Director, Strategic Client Finance

Our Finance team is responsible for ensuring accurate financial operations and plays a crucial role in managing the Firms financial health. Our team handles a wide range of financial activities including financial planning budgeting forecasting taxation partner compensation payroll treasury and cash flow management to support the Firms strategic goals. We are responsible for inventory management including billing and collections and analysis of client matter and timekeeper profitability. We oversee statutory accounting and ensure compliance with financial regulations and standards. The Finance team also prepares financial statements reports and analysis to provide insights into the Firms financial performance. We work closely with other functions to monitor expenses optimize financial processes and implement cost-saving initiatives. Through meticulous financial management and strategic planning the Finance team ensures the Firms financial stability and supports its growth objectives.

Our Functional Area

The Global Finance team is led by the Firms CFO and is made up of approximately 400 team members around the world. Our core functions include billing and collecting Firm invoices statutory accounting for the Firm and for individual offices creating and distributing management reports processing payments to vendors or reimbursements to employees and managing payroll for our people. Together we work seamlessly across our network of offices and countries where we operate. Ours is a multicultural diverse and supportive team where everyones contribution is welcome and where we share a mutual ambition to achieve our goals and take the Firm from strength to strength.

Our teams remit includes partner compensation and the maintenance of partner equity accounts; strategic procurement of vendor services; global tax strategies; inventory management and finally analysis of the profitability of clients matters and groups of timekeeper. We work with partners and with other business services groups to establish hourly billing rates as well as client-specific fee arrangements. Our Treasury team is responsible for global cash management foreign currencies and hedging.

In consultation with Firm leaders we set annual global revenue and expense budgets across Regional Sections and offices including legal and business service departments. The team continuously reviews expenditure throughout the year to ensure that the Firms resources are being used efficiently.

Position Summary

The Director Strategic Client Finance will serve as the head of finance for a key global technology client relationship (the Firms largest client) providing senior financial leadership within the relationships Executive Office. The role will establish and lead the financial governance operating discipline and reporting required to manage a complex high-value global portfolio effectively.

The relationship encompasses hundreds of active matters across approximately 160 countries supported by more than 500 firm timekeepers and an extensive network of over 200 local counsel relationships. Operating through a central finance and operations hub in Los Angeles the role will bring consistent financial oversight controls and insight across a global delivery model.

As a senior member of the Executive Office the Director Strategic Client Finance will work hand in hand with the Global Relationship Partner Head of Legal Operations and Chief of Staff to support strategic decision-making and translate the relationships commercial priorities into practical financial and operational plans assess investment decisions manage portfolio performance identify risks and opportunities across the global delivery model.

The role will lead an established finance and invoice compliance team supporting the relationship. This comprises a finance team of three Revenue Controllers (plus a Finance Manager currently being recruited) responsible for revenue management billing coordination matter financial performance and forecasting; and a five-person invoice compliance team led by a manager responsible for invoice review client billing requirements local counsel payment and engagement-term compliance. This role will provide strategic direction establish accountability and build a high-performing team capable of consistent delivery across the global portfolio.

Working closely with the Global Relationship Partner firm leadership and cross-functional teams the Director Strategic Client Finance will oversee billing accuracy revenue management client budget performance forecasting profitability analysis financial reporting accounts payable and invoice compliance serving as the central point of coordination for financial matters improving transparency reducing operational friction and ensuring that client requirements firm financial objectives and service standards are consistently met.

By building scalable financial and operational infrastructure the Director Strategic Client Finance will enable the Global Relationship Partner and wider Executive Office to focus on strategic client service mentoring business development innovation and continued growth of the practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and hands-on financial leadership across all aspects of the global client relationship spanning hundreds of active matters across approximately 160 countries including billing revenue budget-to-actual performance forecasting reporting profitability and compliance
• Establish and maintain robust financial governance controls and operating rhythms that support accurate timely and disciplined financial management
• Partner with Global Relationship Partner Finance leadership Legal Operations and client teams to provide financial insights identify risks and opportunities and support informed decision-making
• Oversee client budget performance including tracking against approved budgets monitoring matter-level financial activity across the portfolio and escalating issues or variances as needed to relevant stakeholders including the Legal Operations team
• Lead revenue management activities including oversight of work in progress collections realization billing cycles and revenue leakage across a portfolio supported by more than 500 firm timekeepers
• Drive accurate and timely billing by coordinating with attorneys billing professionals and operational teams to ensure invoices comply with client requirements and outside counsel guidelines
• Lead and develop the dedicated billing team three Revenue Controllers and an incoming Finance Manager providing direction prioritization coaching and performance oversight to ensure consistent service delivery and accountability
• Oversee the five-person invoice compliance team including its manager responsible for the management review and processing of bills from the relationship network of over 200 local counsels globally
• Strengthen accounts payable and invoice compliance processes including review of local counsel billing adherence to client guidelines issue resolution and timely processing
• Develop and deliver regular financial reporting dashboards variance analyses forecasts and profitability insights for firm leadership and the Executive Office
• Prepare ad-hoc financial reporting and analysis to address emerging business needs stakeholder requests and client requirements
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes reduce operational friction improve coordination and enhance the quality and consistency of financial information
• Serve as a senior point of escalation for all finance matters including; complex billing finance AP and local counsel invoice compliance matters ensuring timely resolution and proactive stakeholder communication
• Maintain a strong understanding of client billing guidelines outside counsel requirements legal finance best practices and law firm financial operations

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in finance accounting business administration or a related discipline required
• Significant experience in finance accounting billing revenue management or financial operations preferably within a law firm or professional services environment
• Prior law firm experience strongly preferred including exposure to legal billing client billing guidelines matter budgeting revenue management realization collections and profitability analysis
• Strong understanding of end-to-end law firm financial processes including billing work in progress accounts receivable collections accounts payable and client reporting
• Experience managing complex high-value client relationships at-scale - preferably large institutional or technology-sector clients with global footprints sophisticated billing and compliance requirements and extensive local counsel or vendor networks
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop finance and compliance teams setting direction and accountability across multiple functions and geographies
• Strong executive presence and communication skills with the ability to partner effectively with senior attorneys finance leaders billing teams and operational stakeholders.
• Highly organized detail-oriented and pragmatic with the ability to manage competing priorities across a large complex portfolio in a fast-paced matrixed global environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to process improvement operational discipline service excellence and continuous improvement.
• High degree of discretion professionalism sound judgment and comfort handling confidential financial and client information.

Location & Reporting

• This role is based in Los Angeles
• This role reports to the Global Relationship Partner and Americas Director of Finance

The California compensation range for this position is $205600 - $282700

This role reports to

Americas Director of Finance

Equal Opportunities

White & Case is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firms policy to recruit employ train compensate and promote without regard to race color religion creed national origin age gender sexual orientation marital status military or veteran status disability genetic information or any other category protected by applicable law.

Applicants who are interested in applying for a position and require an accommodation during the process should contact

Benefits at White & Case

White & Case LLP offers a comprehensive suite of benefit programs to all eligible employees including medical dental and vision insurance life and disability coverage 401(k) retirement savings vacation time and leave programs (including parental leave). Exempt roles are also performance bonus eligible.

The Firm may modify and amend any job description at any time in its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

The above is only a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

Note to Recruitment Agencies

Our internal Recruitment team manages all aspects of lateral hiring. All agencies must have signed terms of businessspecific to the relevant officebefore submitting any candidates. CVs or applications sent directly to White & Case partners or employees will also not be considered formal introductions. If you have questions please contact the relevant Recruitment team. We work with our preferred suppliers when engaging agencies.

Required Experience:

Director