Client Financial Liaison Controller

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.

The Opportunity

• Developing a thorough understanding of clients’ billing and collection processes to ensure that invoices are produced, submitted, and collected appropriately for both the Firm and the client, facilitating payment with minimal queries and delays.
• Ensuring invoices are issued correctly and in a timely manner (within agreed Service Level Agreements) and followed up promptly, escalating any issues immediately.
• Maintaining direct contact with clients regarding unpaid invoices via telephone and email, keeping accurate records on internal systems (Nexum/Expert).
• Engaging clients professionally to chase overdue debt.
• Collaborating with Revenue Controllers and partners to follow up on large and/or problematic client accounts, including overdue balances.
• Building and maintaining key client relationships to facilitate smoother debt collection.
• Identifying debt issues and escalating them promptly to relevant stakeholders.
• Alerting management and Revenue Heads of Practice (RHOPs) on debt exposure.
• Consulting with partners and associates regarding queried debts and unpaid invoices.
• Managing internal and external queries relating to invoices and the working capital profile.
• Allocating cash, CHAPS, and BACS payments in consultation with the Banking team, eBilling, and fee-earners to ensure correct and prompt allocation.
• Monitoring external client portals to oversee the bill-to-payment process.
• Utilizing the Nexum workflow system to ensure timely cash collection.
• Identifying prompt-paying clients to maximize cash flow.
• Understanding the lock-up impact and working proactively to reduce it.
• Running and analyzing debt reports, producing accurate and timely reporting as required.
• Providing commentary on key debts on a weekly basis.
• Producing and distributing monthly debtor reports for the London office (and other offices upon request).
• Providing breakdowns and reports to internal and external clients as requested (with CRP/Bill Partner approval).
• Demonstrating strong knowledge of key working capital exposures and issues, inspiring confidence in stakeholders.
• Liaising closely with the London Revenue Managers and the Client Financial Liaison Manager to ensure a shared understanding of current financial performance and to provide a consolidated service from the Revenue Department.
• Developing productive relationships with partners to support effective debt management.
• Collaborating with key stakeholders to facilitate the resolution of complex queries forwarded to the Revenue Section.
• Attending quarterly Group Review meetings to discuss debt provisions.
• Applying recommendations on debt that requires a provision or write-off.
• Managing Withholding Tax Compliance, including certification.
• Consulting with tax specialists to gather necessary client information, such as tax residency certificates, or to confirm tax advice.
• Maintaining a comprehensive understanding of the roles performed by all members of the Revenue Department.
• Liaising with the Revenue Projects Manager to ensure that operational risk is understood and that appropriate training is provided within the department.
• Performing ad hoc tasks relating to the reporting and presenting of WIP, billing, and debtor information; identifying and helping to resolve exposures, issues, and bottlenecks in the smooth conversion of working capital into cash.

Key Performance Indicators

• Promotes a collegiate environment, good team morale and a spirit of co-operation.
• Inspires learning and creates a progressive environment through leadership.
• Ability to display professional credibility.
• Ability to use initiative and be pro-active with a hands-on approach; with a positive approach to ensuring the demands of the department are met.
• Be able to provide past examples of strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise; as well as a constant approach to meeting deadlines and delivering projects on time, within scope and without compromise.
• Ability to cope with conflicting demands and meet deadlines.
• Project communication skills and examples of where tasks have been communicated in a clear and well documented way, keeping key stakeholders always informed.
• Attention to detail with a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent inter-firm and external firm communication skills.
• Develops and motivates team members through leading by example.
• Proven examples of delegation and where it has enhanced the service provided by the team.
• Able to work in an ever-challenging environment.
• Enjoys working in a fast moving and changing environment.
• An ability to remain focussed and good spirited when working in a challenging and often high-pressured environment.
• Create a fun yet professional working environment for the team and all stakeholders.

Qualifications, skills and experience

• Experience within the legal billing/credit control/revenue profession or equivalent.
• Knowledge of SARs.
• Experience with Aderant Expert would be preferable although training will be provided.
• Competent IT skills, good working knowledge of Word, Excel and Outlook.

Competencies

• Connects and collaborates with people.
• Takes an active interest in others and gets to know the people they interact with.
• Treats people with respect and in a fair and consistent way.
• Adopts a positive communication style, even when challenged by others.
• Contributes to the success of others.
• Maintains an awareness of the firm’s purpose, objectives and structure.
• Recognises how their work contributes to and affects the work of others, and prioritises and communicates accordingly.
• Identifies opportunities to assist others and readily volunteers their help.
• Enhances the client experience.
• Finds ways to enhance the experience of the firm’s clients through their daily tasks.
• Shows a willingness to go the extra mile to deliver great service.
• Achieves results.
• Goes above and beyond to contribute to the success of the firm.
• Pays attention to the quality and accuracy of their work.
• Suggests new ideas or ways of doing things in a confident, constructive and sensitive way.

Team: Business Finance

Working Pattern: Full time

Location: London

Contract type: Permanent Contract

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.