Senior Billing Specialist - Washington, D.C. - Sidley Austin LLP

Summary

The Senior Billing Specialist assists attorneys with the preparation of bills for clients, ensuring that the client bills are processed timely and in accordance with the client agreement. The Senior Billing Specialist answers billing questions and researches billing related issues, prepares and distributes billing proformas, invoices, and billing related reports. The Senior Billing Specialist acts as the billing advisor to attorneys and the legal secretaries, ensuring that all transactions are recorded according to accounting standards.  The Senior Billing Specialist regularly collaborates with other accounting departments, including ebilling, Accounts Receivable, Cash Applications, Cost Recovery, Pricing, Client Arrangements, Accounts Payable and Revenue Management, to help minimize any financial exposure to the Firm.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform daily activities of the billing function in support of Partners and Clients.  This includes but is not limited to Proforma generation and edits, creating timecard summaries, updating matter and Timekeeper rates and running client reports at the request of the Partners and Attorneys. 
• Ensure timeliness, accuracy, and acceptance of invoices on a monthly basis.    Show tenacity and drive in following up with Billing Partners and others in order to resolve client billing issues and ensure invoices are approved and billed.
• Understand and ensure correct implementation of client Outside Counsel Guidelines and client fee arrangement.
• Ensure electronic invoices are processed accurately and efficiently.  Timely resolve any rejections or reductions of electronic invoices.
• Must be highly detail-oriented with the ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates professional and highly-developed communication skills.  Ability to deal professionally and courteously with attorneys, staff, vendors, and clients of the Firm while observing confidentiality of client and firm matters. Provide excellent client service to our attorneys, clients and other Firm personnel.
• Collaborates effectively with others within the billing team, finance team and other firm groups and departments.
• Assist local or corporate billing management with special assignments/projects (such as testing, pilot programs, policy discussions, process improvements, etc.).
• Assist with training and mentoring of new employees and less experienced billing staff. Effectively utilizes billing assistants to create efficiencies within the billing department.
• Successfully manages the billing operations of the Firm’s largest and most complex client relationships, involving very intricate billing arrangements; acts in an advisory capacity to their attorneys on billing matters.
• Administrative responsibilities are consistently well-maintained (green sheets, UDF updates, electronic submissions/appeals and unallocated balances).
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below.  The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.  If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources). 

Education and/or Experience: 

Required:

• A minimum of five years of billing experience
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with the ability to use advanced Excel features
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent customer service orientation

Preferred:

• Bachelors degree in accounting, finance, or other relevant field
• Previous experience at a law firm or other professional services firm
• Experience with 3E, ebilling HUB and ebilling vendor sites

Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer