Client Account Specialist (Law Firm Billing Exp. Required)

Responsibilities:

• Establishing, fostering, and maintaining professional and collaborative relationships with attorneys, staff, and clients to ensure compliance with both attorney and client specifications, managing all billing and collections processes from engagement to collections with tact, diplomacy, and effective negotiation skills.
• Primarily handling complex billing arrangements which may include client-level billing and collections.
• Training and mentoring billing specialists.
• Verifying rates with the rate analysts, reviewing, and implementing the outside counsel guidelines, monitors fee caps, tier discounts, and matter budgets; setting up and monitoring alerts; communicating with the firm’s Billing & Intake Committee regarding discounts, write-downs, and write-offs.
• Managing the prebill to the final bill process; ensuring that billing attorneys receive accurate prebills and that they return their prebills in a timely manner; submitting finalized bills/eBills in appropriate template format, adhering to the attorney and client specifications; and confirming the final bills have been submitted to the client and are posted in the accounting system.
• Collaborating with the eBilling Coordinators for new client account set-ups with eBilling requirements; collaborating with Accounting Systems Administrator to update appropriate fields according to client billing guidelines; submitting invoices electronically, taking accountability for successful submission, and troubleshooting issues; and proactively following-up regarding acceptance and timely payment of eBills.
• Communicating directly with clients as requested or as established, including following-up on collections and contacting clients as needed.  Concisely communicating arrangements with attorneys and clients on their matters; providing clients with requested information on any special billing and or collection arrangements.  Responding to all inquiries relating to same.
• Responding to inquiries relating to accruals, audits, and payment reports; recommending solutions based on billing trends relating to realization; and preparing ad hoc reports upon request.

Requirements

• Four-year college degree preferred. Equivalent experience considered.
• Prior law experience in a law firm environment required.
• Prior law firm billing experience with strong proficiency in Excel, Word and Outlook. Aderant experience is a plus.