Legal Project Manager

Mishcon de Reya Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A top legal support firm in Greater London is seeking a Legal Project Manager to drive legal project management services. The role requires at least 2 years of experience and involves preparing budgets, managing complex matters, and collaborating with various legal functions. Ideal candidates will excel in communication, possess strong organizational skills, and have a keen interest in legal technology. This position offers an opportunity to shape the firm's LPM services and promote efficient matter delivery.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a Legal Project Management role.
• Ability to work accurately to tight deadlines and to prioritize between conflicting demands.
• Legal background or experience of working in a law firm is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Provide matter planning assistance and help lawyers scope the work.
• Prepare and manage the budget in line with the costs estimate.
• Set up a project plan and manage the workstreams and deadlines throughout the lifecycle of the matter.

Skills

Legal Project Management

Communication Skills

Organisational Skills

Analytical Mindset

Education

Project Management Qualification (Prince2, APM desired)

Tools

Excel

Matter Management Tools

Job description

The Department

Our central Legal Support Services function provides comprehensive support to Mishcon's fee earners that is frictionless and service-driven to enable our lawyers in London and across our international offices to focus on their legal work and client service. Our teams provide a wide range of administrative, operational, and legal support, as well as PA services.

The Team

The Legal Support Services function comprises of the following teams :

• Paralegals
• Legal Administrators
• Specialist Support, incl. Legal Project Management and Legal Technology
• Legal Operations, incl. PA support, Document Production and Business Admin support

The Role

Following Mishcon de Reya's recent introduction of Legal Project Management, this role represents an exciting opportunity to drive LPM services in key target areas. Reporting to the Head of Legal Project Management, this role will help establish our LPM service offering and help develop associated services.

Working closely with the Matter Partner and Managing Associate, the role holder will provide chargeable budgeting, cost and matter management support on complex matters. The role will collaborate closely with other functions, such as Legal Solutions, Finance, MDR Discover, MDR Cyber, Legal Tech, Data Science, Knowledge Solutions and Legal Operations to ensure an efficient and client-focused matter delivery. The role will also liaise with clients and third parties, such as litigation funders and external service providers as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Matter support

• Provide matter planning assistance and help lawyers scope the work
• Prepare and manage the budget in line with the costs estimate
• Set up the file structure and naming convention for the matter in the Document Management System
• Set up the time recording framework for the client / matter in line with the budget
• Ensure ongoing quality control for time recording and management of corrective action
• Set up a project plan and manage the workstreams and deadlines throughout the lifecycle of the matter
• Issue regular fee and progress updates to the matter team / the client (as required)
• Monitor scope and flag any out of scope work with the Matter Partner
• Manage and facilitate meetings, prepare agendas and actions, and proactively follow up on those actions with the matter team
• Anticipate and manage risk, ensure timely escalation of relevant issues and risks to the matter team
• Act as a key intermediary between fee earners and the billing team
• Agree and implement a communications plan with the matter team at the outset and ensure timely communication between all relevant parties
• Contribute to resource management
• Liaise with Legal Operations to ensure tech resources and internal services are set up in a timely manner and ready to be used when required
• Liaise with external suppliers, external counsel and other third parties as and when required

LPM programme development and matter management best practice

• A unique opportunity to help shape the LPM offering for Mishcon de Reya and to develop the function in the relevant target areas
• Help develop service delivery models for key work types, comprising of resources and technology relevant to the matter, and help embed them
• Help develop work type specific matter management templates in HighQ

Skills / Experience

• 2+ years in a Legal Project Management role
• A project management qualification is desirable (Prince2, APM)
• Excellent communication skills and ability to build relationships at all levels
• Ability to work effectively with time poor individuals
• A keen interest in legal technology and working knowledge of key matter management tools
• Ability to effectively promote and embed technology on a matter
• Highly logical approach to complex problem solving
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven organisational skills
• Ability to work accurately to tight deadlines, and to prioritise between conflicting demands
• Excellent attention to detail
• Exhibits approach and behaviours consistent with the firm's core values
• Ability to effectively manage own workload and delegate to members of the team
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Resilient and calm under pressure
• Proactive and takes initiative
• Proven track record of embedding new ways of working
• Ability to plan and facilitate workshops, especially in relation to matter planning and matter debriefs
• Analytical mind set and ability to manipulate data and develop budgets
• Good working knowledge of Excel and ability to manipulate data
• Legal background or experience of working in a law firm an advantage

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

About Mishcon de Reya LLP

Mishcon de Reya is an independent law firm, which now employs over 1400 people with more than 650 lawyers offering a wide range of legal services to companies and individuals. The firm has grown rapidly in recent years, showing more than 40% revenue growth in the past five years alone.

With presence in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore and Hong Kong (through its association with KarasSoLLP), the firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply.

The work the firm undertakes is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, centred around three increasingly entwined and connected sectors: the Innovation Economy, Private Wealth and Capital, and Real Estate. The firm is known as a disputes powerhouse with a formidable capacity firmwide for dispute resolution.

We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk flexible working.