Specialist: Practice Management

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.

We are a collegial, collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

 

If you thrive in a collaborative environment that values exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, we invite you to consider joining our Practice Management department in our Chicago office as a Specialist: Practice Management.

 

The Specialist: Practice Management plays an important role in supporting operational excellence across the Banking & Finance Practice Group. Working closely with the Assistant Director, the Specialist owns key operational programs, supports strategic initiatives, and ensures smooth day‑to‑day execution across the team. The role offers meaningful visibility, cross‑office interaction, and opportunities to lead process improvements and strengthen practice operations.  This position is designed to provide increasing responsibility and deeper exposure to strategic planning and operational decision‑making.

Essential Functions:

 

Operations – Efficient and Effective Management of Daily Practice Activity

• Provides proactive administrative and operational support to the Assistant Director, demonstrating initiative, ownership, and sound judgment across assigned workstreams
• Coordinates daily operations, including agendas, materials, and logistics for internal meetings, trainings, and practice events
• Maintains internal databases, tools, templates, and resources to ensure accuracy, consistency, and accessibility across the practice
• Owns monthly reporting, including productivity reports, producing clear summaries that support operational decision‑making
• Supports process improvement and legal technology adoption by identifying operational challenges, recommending solutions, and partnering with the Assistant Director on implementation
• Serves as a coordination resource and liaison with business services teams to ensure practice needs are addressed and follow‑through is achieved

People – Consistent, Impactful Talent Management and Monitoring:

• Assists in monitoring workflow across the practice to support quality, efficiency, and equitable distribution of work; monitors workload and escalates resource concerns as needed. Reviews utilization data
• Monitors the pipeline of incoming attorneys, including summer associates, future hires, and laterals
• Supports new hire onboarding and integration specific to the Finance Practice
• Assists with coordinating the annual attorney review processes, including selection of lead reviewers and feedback providers and Finance specific documentation
• Works with the Assistant Director to create mentor assignments, ensures new joiners have aligned work assignments
• Tracks secondment placements and opportunities
• Partners with the Assistant Director to support training, development, and engagement initiatives that promote attorney growth and strengthen professional development across the practice in collaboration with L&D and Employee Engagement teams

Financial Operations Support

• Supports the Firm’s billing and collections strategy by reviewing work‑in‑progress and accounts receivable across the practice; assists in reporting activity to Finance leadership
• Identifies and escalates attorney business‑practice issues, including timekeeping compliance
• Produces analytical reports that guide operational insights and support financial management

Additional Responsibilities

• Performs additional duties as assigned by the Assistant Director to meet practice goals and objectives

 

Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of practice management or related administrative or operational experience required.
• Experience in a professional services or legal environment preferred.
• Candidates with strong administrative experience and demonstrated capacity to manage complex workflows are encouraged to apply.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products and ability to learn and work in various software applications as needed

Performance Traits: 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate professionally with all levels of the Firm and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment and support the demanding needs of the Firm.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines with shifting priorities.
• Self-starter with a high level of initiative and strong customer-service orientation.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple projects.
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises sound judgment and discretion.
• Strong analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

Physical Requirements:

• May require travel to other offices as needed

 

This description is not exhaustive, and the Firm may modify it at any time at its sole discretion; nothing herein creates an employment contract or alters the at-will nature of employment.

 

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous paid time off (PTO), as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

 

We are committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities and disabled veterans. To request an accommodation related to the application process or interview, please email uslateralrecruiting@mayerbrown.com. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

 

Mayer Brown works with select external search firms that have been vetted against our standards. Firms without a contract or agreement with Mayer Brown are not authorized to represent that they are working with the Firm, nor are they entitled to placement fees. Mayer Brown does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruiters. Submission of an unsolicited CV to Mayer Brown or any of its Partners or employees will not establish any right of priority for the submitting agency.

 

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The typical pay scale for this position is between USD $68,000.00/Yr. and USD $90,000.00/Yr., although the actual wage or salary could be lower or higher if the candidate's education, experience, skills and internal pay alignment are different from those specified.