Senior Billing and Rates Analyst

Job Responsibility:

Join the ranks of Stikeman Elliott, one of the most distinguished and respected corporate law firms in Canada. Our Toronto office is located in the heart of the financial district, with prime access to public transit, which makes it ideal for commuters. Voted one of the Best Employers in Canada for the past 15 years, and winner of the Venngo Award of Excellence for Financial, Physical & Mental Wellness, Stikeman Elliott is always seeking to recruit the best and the brightest talents.

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Senior Billing and Rates Analyst to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will collaborate closely with lawyers and management to ensure accurate billing, rate management, and accounts receivable processes while driving process improvements and supporting financial decision-making.

Responsibilities:

Billing:

• Build relationships with Lawyers and Legal Administrative Assistants (LAAs) and develop insight and knowledge of Lawyers' practices and billing cycles to assist with preparation and issuance of accurate and timely Client bills in accordance with firm policies and Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs)
• Proactively meet with Lawyers to review and address aged WIP and provide explanations and timing of billings
• Support Manager in reaching out to Lawyers to help meet monthly billing targets
• Support Manager with billing inquiries and issues and resolving billing disputes or discrepancies
• Respond to Client and Lawyer inquiries regarding bills and provide resolutions to billing issues and coordinate billing adjustments as necessary
• Provide prompt support to resolve eBilling rejections and stay updated on eBilling guidelines to ensure compliance

Rates:

• Provide support in managing billing rate agreement renewals and billing requirements for new clients and matters
• Provide support in ensuring firmwide consistency with rate structures
• Collaborate with Management and Senior Financial Analysts to develop strategic recommendations for rate changes based on financial performance to ensure competitiveness and alignment with market trends

Accounts Receivables & Cash Application:

• Monitor accounts receivable aging and lead collection efforts for aged accounts with Finance Committee, Management, Lawyers, LAAs and Clients
• Review and prepare write-offs and refunds in accordance with firm policies
• Maintain accurate records of collection activities and status
• Assist with accurate and timely application of cash receipts and ensure proper allocation to Client accounts
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies in cash applications and follow up on unapplied cash receipts on a weekly basis

Reporting and Analysis:

• Prepare aged accounts receivable report and analysis for Management
• Prepare quarterly WIP and accounts receivable files to be distributed to Lawyers, LAAs, and Management and track and follow up on responses for write-offs
• Prepare monthly WIP accruals for Clients and upload to eBilling websites as required
• Provide insight and recommendations based on billing, rates, WIP, and accounts receivable data to support financial modelling and decision making
• Assist Manager with ad-hoc reporting and analysis as required

System and Process Improvements:

• Identify opportunities and provide recommendations for process improvements to enhance efficiency and accuracy in billing and accounts receivable functions
• Identify and implement best practices and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to streamline workflows and reduce errors
• Support system implementations, upgrades and enhancements related to billing, rates and accounts receivable functions
• Champion adoption of new technologies and sharing knowledge/ training with other firm members

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field preferred
• Proven experience (3+ years) in full cycle billing, rates accounts receivable, and cash applications, preferably within a law firm or professional services environment
• Strong understanding of legal billing practices and rate management
• Demonstrated success in driving process improvements and implementing system enhancements in billing and accounts receivable functions
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (e.g. pivot tables, xlookups, sumifs, etc.) is an asset
• Experience with legal accounting software such as Aderant is preferred
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to quickly identify problems and provide solutions
• A team player who takes initiative and works well independently
• Ability to take on new tasks and make sound decisions to be the right-hand to the Manager with ad-hoc requests, issues and escalations
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Please Note: Our firm has a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy which requires all firm members to be fully vaccinated with a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine. You will not be asked to disclose your vaccination status during the interview process. If you are offered employment, you will find a vaccination clause in your offer of employment providing that prior to commencing any employment with the Firm, you must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccination. The Firm will make reasonable accommodation efforts if you cannot be vaccinated due to medical, religious, or other grounds to the extent protected by applicable human rights legislation.

Stikeman Elliott is committed to accommodating people with disabilities as part of our hiring process. If you have special requirements, please advise Human Resources during the recruitment process.