Practice Manager - International Arbitration in London

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

The Practice Manager will primarily support the International Arbitration practice on a global basis. This individual should have strong familiarity with International Arbitration matters, including cross-border disputes, investor-state arbitration, commercial arbitration frameworks, and evolving trends in global dispute resolution. The Practice Manager will work closely with practice group leadership to support strategic priorities, enhance client engagement, and drive the global positioning of the practice.

The role will also collaborate across related practice areas and jurisdictions to ensure alignment with broader firm initiatives and to support integrated client service delivery. The Practice Manager is a key member of the firm’s business services function and will work closely with practice group leadership, partners, and cross-functional teams including Professional Development, Marketing & Client Development, Knowledge Management, Communications, Recruiting, Diversity, Career and Alumni Services, Technology, Human Resources, and Office Administration. The role operates across offices and regions to drive growth, market positioning, and performance, while maintaining strong oversight of internal processes and talent management.

Responsibilities include:

• Practice Strategy: Work with practice group leadership to develop and execute a global practice management strategy for International Arbitration, aligned with firm priorities and responsive to evolving market conditions, client expectations, and competitive positioning.
• Market Intelligence & Performance: Monitor and analyze market trends, client demand, and industry developments alongside financial and commercial performance, supporting cross-office and regulatory coordination to inform strategy, drive growth, and enhance market positioning.
• Client Development: Support and coordinate partner-led client development and revenue growth initiatives globally, including facilitating client pursuit teams, identifying cross-selling opportunities, and strengthening client relationships across practices and jurisdictions.
• Marketing & Communications: Partner with Marketing, Business Development, and Communications teams to support business development and market intelligence initiatives, including rankings and awards submissions, client outreach and updates, engagement with arbitration publications and media, and identifying growth opportunities within existing client relationships.
• Data & Reporting: Manage and oversee tracking of all practice-specific data, including pitches, targets, client outreach, staffing, and pipeline activity, and utilize this data to support strategic planning and performance analysis.
• Practice Administration: Ensure effective administration and project management of practice group initiatives, including developing agendas and driving follow-up for regular partner and practice group meetings.
• Innovation & Process Improvement: Drive case management excellence and innovation, including the integration of AI tools and the identification and execution of process improvements to optimize, standardize, and enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the global practice.
• Practice Profile & Thought Leadership: Implement initiatives to enhance the global profile of the International Arbitration practice and its lawyers, including managing thought leadership content, supporting participation in industry events and conferences, and facilitating engagement with clients and academic institutions.
• Staffing & Utilization: Support the firm’s free market staffing system from both an associate and partner perspective, including helping lawyers identify appropriate matter assignments and opportunities for new work, and monitoring overall utilization and productivity.
• Talent Management: Work with practice group leadership and Human Resources to manage talent across the practice, including supporting recruiting efforts, assessing senior talent pipelines, coordinating performance improvement plans, and supporting attorney review processes.
• Associate Development: Support the associate journey within the practice group, including mentorship coordination, performance review support, and broader career development and progression initiatives.
• Training & CLE: Partner with the Professional Development team to design and deliver practice-specific training programs and CLE initiatives.
• Diversity & Inclusion: Collaborate with Diversity & Inclusion teams to support and promote DEI initiatives across the practice group.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively with peers across the firm’s business support departments to manage cross-functional initiatives and support business strategies, ensuring strong alignment between global practice priorities and broader firm objectives, and serving as an information conduit across offices and departments to support integration, communication, and execution of cross-office and cross-practice initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Strong strategic mindset, with the ability to translate business goals into actionable plans.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to balance strategic priorities with operational execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical skills, including experience with data tracking, reporting, and performance metrics.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Collaborative and solutions-oriented approach, with strong cross-functional engagement skills.
• Strong understanding of the legal industry, practice group dynamics, and client service delivery models.
• Ability to work effectively across geographies, cultures, and time zones.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive, with strong problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with the appropriate discretion.

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant practice management or similar experience, preferably within a law firm or legal environment.