Accounts Payable Specialist

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

Based in London, the Accounts Payable Specialist will be jointly responsible for Accounts Payable duties covering the London, Brussels and Dubai offices and an active member of the larger EMEA finance team, providing support to other offices as required.

This role reports to the London Finance Manager and the London Director of Administration for local matters and work closely with the Los Angeles finance team and other senior managers.

Responsibilities include:

Accounts Payable/Expenses (System: Chrome River/Aderant):

• Review invoices and expense claims submitted by Firm personnel for coding, accuracy, VAT/tax validity, and compliance with Firm policy. Post Firm overhead invoices onto Chrome River. Deal with all related enquiries, internal and external whilst providing the highest level of customer service.
• Set up regular bank transfer payment runs for approved invoices and expense claims and submit standard release e-mails and supporting documentation to internal approvers for bank payment release purposes. Monitor the automated remittance advices prepared by the system and deal with any related enquiries.
• Exceptionally, post invoices directly onto the Aderant accounts system and prepare single manual cheque requests and one-off bank transfers where necessary.
• Liaise with the Firm’s larger invoice vendors (e.g. GETT, Deliveroo, Uber, Vodafone) and manage the receipt, amendment and posting of high volume e-invoices onto Aderant. Prepare periodic transaction reports for the Director of Administration and the Head of Finance, EMEA. Communicate with attorneys and their secretaries to resolve invoice transaction issues.
• Reconcile the Firm’s credit card account to the travel invoices submitted by secretaries on Chrome River, prior to payment. Manage any fraudulent or irregular transactions identified and exclude from the monthly payment run until the transaction has been reversed or ultimate liability has been determined.
• Jointly maintain the Firm’s master Vendor records; set up new vendor details and adhere to the firm’s policy on call back procedures in use for new vendors and changes in vendor bank details. Jointly maintain a firm approved vendor call back log and make available to firm management on request.
• Provide cover for other team members absences and liaise with the Finance Manager to approve your own vacation absences, ensuring that the department’s operations are covered at all times. Prepare and post daily timesheets onto the ETime system ensuring minimum hours have been worked and allotted work breaks have been taken.

• Provide cover for holiday and other absences of the Senior Legal Cashier, dealing with basic cashiering tasks such as bank receipt monitoring and posting, client account receipts & payments, bank account management and control of the Firm’s general ledger entries. Provide other assistance to the Senior Legal Cashier during the working day as required.

• Coordinate the entry of unposted disbursement invoices with the London billers, to allow the timely issue of Firm bills. Provide them with reports on request to assist bill production and payment. Provide assistance during busy periods (e.g. pre-bill day, year-end push billing) to ensure pre-bills and final bills reach the Billing Partners and clients in the shortest possible time.

• Work with other team members to ensure the Firm expenses are coded to the correct accounts and the correct entries appear in the main general ledger control accounts (e.g. bank, petty cash, VAT, personal accounts, etc.). Compile adjusting general ledger journals using the firm’s standard journal format and submit to the LA finance team along with supporting documentation

• Participate in special project work and deal with ad-hoc requests as needed. Enforce Firm practices, policies and procedures as they relate to Accounts Payable.
• Actively work to identify and implement opportunities for process improvements within the accounts department to increase efficiency.
• Take part in regular meetings with Finance Manager and/or Director of Administration and participate in other inter-office meetings and training sessions. Participate in the Finance department’s year-end push training session in August of each year
• Provide work cover to other offices as required and weekend on-demand cover during the year-end push period (September to December).
• Apart from the duties summarised herein, the position may include other duties as assigned by the Finance Manager, the Director of Administration and other senior Firm personnel.