Chief Financial Officer (CFO) - Kean Miller LLP
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
About the Job
Kean Miller LLP, one of the 210 largest law firms in the United States, is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to oversee all aspects of the firm's financial operations and functions. This is a senior leadership role that reports to the Managing Partner and works collaboratively with the Firm’s Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Information Officer.
The CFO provides extensive input into the firm’s strategic direction and tactical implementation and delivers complex data and practical advice in connection with a variety of cutting-edge projects, such as Alternative Fee Arrangements, rate negotiations, attorney compensation, client team efforts, practice group efforts, and projects designed to position the firm for financial and operational success.
The CFO is the lead professional within the Firm's Finance Department, providing counsel, leadership, support, feedback, and encouragement to department personnel.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Directs and maintains responsibility for the financial functions of the Firm, acting as a key business advisor.
- Maintains and improves the integrity of the firm's financial practices, and oversees relationships with financial institutions, auditors, and CPAs.
- Evaluates, implements, and supports the effectiveness of internal financial controls.
- Assists in the implementation of financial and business tactics that further the firm's, strategic plan, providing support and input to the Managing Partner, Management/Executive Committees, Practice Group Leaders, COO, Firm Officers, and partners.
- Oversees and participates in cash management, budgeting, billing, collections, vendor payments, payroll, internal and external audits, and retirement plan.
- Leads and manages a professional staff of 14, including senior staff which includes a Senior Accounting Manager, Billing Manager, Accounts Payable Supervisor, and Accounts Receivable Supervisor.
- Optimizes the performance of the Finance Department, ensuring accurate handling of daily transactions while continuing to provide excellent service to internal and external constituents.
- Hires, evaluates, and develops Finance Department staff.
- Performs timely and complex financial analyses in order to provide input on the Firm's business transactions and strategic initiatives. Creates profitability and cost-benefit analysis reports as well as evaluation of possible lateral combinations.
- Prepares and distributes monthly partnership financial reports, including productivity and financial statements. Evaluates effectiveness of the report package and recommends changes as needed.
- Monitors trends and performs benchmarking within the legal industry. Provides input, recommendations, and insights to key stakeholders.
- Participates in various Firm Committees, including but not limited to Finance, 401(k), Insurance, Risk Management, and in the efforts of the firm's seven core Practice Groups.
- Demonstrated understanding of professional services billing/accounting systems such as Aderant, e-billing platforms, PowerBI, and others.
- Fifteen years of experience required; Professional services or legal preferred.
- Strong technical accounting knowledge, including an understanding of GAAP and cash basis accounting, tax requirements of governmental agencies, and general auditing procedures.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills. Must be able to provide clear, precise, and well-substantiated explanations of financial events and trends. Must be comfortable in presentation settings before partners, attorneys, and staff.
- Meticulous attention to detail.
- Ability to work well, individually and in teams, with a diverse group of people. Excellent people skills required.
- Comfortable and skillful with hands-on approach in situations where tasks and analyses cannot be delegated.
- Ability to bring and manage meaningful change and participate in Process Improvement and Project Management initiatives.
- Strong leadership and management skills.
- Bachelor's in Accounting or Finance; CPA or MBA a plus.
Kean Miller provides its employees with highly competitive salaries and benefits, a great work environment, stability, generous paid time off, and a 401k plan. Employees are recognized and rewarded for their achievements through annual performance evaluations and salary reviews.
Kean Miller is continually recognized as one of the Best Places to Work. The Firm is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees in full compliance with all state, federal and local laws prohibiting discrimination based upon, race, color, national origin, gender identity, age, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, or other status protected by law. This applies to all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotion, transfer, demotion, discipline and discharge.
Qualified candidates, please send cover letter and resume to mary.coghlan@keanmiller.com.
All inquiries will be kept confidential. EOE/mf.
About Kean Miller:
Kean Miller is one of the largest and best recognized law firms in the Gulf South region. For more than 40 years, the Firm has been innovating and growing, revolutionizing the standards for excellence in client service, and earning numerous awards for its market-leading practices and thoughtful and creative legal representation. Consistently named to the National Law Journal’s NLJ 500 and the Law 360 Top 400 lists, Kean Miller is Mansfield 6.0 certified, an honor bestowed for a select group of law firms which demonstrate a genuine commitment to diversity in the legal profession. The Firm’s collaborative culture, people-first approach, and devotion to quality are foundational to the Firm’s continued success, reflecting its reputation in the market. From the Firm’s eight offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Houston, and The Woodlands, and 210 attorneys, Kean Miller delivers sophisticated and meaningful counsel to Fortune 500 leaders, national businesses, and local companies.
Source : Kean Miller LLP