Senior Practice Manager (US M&A)

Job description

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimize your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Department purpose

Global M&A (including Private Equity (PE) and Digital, Data, IP and Technology (DDIT)) has over 190 partners worldwide. The US M&A group (including PE and DDIT) has c. 40 partners and is led by Global and US practice leaders and supported by a Global COO and Global Heads of HR, Finance and BD as well as dedicated HR, Finance and BD resources in the US.

Role purpose

The purpose of the role is to provide dedicated support to the Global and US M&A practice leaders and the Global M&A management team in respect of the US M&A group. The main overall purpose of this role is to contribute to the development of the US M&A strategy and business plan and to help the US M&A leadership and global M&A management teams to implement this strategy and its priorities.

Role and responsibilities

The responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to :

• Participating in the development of the US M&A, PE and DDIT strategies and business plans for both the M&A / PE / DDIT practice groups and individual partners. Managing, prioritizing and ensuring timely follow up on these business plans, as well as monitoring and supporting a wide range of other issues for the US M&A leadership team;
• Providing hands on cross functional business advice, support and project leadership for the US M&A leadership team in coordination with Finance and HR for the US M&A team and other practice groups, to the extent applicable, and coordinating with Finance, BD and HR to ensure projects and tasks for US M&A team are completed effectively and efficiently;
• Coordinating with the US M&A team, individual partners and BD to execute client targeting and business generation activities;
• Working with the US M&A leadership team to support the effective onboarding and integration of lateral partners into the US M&A group and wider firm;
• Ensuring that the US M&A leadership and global M&A management teams are equipped with the necessary information regarding the US M&A business to fulfil their management duties and that these duties are implemented via weekly management meetings;
• Coordinating with Finance to obtain statistics on billings and collections for partners in the US M&A group and diaries for partners and associates to prepare analyses of billings, collections and activity level trends for budget purposes and otherwise as well as assisting in monitoring and reporting on the timeliness of billings, collections and diaries;
• Working together with the US M&A leadership and global M&A management teams on in the planning and execution of annual cycle programs, including partner compensation, core ladder promotions, budget and investment plans, annual partner reviews and documenting outcomes;
• Supporting the US M&A leadership team in managing internal communications with the US M&A practice group, including preparing agendas, slides, minutes and other materials for regular meetings (including US M&A partner and management meetings, associate team meetings, meetings with US leadership and other US practice leads and input to the M&A Board);
• Working with the US M&A leadership team to plan office visits. This includes maintaining a plan of future trips / travel, preparing content for associate town halls and / or partner meetings, arranging 1 : 1 meetings, and working with US M&A BD to record and monitor actions and follow up;
• Working together with the US M&A leadership team, US BD leads and the global M&A management team on the content and overall delivery of any practice group offsites;
• Supporting US M&A partners and working with the US HR team to support on US M&A associates' career development (including assisting with the Compass review process and gathering feedback as needed) and supporting with partner candidate preparation, e.g. organizing and attending mock interviews; and
• Leading or supporting on key strategic projects for the US M&A practice, coordinating US M&A participation in regional or firmwide projects; and providing ad hoc support to the US M&A group or other US practice groups which need support.

Key relationships

Key requirements

Additional information - External

For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $169,900 - $224,700. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job-related factors permitted by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity

A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. It is A&O Shearman's policy to ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals, without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status or alienage, disability, pregnancy or related medical issue, military or qualified veteran status, familial status, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, gender, including gender identity, gender expression or transition status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and / or sex offenses, sexual and reproductive health decisions, unemployment status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual's relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at US-HRTransactions@aoshearman.com or call 1 212 610 6300 and ask for HR Transactions.

Salary : $169,900 - $224,700