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 supporting the firm’s strategic initiatives.

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, potentially 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 ensures a cohesive, full-cycle billing support solution for attorneys with complex domestic and international billing books, serves as a subject-matter expert in billing, and may provide temporary managerial support in the absence of regional managers. The position is remote and may require work across various time zones or dynamic schedules based on business needs.

Location

This hybrid role 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 regional billing teams or managers.
• Handle internal assignments to support billing groups experiencing temporary production surges or resource shortfalls, including splitting time across multiple managers and billing 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 with Legal Support Services and Accounting teams to streamline billing and client account services.
• Analyze and prioritize responsibilities to maximize contribution to the billing organization, including process and gap analysis for training and mentoring.
• Maintain accurate client billing requirements, including guidelines from the client’s general counsel, and update them as necessary.
• Interact with billing stakeholders to understand business problems and define solution requirements.
• Analyze legal billing processes and systems, develop business cases, build metrics, and perform reporting. Document functional and system requirements and create process-flow diagrams.
• Apply best practices for communication and problem-solving, create standardized reports, analyze data, and document areas for improvement.
• Support projects, report efforts, liaise with project participants, and ensure effective communication and task completion.
• Interface with IT and other departments to execute 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, troubleshoot issues, and generate LEDES files for electronic billing.
• Develop training programs to ensure consistent billing processes and provide training to attorneys and staff as needed.
• Finalize and submit invoices directly to clients or provide them to attorneys for transmission, including other billing information as required.
• Serve as a point of escalation and Quality Analyst, supporting and coaching junior specialists, and providing guidance, mentoring, and training to 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 experience as a Legal Biller in a major law firm or professional services organization.
• Expert-level knowledge of direct billing or client accounts, including domestic, global, and e-Billing.
• 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.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including 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.

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 role involves primarily sedentary work, requiring occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force. It includes extended periods of sitting, with occasional walking and standing, and may involve domestic or international travel.

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.