Practice Group Manager, M&A and Private Equity

Job Summary

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.

The Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity practices are hiring a Practice Manager (“PM”) in any US office to support day-to-day operations of these practices as well as the implementation of the practices’ strategic initiatives in collaboration with practice group and practice management leadership.

Based in any U.S. office, the Practice Group Manager will be a key element of the firm’s business services function and will join a growing practice management team collectively responsible for supporting practice leaders in the management of their groups, including through: (1) serving as information conduits to support cross-department and cross-office initiatives and projects; (2) strategic planning, reporting, and meeting management; (3) talent management; (4) supporting the firm’s free market system, pipeline development, and productivity goals; (5) developing practice-specific education and trainings; and (6) supporting initiatives and projects in collaboration with a number of firm departments, including Professional Development, Marketing & Client Development, Knowledge Management, Communications, Recruiting, Diversity, Career and Alumni Services, Technology, Human Resources, and Office Administration.

Communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence are important skills needed in this role along with an understanding of the life cycle of a matter and how attorneys practice in a law firm setting.

The PM will report to the Firm’s Director of Practice Management, US Transactions under the Chief Legal Operating Officer and will work closely with the Firm’s other Practice Group Managers.

Responsibilities:

I. Free Market Support and Optimization

• FMS Support: Supporting the firm’s free market system from both an associate and partner perspective, including by helping lawyers identify appropriate staffing for matters and opportunities for new work.
• Attorney Matching: Maintaining knowledge of attorneys’ individual skills, development needs, experiences, and personal/professional aspirations. Review and identify opportunities for lawyers to develop pathways for growth and engage in new matters and areas.
• Utilization and Capacity Oversight: Tracking and monitoring attorney resources for potential overutilization, underutilization, disengagement or time entry concerns. Monitoring individual lawyer capacity and scheduling, including client commitments, work obligations, personal leave, vacations, and holidays for rapid identification of attorney availability. Managing and monitoring attorney availability and utilization to minimize over and underutilization.
• Reporting: Developing customizable, up-to-date, and user-friendly models for displaying attorney resource information.

II. Practice Group Talent Management and Development

• Talent Pipeline Management: Working with practice group leadership to manage talent across the group, including through regular assessments of the firm’s recruiting and senior talent pipelines. Identifying gaps to better guide hiring needs.
• Performance Management: Supporting the attorney review cycle in coordination with Human Resources.
• Associate Journey: Working to manage the associate journey for practice groups. This includes mentorship, attorney review support, and other career guidance.
• Professional Development & DEI: Working cross-functionally with professional development and diversity departments to support and promote attorney development and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Training: Working with the professional development team to develop practice-specific educational trainings and CLE programming.
• Data Management: Managing tracking of all practice-specific data, including deal collection and reporting, targets, and client outreach.

III. Collaboration and Process Improvement

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Working collaboratively with peers across the firm’s business support departments to manage initiatives and support business strategies as determined by practice groups. Liaising as needed with other firm departments regarding all areas of attorney work and development. The collaborative departments include: Professional Development, Marketing & Client Development, Knowledge Management, Communications, Recruiting, Diversity, Career and Alumni Services, Technology, Human Resources, and Office Administration.
• Process Improvement: Identifying opportunities for process improvement and driving follow-through on execution.
• Firm Integration: Working with the practice management team to keep efforts plugged into the firm and vice versa.

Qualifications

• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with the appropriate discretion.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and people skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.  Collaboration and facilitation skills to work with various departments and facilitate their ability to work with each other.
• Ability to work independently and with a team, and to delegate and manage resources effectively.  Strong leadership skills to help lead and develop a large and geographically dispersed team.
• Exhibit high degree of initiative and critical-thinking skills in exercising independent judgment and making decisions in managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, detail-oriented work environment.
• Creative thinker who is open to considering multiple approaches to issues and collaborating with other leaders to develop and execute plans.
• Strong time management skills and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment; ability to coordinate multiple tasks concurrently.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to work concurrently on a variety of projects with changing priorities. Have meticulous attention to detail.
• Flexible and able to multi-task, balancing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with Department personnel, Firm management, other attorneys and staff.
• Highly motivated, strategic focus: ability to understand and support Firm goals, services, culture and strategy in order to present self and the Firm in a positive, professional manner.
• Understands and stays up to date on current legal market trends, news, and innovations.
• Exhibits high degree of initiative in managing multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, high-stressed, detail-oriented work environment.
• Strong knowledge of the legal industry, the relevant laws and regulations, and the best practices and standards.
• Ability to work independently to solve problems relating to both technical issues and situations involving the coordination of, and collaboration with, attorneys, non-attorney staff and different administrative departments.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree preferred- JD, MBA or other equivalent
• Minimum seven years’ experience that is directly related to the duties or skills described herein, including at least three years’ experience as a manager.

Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.

Compensation & Benefits:

The annual compensation range for this position is $230-280k. The salary offered within this range will depend upon qualifications and other operational considerations.

Locations:

Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Palo Alto, Orange County, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Century City

EEO Statement

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all partners, employees and applicants and, in accordance with the applicable federal and state laws, does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, religion, matriculation or political affiliation, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, age, marital status or partnership status, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, personal appearance, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, arrest or conviction record, or on any other basis prohibited by law.