Director, Litigation Strategy & Practice Management

About the role

Cooley is seeking a Director of Litigation Strategy & Practice Management to join the Practice Management team. Our litigation departments are regarded as one of the elite litigation practices solving issues for global leaders. We have continued to recruit the best of the next generation of lawyers, and we remain the leading firm for the representation of tech, life sciences and other innovative companies.

Position Summary

This Director role is a high-level position that will work closely with the department chair and practice group leaders to provide sophisticated financial and operational oversight that helps formulate, articulate and implement strategy.

Position Responsibilities

• In conjunction with leadership, help to develop business plans for assigned practice group(s) and at the department level, manage implementation, monitor progress and suggest proactive measures to help achieve or exceed plan goals and targets
• Monitors group financial performance, working with Department Chairs and PGLs to address issues and opportunities
• Analyze pipeline and demand metrics and manage capacity planning processes in collaboration with talent management function
• Act as primary point of contact for department leadership on administrative and operational matters, escalating to proper administrative department leadership (i.e., legal talent, HR, marketing, Technology) as appropriate
• Facilitate long-term planning and growth strategies for assigned practice area(s) and respective department(s)
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of the overall department leadership function and facilitate leadership succession
• Draft internal presentations and internal department-wide communications
• Deliver and share information with clarity and discretion on behalf of the department teams
• Serve as mentor to direct reports
• 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

Skills and experience

• 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
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business, finance, accounting, talent-related field
• 10+ years of directly relevant exempt-level experience (e.g., a management, finance, analytics, talent or advisory leadership role in a law firm, professional services/consulting firm or financial institution) with 5+ years of management experience in relevant roles
• Demonstrated success supporting senior executives

Preferred

• Law firm, banking and/or professional services experience

Competencies

• Entrepreneurial by nature
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with ability to facilitate
• Superior problem-solving skills – ability to think critically and strategically to provide analysis and steps for improvement
• Able to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities often under tight timelines
• Able to drive projects to completion and achieve goals
• Excellent judgment indicated by making sound and practical decisions
• Team-player with collaborative spirit
• Unwavering ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, client data
• Highest level of professionalism at all times
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent
• Effective presentation skills
• Willingness to adapt to changing business demands
• Maintain a high level of professional integrity and possess the ability to build trust with stakeholders and others
• Highly organized with a keen sense of attention to detail
• Discrete and highly trustworthy

Pay and Benefits

The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $240,000 - $290,000. Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate. We offer a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and are committed to fair and equitable employment practices. EOE