The Legal Project Manager will work alone or support Senior LPMs to secure, design, and lead the process control of projects. Delegate and manage the work of the Legal Project Coordinators. Ensure successful delivery of tasks within both clients- and internally-facing projects bringing solutions using established and new tools and processes.
Main responsibilities:
- Manage multiple projects with competing deadlines
- Scope and manage specific client-facing projects
- Manage own caseload and that of more junior legal project management resources on projects
- Liaise with the client and the Firm's client project team, as well as the Firm's specialist departments and offices worldwide, along with external stakeholders
- Use (and assist others in using) pricing tools and analyze the outputs, bringing in the Pricing Strategy Team as required
- Support the Principal/Lead Associate in defining matter scope, track and managing changes
- Capture explicit and implicit client requirements/ preferences and design the project approach accordingly
- Identify, quantify, record, and manage risks/issues in projects including mitigation strategies
- Prepare, manage and report on suitably-detailed project plans to internal and client matter teams
- Support whole-project budgeting, monitor, and report on costs and fees on an ongoing basis both internally and externally
- Prepare internal and client status reports and provide timely updates to team leaders on potential risks/issues identified
- Support the matter review process for key matters and identify areas of improvement in practice area processes through discussions with the fee earner
- Be creative, solve problems, and improve on standard delivery solutions on a given project
- Identify future needs/opportunities for new service delivery and lead on analysis and design workshops
- Work with the Global LPM Leadership Team to define, enhance and integrate a single set of project management standards, processes, methodologies, and tools to improve the efficiency of LPM
- Roll out improvements and solutions through individual attorney coaching and training sessions
- Work with internal stakeholders to secure and define LPM role on projects; move matter work into or out of the LPM team where appropriate
- Assign priorities across large task lists, identify and communicate dependencies, and capture items in project timelines
- Disaggregate routine tasks and reassign them by leveraging Alternative Legal
- Services and other non-traditional resourcing models on projects
- Clarify and communicate the roles and responsibilities of the project team and all internal/external stakeholders
- Actively contribute to the Firm's Innovation and LegalTech strategy and localize and leverage these on projects, finding ways to encourage team uptake
- Become a subject matter expert on given tech and standardized processes: evangelize, advise, train, apply to projects, and support refinement
- Lead portions of LPM training for internal audiences
- Design end-to-end, matter-specific portals for small to medium projects
- Integrate with allocated practice areas/ service lines; become comfortable with legal concepts/terminology/principles
- Strengthen the network of professional colleagues across the range of PBS (including Knowledge Management, Business Development, Finance, and IT), and legal teams, carving out a role for LPM on new projects
- Build strong client relationships both with client in-house lawyers and Legal Ops professionals; contribute to business development opportunities by leveraging this client knowledge
- Offer PM expertise to non-LPM initiatives
Travel Requirements:
This role requires some regional and some global travel driven by client requirements and other internal and external events related to the Professional Business Services function.
Technical skills, qualifications and experience:
- Bachelor's Degree (law or business degree preferred)
- Formal project management qualification of Prince 2 Practitioner or equivalent (required) and LSS Green Belt (desirable)
- Formal project management qualification of Prince 2 Agile, Management of Portfolios (MoP) or PMP (desirable)
- Strong experience in project management roles
- Ability to manage multiple projects at a time
- Understanding of/ experience working in large complex organizations, ideally in a law firm or professional services firm
- Knowledge/ experience of relevant IT packages: e.g. Document Management
- Systems, Project Extranets (e.g. SharePoint) or other collaborative project management tools, Other LegalTech knowledge desirable
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Visio, Excel, and financial systems and reports
- Experience in influencing or coaching within a professional services environment desirable
- Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills
- Demonstrated ability and desire to work collaboratively with senior-level professionals to help them succeed in meeting their business development objectives
- Ability to work independently and willingness to work hands-on to achieve objectives in a relatively "flat" organizational structure
- Ability to analyze matter-level performance including profitability
- Advanced knowledge and experience of data manipulation tools (e.g. Excel) and experience with visualization tools (e.g. Tableau)
- Demonstrated skills, knowledge, and experience in compiling executive summaries and status reports for consumption by attorneys and clients
- Ability to identify and secure future internal project management opportunities (including process improvement analysis or follow-on client work)
- Ability to cover a wide subject-matter range and difficulty level of tasks from thinking strategically to troubleshooting detail
- Ability to understand the impact of matter finance decisions on profitability to understand and independently calculate key financial metrics
- Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work in a dynamic and complex environment to meet deadlines and daily requirements
- Strong competency in continuous improvement, change management, flexible approach, and exceeding expectations
Personal qualities
These personal qualities represent the shared characteristics of high performers across Baker McKenzie, regardless of job level and location.
Know how
- Keeps across key developments in all relevant areas and demonstrates the ability to develop substantive authority in relation to the Firm's specialist fields
- Demonstrates the ability to identify the real issue, and to anticipate requirements and potential consequences; distils a range of possibilities by thinking in a considered, prudent manner
- Able to move through a variety of tasks requiring different approaches, knowledge, and expertise, with agility of mind and capacity for analysis and synthesis
Dedication
- Driven by a strong personal sense of integrity and upholds exemplary quality standards
- Prepares thoroughly, takes responsibility, uses initiative and is self reliant to ensure work progresses to the fullest extent possible
- Hardworking and diligent with a keen understanding of client demands
- Demonstrates composure when dealing with difficult situations
Personal Impact
- Creates a positive impression at all times; develops relationships through collaboration and reciprocity
- Negotiates to achieve outcomes that are mutually satisfactory; shows good judgement on when to stand strong and when to compromise
- Invests in, nurtures and builds a network of productive relationships
Humanity
- Respectful to others, regardless of their position, and earns the respect of others by being transparent
- Has care and concern for others and a genuine interest in others as people
- Treats delicate or confidential issues with grace and discretion.
Why Join Us?
Baker McKenzie is a truly global law firm. Founded in 1949, we advise many of the world's most dynamic and successful business organisations through our 13,200 people in 78 offices in 46 countries. Yet big does not mean impersonal. We work hard to ensure that everyone knows their role and has the support they need to perform it to the highest standard. Our culture encourages this - how we work, think and behave in a collaborative and fulfilling way.
In London you will be part of an 950 person office, which is also our largest office globally. Originally opened in 1961, Baker McKenzie London is well established in the UK as a leading international law firm and is regularly involved in some of the country's most high-profile legal matters. We can offer you the work, pride and experience of being part of a leading law firm but in a local office environment that is hardworking, yet friendly and supportive.
The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of recent awards, including:
- Thomson Reuters (formerly Acritas' Sharplegal) Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index, 2010- 2022 - ranked 1st
- The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021-2022: currently ranked 52nd
- Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters) ranked the Firm No. 1 for cross-border deals for the last 15 years. More than 70% of our deals are cross-border.
- Law360 ranked the Firm as one of the 400 Largest US Law Firms in in its annual survey in 2022.
- Identified as one of the Hall of Fame for best law firms for women by Working Mother magazine, 2011-2021.
- Received a Gold Award on Stonewall's 2022 Global Workplace Equality Index of Top Global Employers for LGBTQ+ people
- Ranked as one of the Top 10 Employers in the 2022 Social Mobility Employer Index.
- Received Double Certification for earning top marks in the 2022 Corporate Equality Index and Equidad MX of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
- Winner of the Europe Mentorship Programme - International Firm award in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Europe Awards 2021
- In 2022, we won Career Development International Firm, Diverse Women Lawyers International Firm, Work-Life Balance International Firm, Innovative International Firm of the Year and Women in Business International law firm (WIBL Asia).
- Baker McKenzie has been awarded "Women in Business Law Firm of the Year" and "Career Development Firm of the Year" at the inaugural Euromoney Women in Business Law Global Awards 2022.
Have a look at our YouTube channel to find out more about us!
To Apply
Please click on the Apply icon to start the online application process for this role. We will then be in touch with you once we have reviewed your application. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the Recruitment Team on either 020 7919 1000 or Recruitment.London@bakermckenzie.com
For more information about this position or to discuss any adjustments you may require during the process please contact in confidence, Vanessa Renforth, Recruitment Manager, on 020 7072 5731 or vanessa.renforth@bakermckenzie.com
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Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
As the first truly global law firm, diversity and inclusion are foundational to our culture and strategic vision. We are a Firm of individuals from across the globe with different backgrounds, ideas, and points of view who collegially work together to solve complex problems and design practical solutions for our clients. Our multiple perspectives come from many sources, including the diverse ethnicity, culture, gender, nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, parental status, education, social background and life experience of our people.
Our global strategy is focused on our people, our culture, our clients and the communities where we operate. In 2019 we enacted ambitious new targets related to gender, racial and ethnic diversity at the Firm. These targets are viewed as a floor, not a ceiling, to advancing underrepresented groups, and they are backed by a variety of strategic initiatives aimed at achieving our goals. Our strategic vision is supported in London by six active employee led networks which champion diversity, lead on a number of internal campaigns and deliver a range of activity to celebrate differences in identity, inclusion, and key dates throughout the year including: LGBT+ History Month, International Women's Day, International Trans Day of Visibility, Mental Health Awareness Week, Pride, Black History Month, Social Mobility Week, International Day of Disabled Persons and many more!
Baker McKenzie London has been accredited by Disability Confident, joining over 18,000 organisations that have signed up to help change behaviours and cultures in businesses, networks and communities and reap the benefits of inclusive recruitment practices.