Manager, Practice Support in London

Are you ready to make your mark as part of our Office Operations Team? At White & Case, we support you, give you responsibility and welcome you as an integral member of our international team from day one. White & Case LLP is a leading global law firm with a presence in over 30 countries. We are seeking a Practice Support Manager to provide operational leadership and effective management of administrative resources to support the firm’s legal practice needs.

This role reports to the Associate Director of Operations and requires close engagement with key stakeholders to ensure the London Practice Support function operates to the highest standards. Working in tandem with a peer Practice Assistant Manager, this role provides joint operational leadership for the department while holding dedicated line management responsibility for a specific allocation of Practice Assistants and Section Coordinators. Overseeing resource distribution, managing budgets, and ensuring that administrative support is strategically aligned with the firm’s legal practice needs.

This role has responsibility for leading a blended support function across Practice Assistants in London and Manila. In addition, the role holder will work collaboratively with our functional leads to ensure support across all administrative functions works seamlessly – Practice Assistants (London, Manila and EMEA Support Team), Business Admin, Office Services, Document Services and Travel Services.

A key aspect of this role involves driving a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within administrative workflows, championing best practices, mentoring talent, and delivering a seamless, world-class support service to the London office.

Duties and Accountabilities

• Provide direct line management for a specific allocation of Practice Assistants, maintaining a high-performing and collaborative environment through weekly check-ins and an accessible leadership presence.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the firm’s business strategy to ensure the London Practice Support function actively contributes to overarching firm goals.
• Continuously monitor PA allocation ratios across London and Manila to proactively manage workloads, prevent over-utilisation, and maintain premium service levels.
• Co-Manage the EMEA PA Support Team to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across the region and strict adherence to standard operating procedures.
• Lead the annual performance evaluation process and hold bi-annual formal performance reviews for all PAs, using feedback to drive engagement and continuous improvement.
• Manage recruitment and onboarding for new PAs and ensure robust cover is maintained within every Practice Group at all times.
• Provide support and guidance to PAs, ensuring their well-being and concerns are addressed appropriately.
• Manage holiday and absence management.

Section Coordinators

• Provide dedicated line management to allocation of London Section Coordinators, holding bi-weekly meetings to ensure proactive administration of day-to-day operations.
• Coach, develop, and mentor Section Coordinators, setting clear performance expectations and supporting their professional growth.
• Encourage Section Coordinators to identify process enhancements and embrace change to deliver more efficient support.
• Facilitate seamless communication between Section Coordinators, PAs, and other administrative departments to ensure alignment.
• Address and resolve inter-section issues or resource conflicts promptly and professionally, escalating as appropriate.
• Recognise and celebrate achievements within the sections to foster a positive and motivating workplace culture.

Collaboration & Peer Leadership

• Partner closely with the co-Practice Assistant Manager to ensure a consistent management approach, sharing insights and aligning on team-wide initiatives.
• Work closely with the lead partners for your groups to ensure PA allocations are well balanced.
• Collaborate by sharing best practices and insights to ensure a 'one-team' culture regardless of reporting lines.
• Jointly lead the development and implementation of standardised workflows to ensure a uniform experience for Fee-Earners, regardless of team allocation.
• Act as a reciprocal point of contact for the wider team and leadership during the peer manager's absence to ensure continuity of oversight.
• Ensure performance metrics are tracked consistently between both allocations to provide the Associate Director of Operations with a holistic view of London performance.

General

• Lead the delivery of professional and efficient administrative services to Fee-Earners and Business Services Professionals.
• Partner with outsourced administrative services to ensure streamlined delivery aligned with the firm’s global strategy.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Fee-Earners and Business Services professionals to ensure the successful management and administration of practice areas.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships and working practices with HR to positively manage employee relations issues.
• Provide a world class service to the office and be recognised as the 'go to' person for Admin Services in providing solutions to challenges that arise.
• Proactively contribute to the firm’s success by actively seeking to improve working processes.
• Challenge the status quo and provide innovative alternatives to challenges as they arise.
• Ensure effective operational management, with a focus on service delivery, quality, proactivity, flexibility and service excellence.
• Effectively lead teams through change, communicate the vision, and manage resistance.
• Provide written reports and proposals for the London leadership team.
• Lead by example and demonstrate role model culture that others want to follow.
• Act as a subject matter expert for global operations projects and initiatives.
• Foster an inclusive environment, promoting equity within the team.
• Anticipate future needs, trends, and challenges in practice support and proactively develop strategies to address them.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation in administrative processes.
• Seek proactive feedback and adapt services to enhance stakeholder satisfaction.
• Attend regular meetings with Associate Director of Operations.
• Attend bi-weekly Operations meetings.
• Build rapport and act as a reliable point of contact for core Operations team.
• Be an ambassador for the wider Operations function.
• Delegate effectively and trust others to deliver.

Stakeholder Management and Communication

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure the Practice Support function effectively supports the firm’s needs.
• Act as the primary liaison between Practice Assistants and cross-functional support teams.
• Effectively communicate the value and impact of the Practice Support function to the London office, building understanding and support across the services provided.
• Ensure operational needs and resource allocation are strategically aligned with broader business goals.
• Foster a culture of open communication, trust, and mutual respect, encouraging feedback, recognising achievements, and addressing performance concerns constructively.
• Promote Practice Assistant Services in a positive way through proactive, high quality customer service and timely feedback.
• Participate in the induction of new employees joining the group.
• Facilitate monthly PA Team Meetings for each legal section, preparing agendas and ensuring outcomes are distributed.
• Communicate management messages accurately and positively in support of the Firm’s values and policies.
• Act as a primary point of escalation for employee relations and wellbeing support.
• Interface with the practice to provide high quality coordinated resourcing within agreed service levels to achieve a quality service and effective utilisation.

Financial Management

• Responsibilities include overseeing resource distribution, managing regional budgets, and ensuring that administrative support is strategically aligned with the firm’s legal practice needs.
• Determine and manage budget requirements for resource levels within your areas of responsibility, monitoring headcount costs and operational needs.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Operations to provide annual salary and bonus recommendations, ensuring rewards are based on consistent and fair performance assessments.
• Drive the reduction of discretionary spending and controllable expenses, with a focus on optimising costs related to absence cover, recruitment, and overtime.
• Cultivate a culture of financial prudence across your team, encouraging staff to manage firm resources efficiently and minimise unnecessary expenditure.
• Align with the peer Practice Assistant Manager on overarching financial trends to ensure a balanced and equitable approach to spending across the London PA function.

Qualifications

• Several years of experience (typically 3+ years) in a management or supervisory role within a law firm, professional services, or a similarly complex, client-focused environment.
• Direct experience managing administrative or support teams, preferably in a multi-office or international context.
• Highly motivated and enthusiastic.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Able to cope under pressure.
• Strong attention to detail and presentation.
• Proactive and reliable.
• Ability to embrace organisational change.

Skills And Experience

• Highly client focused.
• Strong communication and effective interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels with a strong client focus.
• Demonstrates strong role model attributes.
• Strong ability to objectively assess situations.
• Excellent technical skills and ability to learn new systems.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and act with discretion and diplomacy.
• Proven track record of leading, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience in conducting performance evaluations, managing recruitment and onboarding, and facilitating ongoing training and career development.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee day-to-day operations, including resource allocation, workload balancing, and process improvement.
• Strong experience building relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively across all levels.
• Experience managing budgets, controlling costs, and making salary and bonus recommendations based on performance.
• Proficiency with relevant administrative and technology platforms.
• Professional in approach and appearance and able to deal with staff at all levels.
• Confident and demonstrates the ability to command respect and engender a team spirit.
• Organised and efficient – able to prioritise and manage own workload and work without supervision.

Location and Reporting

This role is based in London, and reports to the Associate Director of Operations. Our standard office hours are 09:30-18:00, with a requirement to be flexible based on business needs. This role has a current requirement for 4 days in the office per week.

Equal Opportunity Statement

White & Case is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firm’s 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.

If you require assistance and/or adjustment to participate in our application and/or interview process, please email us. We will be happy to work with you.