Job title: Client Relationship Coordinator (client onboarding and invoicing)
Reports to: Divisional Supervisor
Location: London, UK
This role would suit someone who enjoys the operational side of supporting a legal practice, with a particular interest in billing, financial hygiene, client onboarding and compliance. Supporting an allocated group of partners and their practice, you will play a key role in ensuring matters are opened efficiently, billing processes run smoothly and compliance requirements are met. The role works closely with both Finance and Risk & Compliance.
Areas of focus and responsibilities:
Client onboarding, due diligence and compliance:
- Carry out client and matter risk assessments, electronic identity verification, anti-money laundering checks and source of wealth/funds enquiries in line with firm policies and procedures.
- Monitor client due diligence on an ongoing basis, including regular reviews, sanctions compliance and reporting of discrepancies.
- Manage the new business intake process, ensuring forms are complete, matter descriptions and parties are accurate, and all required approvals are obtained.
- File all relevant due diligence forms, approvals, conflict check emails and matter opening emails in the appropriate compliance folders in iManage.
- Liaise directly with clients, partners and fee earners on onboarding requirements and financial aspects of matters.
Time recording, billing and invoicing:
- Liaise with fee earners to ensure time is recorded accurately and promptly, transferred once matters are open, and entered where requested.
- Initiate and manage the billing process, including proformas, VAT exemptions, charge-out rates, currencies, transfers, write-offs, time splits, narratives, heads of charge and timely invoice despatch.
- Submit invoices, deal with client billing queries, keep clients informed of outstanding invoices and update relevant bill trackers throughout the process.
- Process third-party costs and disbursements promptly, liaising with third parties where needed to ensure costs are billed in the correct month.
- Support accounts receivable activity, including credit notes, auto-generated statements, credit control and debt management tasks.
Engagement, pricing and matter set-up:
- Prepare first drafts of engagement letters for fee earner review and approval.
- Support the firm’s pricing function by creating and monitoring matter budgets using the firm’s pricing tool.
- Request money on account throughout the matter lifecycle and use best endeavours to ensure it is received.
Payments, balances and matter housekeeping:
- Ensure compliance with the third-party payment process, including approval forms and supporting documentation.
- Assist with file housekeeping, checking balances, resolving residual client account balances and closing completed or inactive zero-balance matters in a timely manner.
- Support fee earners sending funds by checking details through Lawyer Checker where required.
Client relationship data and systems:
- Maintain accurate client and matter information in InterAction, including contact details, referral information and relationship data, avoiding duplication wherever possible.
Technology, learning and continuous improvement:
- Work effectively with the firm’s technology and systems, keeping up to date with compliance, regulatory policies and relevant technology, including awareness of AI.
- Take a proactive approach to learning, change and continuous improvement, using available Learning and Development tools to build relevant skills.
This list is not exhaustive and the role may include additional tasks as required.
To be successful in this role, you must be able to demonstrate:
- Good academics; university degree desirable.
- Previous professional services experience highly desirable.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Collaborative team working style.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office and the ability to learn new tools and technology.
- Calm, professional and proactive approach, with strong attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Willingness to learn, grow and adapt to change.
The Essentials:
- This role will be categorised as 'mobile' under the firms mobile working policy.
- 2/3 days a week in the office
- 12 week probation period and 6 week notice period.
About Withers
A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.
For the past 125 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives.
As the global private client firm, we are trusted advisors to families, founders, fiduciaries and businesses – and more than this, to governments, charities and financial institutions. We structure, grow and preserve capital. We protect reputations and relationships, ideas and innovations. We secure our clients’ legacies across generations. We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.
Many of our clients are shaping the future, and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice. Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests. To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.
We are delighted that we have been awarded Mansfield Certification Plus in relation to our recruitment and leadership progression efforts in the US and UK. This certification is an encouraging milestone as we continue to champion diversity within our organization and in the wider legal sector.
Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.
Information for Recruitment Agencies
Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.
Equal Opportunities Employment Statement
It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion. Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.
