and supportive firm where our people are the backbone, heart, and soul. This role offers the opportunity to engage in meaningful work and grow your career while collaborating with a dynamic team.

About the role

The Client Accounts Operations Lead is an advanced-level Legal Biller with analytical and job-priority sequencing responsibilities. This position dynamically manages the firm’s top-tier billing portfolios on an as-needed basis, supporting multiple managers and billing teams. Responsibilities include analyzing and prioritizing tasks to maximize contribution to the billing organization, conducting process and gap analysis, and providing customized training and mentoring to staff on billing procedures.

The role serves as a subject-matter expert in billing, providing full-cycle billing support for complex domestic and international client accounts. It may also include temporary managerial support during absences or periods of increased workload. The position requires collaboration across teams, participation in client meetings, and driving agendas that impact billing practices and processes. This is a remote role that may require work across various time zones and dynamic schedules based on business needs.

Location

This hybrid position can be based in one of the following offices: Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Short Hills, Washington, DC, or Wilmington.

Responsibilities

• Provide temporary managerial support in the absence of designated regional managers.
• Serve as a functional supplemental senior-level billing resource during absences, unplanned vacancies, or periods of increased workload.
• Act as a subject-matter expert to provide legal billing surge support for multiple regional billing teams and managers.
• Manage internal assignments on an as-needed basis to support billing groups experiencing temporary production surges or resource shortfalls.
• Split time and work across multiple managers, providing billing support for multiple attorneys.
• Review data for accuracy prior to submission and gather/submit accrual information based on client requirements.
• Research and resolve electronic billing rejections and client billing data, providing detailed analysis to attorneys and support staff.
• Track and resolve tickets assigned by the Accounting Service Desk daily.
• Collaborate across multiple teams within Legal Support Services and Accounting to streamline billing and client account services.
• Analyze and prioritize responsibilities to ensure maximum contribution to the billing organization, including process and gap analysis for training and mentoring.
• Maintain accurate descriptions of client billing requirements, including guidelines from the client’s general counsel, and track updates.
• Interact with billing department stakeholders to understand business problems and define solution requirements.
• Analyze legal billing processes and systems, develop business cases, build metrics, and perform reporting. Document and communicate functional and system requirements, and create process-flow diagrams.
• Apply best practices for communication and problem-solving, create standardized department reports, analyze data, and document areas for improvement.
• Support projects, report efforts, liaise with project participants, and follow up to ensure effective communication and task completion.
• Interface with IT and various departments to support cross-functional project requirements, perform system testing, and validate requirements.
• For U.S. clients: Support the full billing cycle, including reviewing and editing proformas, seeking approvals for deferrals, write-offs, and time transfers. Field billing inquiries and create/maintain complex monthly reporting.
• For global clients: Coordinate and lead unified billing, review data for accuracy, manage global client account assignments, and perform full-cycle billing functions. Liaise with international attorneys and finance counterparts for accrual and forecasting information, and troubleshoot issues as needed.
• Generate global client LEDES files for electronic billing based on client requirements.
• Develop training programs to ensure consistent billing processes and provide training to attorneys and staff.
• Finalize and submit invoices directly to clients or provide them to attorneys for transmission, including other billing information as needed.
• Serve as a point of escalation and quality analyst, providing support, guidance, mentoring, and training to junior staff.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED (Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years’ senior-level legal billing experience managing high-volume billing portfolios in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced on-the-job experience as a senior-level Legal Biller.
• Expert-level knowledge and experience with direct billing or client accounts (domestic, global, and e-Billing) for a law firm or professional services organization.
• Strong knowledge of Aderant Legal Billing accounting system.
• Proficiency in e-billing applications such as e-Hub or Bill Blast.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills for interacting with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to recognize opportunities for efficiency improvements.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex problems independently while taking direction well.
• Strong computer skills, including advanced Microsoft Excel (Lookup and PivotTable functions).
• Organized, self-starter with the ability to handle multiple projects and meet concurrent deadlines.
• Ability to prioritize assignments and provide backup billing support to multiple managers.

Skills

• Team-oriented with the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Accurate proofreader with strong attention to detail.
• Comfortable summarizing and communicating project scope and execution.
• Experience in coaching billing employees on industry and process-level optimization.

Essential Job Expectations

• Demonstrate excellence in serving clients and developing people, upholding firm values.
• Communicate effectively with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and external audiences.
• Produce high-quality work and respond to correspondence efficiently and professionally.
• Meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and commit to high standards.
• Comply with firm policies and procedures.
• Maintain confidentiality as required in a law firm environment.

Physical Demands

This is primarily sedentary work, requiring occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force. The role involves sitting for extended periods, with occasional walking and standing. Occasional domestic and international travel may be required.

Pay

The expected hiring range for this position is $89,991 - $137,126 per year, depending on the candidate’s geographic market location and experience.