Senior Analyst, LPM UK, US & EMEA / APAC, Belfast

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals. Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years. As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs. At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.

The Opportunity

• Support in the delivery of structured legal project management on large, complex or multi-jurisdictional projects as efficiently and effectively as possible.
• Assist with the scoping, planning and reporting for identified projects, including developing the project plan, project timeline, fee monitoring, providing regular status updates internally and to the client, and tracking of progress against scope, timeline and cost parameters.
• Assist the senior team in working with clients to develop solutions to specific client challenges.
• Communicate with the Trainees, Associates, Senior Associates and Partners within the Disputes / Transactions Practice Group and with clients on a regular basis - excellent drafting skills will therefore be essential.
• Support the design, development and implementation of matter budgets.
• Ensure compliance with financial disciplines on matters (e.g., daily time recording).
• Proactive monitoring of matter budgets against actual performance and presenting findings to key stakeholders.
• Where appropriate and where required by specific practice areas/clients/projects, support the billing process and WIP management.
• Assist in the maintenance and population of volume data and documentation on supported transactions and projects.
• Assist the team in developing metrics and reporting tools to clearly illustrate trends and analysis of matter performance.
• Proactively identify areas of concern, success and opportunity.
• Undertake analysis to support write offs and post/ongoing matter negotiations.
• Escalate project-specific issues appropriately to the Senior members of the LPM team.
• Drafting pitch content for the Senior LPM Team for submission on client and panel pitches covering legal project management frameworks and principles, technology and process improvement.
• Supporting the Manager in the management of external service providers and local counsel teams; managing conflicts clearances; preparing draft instructions; supporting matter kick off; process design and other administrative activities.
• Capturing relevant legal project management case studies as examples of best practice and preparing slide decks and tombstone data for including in pitches, debriefs and training activities.
• Co-ordinating regular legal project management calls and meetings; distributing instructions to local counsel; and responding to legal team queries on matters of transaction/project process.
• Supporting on legal process design opportunities by creating process maps, supporting the administration of managed service pilots, and creating quick guides for clients and lawyers.
• Supporting the collation and development of LPM collateral, tools and templates and manage the resource repositories for knowledge sharing.
• Mentor more junior LPM team members, undertake Quality Control of their work output and provide constructive feedback, as directed by the Legal Project Managers.
• Engage with collaboration tools including the HSF Disputes Client Portal.
• Support with legal process design, e.g. by creating process maps.
• Assist the Disputes team in developing metrics and reporting tools to clearly illustrate trends and analysis of matter performance.
• Maintain an audit trail for the matter by maintaining and populating matter documentation on an ongoing basis.
• Assist the Legal Project Managers with preparing content for client pitches.
• Deliver training and provide demos to the Associates, Senior Associates and business services teams on LPM technology and processes.
• Provide any other assistance to the business on client matters and internal projects as required.

Key Performance Indicators

• Contributing to the practice groups’ performance and financial metrics by managing revenue leakage and improving and protecting matter profitability.
• High stakeholder engagement from partners, lawyers, practice managers, PAs and business services colleagues.
• Increased operational capability of fee earners and PAs.
• Positive feedback from clients and contribution to winning new work.
• Creation of sustainable operational best practices within the relevant Practice Groups including tools, technologies and processes.
• Ensuring operational best practices are widely communicated, understood and leveraged.
• Leverage broader LPM and Legal Technology capabilities on firm-wide or Practice Group strategic projects to deliver high impact and to achieve set objectives (financial or otherwise).

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent.
• Over 3-4 years plus post-degree experience in a law firm or other professional services firm.
• An understanding of the legal process and typical work product in a law firm or professional services environment.
• Numerate, and able to convert complex/raw data into concise and actionable intelligence.
• Confident training and presentation skills.
• Able to build relationships and influence all levels of seniority.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to summarise complex issues succinctly verbally and in writing and to liaise directly with clients and members of the Disputes Practice Group.
• Strong analytical ability, coupled with sound judgement to balance multiple factors and solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated financial acumen and understanding of key financial performance indicators.
• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex concepts to understand and communicate information.
• Strong skills with the Microsoft 365 Suite: Experience with Excel, PowerPoint, Word, PowerBi and SharePoint essential.
• Strong IT literacy, including an aptitude for learning (and becoming proficient in the use of) new and innovative software and IT applications.
• Strong systems skill set and an ability to rapidly pick up new systems.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Empathy and situational awareness.
• High level of attention to detail with ability to simplify complex concepts to effectively communicate information.
• An organised and practical mindset with the ability to see the big picture.
• Excellent personal time management principles.
• Determination, resilience and persistence.
• Skilled at prioritising demanding workloads and working on projects as part of an international team.

Desirable

• Experience of using a Financial Practice Management System (e.g. Elite or Aderant Expert).
• Experience of using PowerBi (or Power Automate tools) for analysis and reporting.
• Understanding of law firm economics.
• Experience working with a combination of legal technologies, for example, collaboration software; automation and AI.
• Asia Region language skills e.g. Mandarin/Indonesian Bahasa/Japanese/Korean/Thai desirable.

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.