Client Accounting Supervisor

Job Description Summary:

The Client Accounting Supervisor is a hands-on position that involves a designated full-portfolio management (day-to-day billing and collections) and supervising assigned staff while working within a team-oriented environment. Provides strong leadership to staff and serves as role model, coach and resource to the client accounting team. This position will also work with the department management and their team to unify and streamline processes specific to areas of practice. This position can be based in any of our U.S. office locations and offers a hybrid work arrangement, allowing you to work both from home and at your designated Fenwick office. The frequency of in-office work will be determined by business needs and guided by your department's directives.

Job Description:

Supervisor Duties:

• Participate in hiring, training and ensure staff is knowledgeable on all billing, collections and reporting systems.
• Supervises assigned staff, assists with coordinating team assignments, evaluates job performance, provides on-going coaching and mentoring as well as prepare annual reviews.
• Review and approve weekly timecards, overtime and time-off requests.
• Be the subject matter expert of policies, procedures and best billing practices as it relates to your designated practice support group (e.g. Lit, Tax, Corp, IP) and on special projects or implementation.
• Proficient with Aderant, Prebill Viewer, E-billing tools, ARCS, EIS, and other systems to perform billing, collection and reporting (including the Intranet) and actively share knowledge.
• Monitor productivity standards and directs staff in meeting the defined departmental goals and objectives.
• Monitor accounts receivable balances while upholding and maintaining the firm’s collection policies and procedures; escalate significant or delinquent balances to the attention of billing attorneys and management.
• Accompany Specialists to their attorney meetings, as needed.
• Actively seeks methods to enhance and maximize current financial systems and reports used daily to ensure the billing and collection goals and activities for the designated practice group are being met timely and accurately.
• Initiate escalation process with management/partner on slow-paying or non-responsive clients to mitigate bad debt exposure, suggest various collection approaches and implement same.
• Minimize financial risk exposure on aged accounts, develop and maintain collection strategies, negotiate payment arrangements and/or propose payment schedules as necessary with partner consent.
• Monitor Work in Process (WIP), ensuring all matters are billed and/or any exceptions are properly documented and approved.
• Assist with Prebill Manager training of partners and secretaries.

Portfolio Management Duties:

• Review Client and Matter set up (including rates, discounts and deferrals, etc.) for assigned portfolio to ensure adherence to engagement letters, billing guidelines, outside counsel guidelines, attorney preferences, and system requirements to produce accurate billing.
• Maintain accurate and concise client/matter billing instructions for assigned portfolio in Aderant and Client Engagement Terms Data Base (CET).
• Produce, review and distribute prebills on a monthly basis and as needed for review by attorneys for assigned portfolio. Assist in coordination of overall prebill production for the department.
• Manage billing portfolio monthly by executing accurate and timely edits (write downs, transfers, discounts, etc.) to produce client invoices while meeting month end and client deadlines.
• Provide estimates to attorneys and clients as required for monthly accruals or closings for assigned portfolio.
• Meet with assigned billing attorneys on a regular basis to discuss new clients and matters, any special billing arrangements, maintain aged WIP and Accounts Receivable to firm policy.
• Establish and maintain regular client contact to follow-up on aged billings, payments and/or promise to pay arrangements.
• Work with Cash Management Specialist to research and resolve misapplied payments, unapplied cash/trust balances.
• Prepare write off requests for assigned portfolio as necessary; ensure all proper approvals are received prior to processing accounts receivable write-offs.
• Monitor Billing or AR hotline and/or support ARC team with time corrections.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Strong communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills as there will be regular interaction with staff professionals, attorneys and clients.
• Ability to handle complex accounts.
• Ability to work independently and as a team; able to use judgment to assess various courses of action and their potential impact.
• Demonstrated solid negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to independently organize and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment while adhering to detailed instructions.
• Strong attention to detail and able to produce accurate work products.
• Ability to adapt to changing work requirements and demands due to scaling business needs.
• Strong general accounting knowledge (able to create various account reconciliation reports utilizing Excel).
• Proficient in using MS Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).

Reporting to the Client Accounting Manager, the ideal candidate will have 6+ years’ experience in legal billing/accounting and 3 years’ supervisory experience. Aderant Expert (previously CMS) experience desired and/or automated accounting systems required. Bachelor's Degree required.

#LI-Hybrid

Benefits and Compensation Details:

At Fenwick, we believe that our partners and employees are our most important asset. Helping you and your families achieve and maintain good health - physical, emotional, and financial - is the reason we offer a comprehensive benefit program. We provide benefits to eligible employees under plans such as Healthcare, Life Insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Wellbeing.

The anticipated range for this position is:

$104,000 - $155,750

Depending on the role, the actual base salary offered may depend upon a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

A discretionary bonus for eligible employees may also be available based on performance. Additional information about employee eligibility for benefits and discretionary bonus will be made available upon request.