Legal Business Analyst

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray LLP is a preeminent global law firm focused on providing the highest-quality advice on our clients’ critical legal and business issues. Our global team of 2,500 talented professionals regularly helps clients meet high-stakes challenges, solve complex problems and achieve key goals. These colleagues work together across a global office network that includes offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

We are a contemporary firm that can bring more than 150 years of legal and institutional history to bear on the challenges clients face in today’s 24/7 global business environment. Our collaborative approach gives our clients—which include many of the world’s most respected companies and institutions—ready access to leading corporate, litigation, transactional and regulatory lawyers whose knowledge and experience span industries and geographies.

With an international presence, we focus on a number of key industries, including private equity; asset management; life sciences and health care; investment banking; technology, media and telecommunications; and consumer and retail. Our clients include global industry leaders, financial institutions, investment firms, private equity firms, hospitals and health care organizations, educational institutions, and individuals.

We have consistently been recognized for our leading practices in many areas, including private equity, M&A, finance, asset management, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.

Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Summary

The legal market is undergoing a period of hyper-change, driving opportunities for innovative thinking and diverse professional experiences. The Client Operations Services & LPM (Legal Project Management) team thrives on these changes, residing at the intersection of legal operations, process improvement, technology, data storytelling, client service and legal practice. Our mission is to strengthen Ropes & Gray's client relationships and optimize the delivery of legal operations services by developing innovative tools and processes that drive efficiency and meet our clients' evolving priorities.

The role of the analyst is to organize and analyze data and financial metrics for communicating learnings and implications to key stakeholders at the firm to improve financial outcomes. The analyst will deliver the nuanced budgeting and insightful reporting needed by attorneys and clients across a variety of industries and legal practice areas. The analyst will build relationships with cross functional peers to optimize collaboration and information sharing.

Essential Functions

• Consolidates and analyzes financial data taking into account client relationship or legal matter goals.
• Uses analytical skills, creative problem solving and fluency in the firm's business intelligence systems to identify issues, patterns and trends that impact the matters and client relationships.
• Assembles and summarizes data to structure sophisticated reports (e.g. cost estimates and progress reports) on financial status and risks; researches and resolves any related issues.
• Provides creative alternatives and recommendations to reduce costs and improve financial performance.
• Collaborates with teammates to build out skill-set in legal operations, legal project management, quality control techniques, effective communication and teaming.
• Maintains, refines and organizes key information, tools, templates and best practices.
• Cross-departmental collaborations with Pricing, Financial Planning & Analysis, Revenue, Practice Development, Client Development and other business support groups; identifies opportunities for process improvement.
• Drives department projects independently or with colleagues.

Essential Capabilities

• Able to maintain strict confidentiality of the firm's internal affairs and client information. Understands ethics of position including rules of legal ethics regarding confidentiality, billing client representation and advocacy.
• Must be team-oriented and transparent, confident sharing information and experiences, including successes and failures.
• Collaborates effectively and professionally at all levels of the organization, including with attorneys, coworkers and administrators.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm about problem-solving, financial concepts and the use of technology.
• Must be flexible in order to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities; able to work on teams in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines and handle multiple, detailed tasks simultaneously.
• Able to effectively work in a multi-office environment and a culturally and educationally diverse environment.
• Must be flexible to meet the demands of working at a global law firm and available for travel.

Education, Experience And Skills Required

• A bachelor’s degree is required; 3 to 5 years of professional services experience strongly preferred.
• Excellent technology skills including Excel and aptitude for learning business intelligence software (e.g., MicroStrategy, Sharepoint, HighQ) required.
• Analytics experience and comfort with numbers, acquired through academic study or job experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; highly organized.
• A strong project management orientation is essential, including, critical thinking, trouble-shooting, problem-solving and project management skills.