Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP is a national, full-service law firm founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with marquee practices in investment management, litigation, and business. We are committed to smart growth, innovative thinking, excellence and integrity. With 225 attorneys and 180 business professionals, we proudly serve a diverse base of household-name clients, many of whom help shape the world of financial services and products, working together to produce achievements greater than the sum of our parts.
We are seeking a Litigation Practice Manager to oversee the day-to-day business operations of the firm's Litigation Department (the "department"). Reporting to the Chief Talent Officer, the manager will work closely with the Litigation Department Co-Chairs (Co-Chairs) and Practice Group Leaders (PGLs) to support department objectives including non-partner attorney and paralegal workflow and productivity, legal administrative team oversight, and strategic planning, while collaborating with other firm legal and administrative groups to support and facilitate lateral integration, talent development, partner support, financial reporting, and other firm-wide strategic initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Timekeeper Productivity and Staffing Efficiency
- Oversee the billable work assignment process for partnership-track associates, counsel, practice attorneys, and paralegals, ensuring equitable distribution and optimal utilization of resources.
- Analyze financial reports on hours, utilization, productivity, workflow, and related metrics, highlighting key trends for leadership to drive performance optimization.
- Work with Accounting to develop and refine reporting tools that provide actionable insights into department and practice group performance.
Attorney Development and Resource Planning
- Work with the Talent Development team, department leadership, and non-partner litigation attorneys to identify, develop, and implement substantive training workshops and professional development programs.
- Monitor workloads, productivity, performance, and secondments.
- Collaborate with Talent Development on the annual evaluation process for non-partner attorneys.
- Partner with Co-Chairs, Practice Group Leaders (PGLs), and the Chief Talent Officer to assess hiring needs and support recruiting, integration, and retention efforts.
- Serve as liaison for lateral partner onboarding and integration with the Lateral Growth team.
- In collaboration with IT, Litigation Practice Support, and Knowledge Management, support technology and process improvement initiatives, managing any related documentation for users.
Administrative Management
- Plan, direct, and manage all aspects of legal administrative and paralegal teams, including hiring, development, direct supervision, and performance management, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and excellent service delivery.
- Develop a deep understanding of department and practice group operations to ensure legal administrative teams have the right skills and training to support the needs of the department.
- Engage with Compliance/Conflicts team to support opening of new matters and conflicts checks.
- Oversee planning and execution of department meetings, ensuring agendas, materials, and action items are effectively managed.
- Direct and oversee development, implementation, and management of practice-specific software, including Aderant Milana and BriefCatch.
- Assist in budgeting processes by tracking expenses and approving attorney requests where needed.
Strategic Planning
- Support the alignment of department and practice group goals with firm-wide strategic objectives, partnering with leadership to refine business strategies.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with administrative departments (e.g., Business Development, HR, IT, Finance) to execute initiatives that support business growth and attorney development.
- Drive process improvement initiatives by identifying inefficiencies and partnering with key stakeholders to implement best practices across legal departments.
Skills and Abilities
- Upholds professionalism, integrity, sound judgment, and discretion with sensitive matters.
- Self-motivated and able to work independently or collaboratively with minimal supervision.
- Strong client service mindset with initiative, problem-solving skills, and resourcefulness.
- Builds trust and strong relationships with attorneys and staff.
- Highly organized, able to manage multiple tasks with attention to detail under pressure.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Understands business processes and identifies opportunities for improvement.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office; quick to learn new software; generative AI experience a plus.
- Flexible with a positive attitude.
Education and/or Experience
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, JD) preferred.
- Minimum of five (5) years of overall experience with minimum of three (3) years of management experience; law firm or other professional services firm experience strongly preferred.
- Specific experience managing litigation practices a plus.