Practice Manager

A leading Am Law firm is seeking a Practice Manager to support its Intellectual Property (IP) Department and IP Litigation Practice Group. This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for driving practice operations, attorney staffing and development, team management, and strategic initiatives across the firm's East Coast IP practices.

Key Responsibilities

Practice & Department Leadership

• Partner with practice leadership on strategic planning, operational initiatives, and productivity goals.
• Support the day-to-day management and business operations of the Intellectual Property Department and IP Litigation Practice.
• Prepare and analyze practice reports, utilization metrics, and productivity data for leadership.
• Coordinate department-wide projects, meetings, retreats, and special initiatives.

Attorney Staffing & Professional Development

• Manage attorney staffing and work allocation across multiple offices, balancing client needs with professional development objectives.
• Monitor workloads, utilization, and staffing levels to ensure effective resource allocation.
• Coordinate associate and counsel evaluation processes in partnership with Legal Personnel and Practice Leadership.
• Support attorney onboarding, mentoring, training programs, and lateral integration initiatives.
• Assist leadership with attorney performance management and personnel-related matters.

Team Leadership

• Manage a team of Intellectual Property Paralegals, providing coaching, performance management, and ongoing professional development.
• Support the supervision and development of Technology Specialists.
• Conduct regular productivity and performance discussions while promoting collaboration and resource sharing across offices.

Business Development & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Business Development, Pricing, Innovation, HR, Legal Personnel, and Professional Development teams.
• Support pitches, RFPs, CLE programs, lateral partner integration efforts, and practice group events.
• Drive operational improvements and process enhancements that support the growth of the practice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of experience within a law firm or professional services environment.
• 3+ years of people management experience.
• Strong experience in practice management, attorney staffing, legal personnel, attorney development, or related legal operations functions.
• Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively with attorneys, senior leadership, and administrative stakeholders.