Senior Practice Management Manager (Intellectual Property)

Job Description Summary:

The Senior Practice Management Manager (IP) is primarily responsible for providing support to our attorneys with workflow and career development at Fenwick. This individual will play an active role in the development and implementation of key practice group initiatives and support the retention and development of our associates. This position can be based in any of our U.S. offices.

Job Description:

Attorney Development

• Serve as a knowledgeable and trusted resource to associates.
• Lead the coordination and implementation of practice specific formal training programs for attorneys and consult with the Legal Training team for support.
• Oversee the mentorship and development of attorneys, conduct associate check–ins, and work with support departments to support the associate development process.
• Follow associate developmental priorities closely to ensure goals are consistently being met.

Workload Support and Practice Management

• Serve as a first point of contact for associates and partners on workflow and time management, including leading cross practice collaboration discussions.
• Work closely with practice area leaders to manage work allocation and utilization within the free–market workflow system.
• Manage orientation and integration support for lateral associates, agents, and tech advisors.
• Lead departure workstreams for lawyers, agents, and tech advisors.
• Assist in developing substantive agendas and presentations for practice group, subgroup meetings and other industry meetings.
• Review and approve all Attorney Training Account requests, and manage data closely to identify any potential performance issues.
• Ability to travel to other Fenwick offices for in–person engagement.
• Assist with the oversight of junior practice management staff members.

Practice Group Strategic Support

• Evaluate practice group needs on an ongoing basis, identify gaps in associate resources, and support recruiting team efforts.
• Collaborate with our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) experts and practice group leaders to further the firm's and our practice groups' DEI goals through work allocation and opportunities.
• Partner with peer departments (Business Development, Legal Personnel, Recruiting, Finance, Knowledge Management etc.) on various strategic practice group projects.
• Encourage teamwork, mentorship, and communications by ensuring regular Practice Area gatherings, team–building, and virtual events to create cohesion and build morale.
• Track budget for all practice group events.
• Collaborate with Practice Area Leaders to develop practice group business strategies; oversee execution of and progress on practice group strategic initiatives; ensure that practice initiatives are in line with the firm's goals and objectives of the strategic plan and the firm strategic plan.
• Work closely with the Director of IP and Regulatory, Practice Area Leads and other partners to achieve various strategic priorities.
• Develop and implement processes to support practice areas and practice groups.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• Sound judgment and extreme discretion with respect to confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong emotional intelligence and ability to influence and guide others in a fast–paced client service industry.
• Awareness and understanding of business process improvement processes and best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, service mentality and ability to build relationships.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; skilled at having candid conversations in a diplomatic and professional manner, with focus on building support and understanding.
• Strong data analytics skills to assess a range of metrics and presents data in an effective manner for senior leaders.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work in a dynamic and complex environment to meet deadlines and daily requirements.
• Ability to provide quality and efficient client service to both internal and external clients.
• Ability to travel to other Fenwick offices for in–person engagement.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, Smartsheet, Outlook, and PowerPoint and the ability to quickly learn and utilize additional software.

The ideal candidate will have 7+ years of practice management experience or intellectual property management experience. Must have experience in leading high–functioning teams and working with senior management professionals to make a demonstrated impact on talent development. Bachelor's degree required, JD, MBA or other advanced degrees are a plus.

Benefits and Compensation Details:

At Fenwick, we believe that our partners and employees are our most important asset. Helping you and your families achieve and maintain good health – physical, emotional, and financial – is the reason we offer a comprehensive benefit program. We provide benefits to eligible employees under plans such as Healthcare, Life Insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Wellbeing.

The anticipated range for this position is:

$172,000 – $233,500

Depending on the role, the actual base salary offered may depend upon a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

A discretionary bonus for eligible employees may also be available based on performance. Additional information about employee eligibility for benefits and discretionary bonus will be made available upon request.

For more than five decades, Fenwick & West has helped some of the world's most recognized companies become, and remain, market leaders. From emerging enterprises to large public corporations, our clients are leaders in the technology, life sciences and cleantech sectors and are fundamentally changing the world through rapid innovation.

Having worked alongside such progressive and cutting edge companies for so long, our culture has come to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of our client base. Unlike traditional law firms, we move at our clients' speed and have earned the reputation as a go–to law firm for growing companies that need insightful, strategic counsel to help tackle the challenging issues that arise when the law cannot keep up with their pace of innovation.

With the same passion for excellence and innovation reflected in our client base, our firm is making revolutionary changes to the practice of law through substantial investments in proprietary technology tools and processes. Our clients demand–and deserve–new ways to receive best–in–class legal services more effectively. At Fenwick, we are proud to be shaping our legal services to do just that. We are proud to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area for the twelfth year.

Fenwick & West LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and, as such, conducts all employment–related activities without regard to unlawful consideration of race, religion, color, marital status, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, gender, genetic characteristics or any other classification protected by applicable local, state or federal employment discrimination laws. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all.