Controller

Do you excel in leading complex financial operations with a forward-thinking approach?

Are you ready to transform the financial function of a rapidly growing law firm?

Can you navigate the intricacies of multi-state trust accounting with precision and insight?

Do you see AI as a transformative tool to enhance financial operations?

Final question: When faced with a challenge, do you get excited or run away?

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Our client is a rapidly growing plaintiff-side law firm handling contingency-fee matters. Operating across multiple states, the firm has built a sophisticated and expanding practice that requires strong financial infrastructure, careful trust accounting, and scalable operational processes.

As the firm continues to expand into new markets, its financial operations are becoming increasingly complex, encompassing multi-state trust accounts, settlement activity, banking, payroll, compliance, and coordination with outside financial professionals. The firm is committed to building a finance function capable of supporting both its current operations and continued growth.

The Controller will play a pivotal role in centralizing and elevating this function, taking ownership of day-to-day accounting operations while strengthening financial controls, trust accounting, settlement processes, and reporting. This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for an experienced finance professional who can improve processes, support continued scalability, and help build the financial infrastructure needed for the firm's next stage of development.

What you’ll do:

• Financial Ownership: Own day-to-day accounting operations, including AP, AR, billing, financial recordkeeping, banking, monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, financial reporting, and partner distributions.
• Trust Accounting: Manage multi-state trust accounts ensuring strict compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Settlement Processes: Oversee the disbursement and reconciliation of settlements, maintaining detailed records and audit trails.
• Tax Coordination: Collaborate with external accountants to ensure accurate tax filings and maintain compliance with IRS regulations.
• Payroll Administration: Supervise payroll functions across multiple states, ensuring compliance with wage-and-hour rules and tax withholding.
• Compliance & Risk: Oversee financial compliance and internal controls, including trust-accounting requirements, applicable state and local filings and business licensing, and coordination with outside brokers on firm insurance programs.
• Benefits Administration: Support benefits administration, including health, dental, vision, and other voluntary benefit programs, benefits invoice reconciliation, carrier discrepancy resolution, and employee eligibility tracking.

What we’re looking for: 

• Extensive Experience: 10 years in finance/accounting with at least 5 years in a law firm setting.
• Educational Background: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related fields; CPA strongly preferred.
• Law Firm Expertise: Familiarity with trust accounting, contingency fees, and multi-state operations.
• Technology & AI Proficiency: Demonstrated comfort with modern accounting systems, technology transitions, and actively leveraging AI to improve reporting, reconciliation, analysis, workflow efficiency, accuracy, and financial insight.
• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to manage finance teams and communicate effectively with executive leadership.
• Collaborative Leadership: Low-ego, hands-on leader who communicates clearly, works collaboratively across teams, and contributes positively to a high-performance, low-drama culture.

Why you should work here: 

• Growth Opportunities: Opportunity to grow toward a CFO role as the firm expands and responsibilities evolve.
• Leadership Collaboration: Direct involvement with firm leadership to influence strategic decisions.
• Modern Systems: Opportunity to lead the implementation of advanced accounting and AI tools.
• Dynamic Environment: Engage in a high-growth firm adding major markets and expanding nationally.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to make a significant impact in a dynamic and growing legal firm. If you are a finance leader ready to take ownership of a sophisticated financial environment and help build a scalable finance function for a growing organization, we encourage you to apply. Your expertise will be instrumental in supporting the firm's continued success and future growth.