Senior Compliance Specialist

Overview

Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have fourteen offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations. The firm employs approximately 1,100 lawyers from more than fifty countries.

Since 1946, our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.

This position reports to the Senior Pricing Operations Manager and is part of the Revenue Operations Team that reports to the Director of Revenue. As a senior member of the Pricing Operations group, this position owns the end-to-end billing compliance process, from initial review of client guidelines through implementation, ongoing monitoring, and resolution of compliance issues, exercising sound judgment with minimal oversight.

Key responsibilities include managing the interpretation and implementation of billing system rules to drive attorney compliance with client guidelines; owning key client billing data, including payment terms and submission deadlines; leading the setup and maintenance of matter plans, including task and activity code requirements; managing client cost constraints; and ensuring the integrity of billing-related records across the firm's accounting and matter management systems.

This role serves as the primary point of contact for billing compliance matters, providing significant exposure to and cross-functional coordination with Pricing Operations, eBilling and the Global Client Account Team (Billing & Collections).

Responsibilities

Review client outside counsel guidelines, engagement letters and billing policies, and own the analysis and summary of key provisions for the Pricing Operations Manager and Risk Attorneys, recommending firm positions on negotiable terms.

Design, implement, and maintain rules in the firm's billing system to drive attorney compliance with client-specific billing guidelines, including restrictions on block billing, billing increment requirements, timekeeper eligibility, and other common OCG restrictions, with full accountability for accuracy end to end.

Monitor updates to client outside counsel guidelines, assess impact, and proactively drive resolution of material changes with minimal supervision.

Own and maintain an organized and up-to-date repository of client OCGs and related billing policy documents, establishing and improving processes to ensure ongoing accuracy.

Lead coordination with the Global Client Account Team and eBilling to ensure invoices meet client-specific formatting and submission requirements, resolving escalations end to end.

Partner with the eBilling team to onboard new clients onto the client's eBilling system, including configuring client-specific requirements and ensuring timely, successful invoice submission from the outset.

Set up and maintain matter plans, including client-required task and activity codes, taking full ownership from initial setup through ongoing maintenance.

Implement and maintain client cost constraints in the billing system, including expenses, disbursements, and other charges that clients will not reimburse.

Own the tracking and communication of upcoming client billing deadlines to the Global Client Account Team and relevant billing staff, proactively driving timely compliance.

Independently maintain a centralized calendar or tracking system for client billing deadlines and annual rate submission cycles, and improve processes to increase accuracy and efficiency.

Serve as the primary point of contact for billing compliance inquiries from the Client Account Team, Legal Executive Assistants, Legal Project Managers, and attorneys, resolving complex matters and exercising judgment on when escalation to the Pricing Operations Manager is warranted.

Prepare and own internal reports and summaries related to billing compliance activity, invoice rejection trends, and OCG adherence, drawing conclusions and recommending action.

Lead training on OCG requirements, matter plan structures, cost constraint policies, and billing arrangement policies.

Drive the firm’s compliance process improvement initiatives from start to finish, identifying efficiency opportunities and implementing solutions with minimal oversight.

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, MS or other advanced degree a plus

5+ years of corporate or law firm (preferred) experience in billing, e-billing, pricing, or a related role, with a demonstrated track record of owning processes end to end.

Highly detail-oriented with excellent writing, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to interact confidently and professionally with partners, attorneys, clients, and senior business professionals.

Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet partner deadlines and client expectations.

Advanced proficiency in Excel and Word, including experience creating partner-ready materials.

Operates with a high degree of independence, exercising sound professional judgement on matters with financial or client-relationship impact, and knows when and how to escalate appropriately.

Agility with technology and aptitude for learning new systems, with a strong commitment to continuous learning.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $105,000 to $115,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This role is non-exempt meaning that it is overtime pay eligible.

Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their position, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the Firm.

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