Description:
Job Description:Support the Managing Partner in Attorney Performance and Accountability
- Partner with other senior leadership in meetings addressing attorney performance, productivity, case progress, and professional expectations.
- Evaluate explanations for missed goals, distinguish legitimate obstacles from avoidable delays, and ask informed follow-up questions.
- Help establish clear commitments, measurable corrective steps, and appropriate follow-up.
- Bring legal credibility, preparation, and fair judgment to difficult conversations while reinforcing a culture of ownership and accountability.
- Help ensure that performance expectations support quality representation and professional obligations.
- Advise leadership and HR on employee relations, performance management, workplace complaints, investigations, discipline, and separations.
- Draft, review, and negotiate employment-related agreements and support clear, consistently applied policies.
- Review and negotiate vendor and service agreements, identifying material obligations, costs, renewal terms, termination rights, and exposure.
- Coordinate specialized outside counsel when needed and manage assignments toward a timely, practical resolution.
- In the rare instances where the firm may have legal exposure, independently investigate issues arising from the firm's cases that may create legal, ethical, financial, operational, or reputational exposure.
- Review relevant facts, documents, legal authority, deadlines, and the responsible attorney's proposed approach before escalating an issue to leadership.
- Deliver concise risk assessments explaining the concern, potential consequences, available options, and recommended course of action.
- Work with responsible attorneys to confirm that appropriate steps are being taken and follow corrective actions through completion.
- Support sound case handling while preserving the responsible attorney's ownership of the matter. This position is advisory and does not ordinarily involve taking over cases or appearing in court.
- Escalate urgent or material concerns promptly, with the best available analysis and a clear plan for resolving remaining questions.
- Help spearhead the legal work associated with a potential management services organization (MSO) transition.
- Coordinate with leadership and outside advisers to assess the proposed structure, identify requirements and risks, prepare agreements, and manage implementation.
- Support potential acquisitions through due diligence, transaction review, negotiation, closing, and integration planning.
- Identify professional responsibility and other regulatory considerations that require specialized advice.
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Experience evaluating litigation or case-related exposure, including the ability to research unfamiliar issues and assess the adequacy of a proposed response.
- Working knowledge of law firm operations and professional responsibility.
- Experience advising on employment matters and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Ability to work effectively with attorneys, operational leaders, financial executives, and outside advisers.
- Strong research, writing, negotiation, and project management skills.
- Experience with law firm risk management, plaintiff-side practice, MSO structures, or business mergers or acquisitions is particularly valuable.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience:
- J.D. and active bar membership in good standing, with eligibility to serve in this role in the firm's operating jurisdictions; 20+ years of litigation or other related experience preferred.
- Substantial legal experience demonstrating independent judgment and responsibility for complex matters; personal injury experience or substantial research and writing experience strongly preferred.
- Experience evaluating litigation or case-related exposure, including the ability to research unfamiliar issues and assess the adequacy of a proposed response.
- Working knowledge of law firm operations and professional responsibility.
- Experience advising on employment matters and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Ability to work effectively with attorneys, operations leaders, financial executives, and outside advisers.
- Strong research, writing, negotiation, and project management skills.
- Experience with law firm risk management, plaintiff-side practice, MSO structure, business mergers or acquisitions is particularly valuable.
Physical Requirements:
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization's facilities.
Thorough, direct, commercially minded, and comfortable holding others accountable; asks questions, verifies facts, and tests assumptions before reaching conclusions.
Able to challenge a senior attorney respectfully, support the firm's senior leadership in a difficult performance conversation, and explain a complex issue to the Managing Partner in plain language. Distinguishes exposure from manageable risk and pairs concerns with practical solutions.
Demonstrates discretion, sound judgment, emotional steadiness, and consistent follow-through. Knows when to act independently, when leadership needs to decide, and when specialized outside counsel is necessary.
Additional Information:
Additional Information
