Billing Support Specialist

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSClient Billing

• Work closely with the Client Accounting team and assigned partners to facilitate account management of clients; establish and maintain credibility with stakeholders, produce highly accurate work product, take full ownership for results.
• Collaborate closely with Patent/Trademark attorneys and staff to maintain compliance with client requirements; assist with managing and tracking the portfolio of assigned matters to ensure accurate and complete data mapping for e-billed clients.
• Participate in the onboarding of new clients with regard to their requirements for managing their patent portfolio and related billing. Communicate these requirements to the Client Accounting team.
• Access the firm’s financial system to gather data and facilitate reporting.
• Assist billing partners with analyzing and resolving discrepancies, including any underlying issues and queries related to billing from foreign associates or vendors; enter edits and ensure that hourly fees, flat fees, task codes, vendor invoices and any other missing time, are correctly and promptly accounted for to minimize billing and collection issues downstream.
• Reinforce best practice for matter setups for the Patent/Trademark teams; generate reporting and assist as needed with responding to inquiries from the team; work with patent filing specialists/practitioners/secretaries to ensure that matters are opened correctly according to client requirements, under the proper patent families. For ebilled clients, coordinate the prompt acquisition of client reference #s for prompt input into the firm’s financial system, prior to the billing stage.
• Identify the needs of the patent billing attorneys with regard to managing the billing aspect of patent/trademark matters, recognize patterns, and anticipate and avoid pitfalls. Create uniformity and consistency with regard to billing protocols and advocate for best practices across the patent/trademark teams.
• Review Work in Process (“WIP”) for selected patent portfolios for accuracy by applying knowledge of IP docketing and filing procedures.
• Assist the Client Accounting team with collection efforts as needed.
• Train new proforma reviewers on best practices specific to the patent/trademark practices.
• Maintain IP-specific data in firm financial system, updating client records as needed.

Pro Forma Review/Revision

• For assigned billing attorneys, lead the process of proforma review and revision. Collaborate with the Client Accounting team on the generation and distribution of monthly proformas to billing partners and/or assigned reviewers; act as the primary aggregator of proformas in the patent/trademark department and ensure they are returned and tracked by designated groupings (related clients / patent families / etc.), using the firm’s electronic proforma and financial system software.
• Serve as reviewer for clients that do not have other assigned reviewers.
• Ensure time and fixed fee entries are complete, in compliance with firm and client-specific guidelines; follow up with timekeepers as needed to capture time and fees
• Reconcile fixed fees and promptly capture vendor/foreign associate charges to be included on proformas for billing within the same month as hourly fees, according to client requirements. Ensure that relevant data is included in cost narratives such as vendor invoice and foreign currency conversion where applicable
• Review task/activity codes on proformas for consistency across all time worked by various timekeepers on a specific task
• Ensure all other client-specific billing data requirements are met (e.g., narrative conventions, hold until complete versus monthly bill, etc.)
• Access the firm’s financial system to make narrative and task/activity code edits, adjustments, transfers, and other changes to entries; generate draft bills as requested by billing partners and/or reviewers.
• Assists CAM as needed with finalization of invoices and electronic delivery through client e-billing system for certain assigned clients.
• May create client specific invoice summaries to include with invoice delivery.
• Responsible for ensuring that invoice distribution is thoroughly and accurately tracked from proforma creation through delivery to client.

Financial Process Improvement

• Apply knowledge specific to the patent/trademark practice to improve management of client inventory for billing attorneys.
• Participate in departmental projects as requested; strive to innovate and offer insight into processes and create efficiencies; reinforce best practice among the team.

Additional Duties for Senior Level Designation

• Learn processes specific to other billing attorneys within the group to be able to serve as a backup for other billing specialists and train new billing specialists.
• Research vendor credits and coordinate with CAM and billing attorney to apply during billing cycle.
• Prepare and deliver AR aging and accruals reports to clients via email or upload estimates to clients’ e-billing sites.
• Upload invoices to clients’ e-billing sites.
• Respond to client billing queries/coordinate with CAM as needed for appropriate response.
• Review and analyze inventory for assigned partners and ensure timely billing of excluded time/costs to reduce inventory.
• Maintain and update client invoice delivery requirements.
• Perform research and prepare ad hoc reports for CAM, billing attorney, clients or other stakeholders, as needed.
• Participate in inventory review and forecasting of billing/ collections projections for assigned portfolio.

Quality Control

• Scrupulously review all work product to ensure highest accuracy; routinely apply departmental knowledge and procedures, often working under critical deadlines.
• Prioritize work and respond effectively to deadlines and changing priorities
• Act as fail-safe within the Patent team to ensure that billing deadlines are appropriately met.

Teamwork and Applied Skills

• Strong organizational skills, ability to manage large amounts of electronic data.
• Ability to organize time, prioritize workload effectively, and work independently.
• Ability to multi-task and follow through as necessary.
• Ability to assess information, anticipate issues and outcomes, and make effective decisions in collaboration with attorneys.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to prepare accurate, highly detailed work; excellent proofreading skills.
• Analytical and information gathering skills; ability to evaluate and prioritize extensive, detailed data.
• Ability to exchange information and to present ideas, report facts and other information clearly and concisely.
• A highly proactive, solution-oriented approach to work and team interaction.
• Strong initiative to proactively increase value to the position.
• Highly proficient with Windows-based software used by the Firm, including MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Mac Client.
• Availability to work overtime; flexibility regarding work schedule highly desired.

Professional Development

• Remain current in industry trends in patent docketing; proactively expand knowledge of procedures, laws, and nuances related to docketing.
• Ensure expertise in technology relevant to the position; proactively use most current technology to further teamwork, client service, and efficiency.

Client Service, Confidentiality, and Safety

• Consistently promote and model the Firm’s Client Service Principles in teamwork, work product, and personal interaction.
• Ensure compliance with the Firm’s Information Handling Policy, including safeguarding confidential and personal information, and reporting any suspected break appropriately and immediately.
• Adhere to the Firm’s General Safety Practices and any unique safety practices for department and building.

Ideal Candidate QUALIFICATIONSEducation and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher preferred.
• Three to five years of patent/trademark experience preferred [For senior, three to five years of patent/trademark billing experience required; for coordinator, three years of patent/trademark experience preferred.]
• Prior experience with Chrome River, Elite Financial System (Enterprise or 3E) and an IP docketing system preferred.
• Experience working in a large law firm preferred.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $60,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Experience level:

• 3 years
• 4 years
• 5 years

Experience:

• e-billing: 4 years (Required)
• Law office: 1 year (Required)

Work Location: On the road

Salary : $60,000 - $90,000