Commercial Finance Advisor

Department: Practice Management

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: London

Description

Why Bates Wells?We’re an award winning, purpose driven City law firm. We were the first UK law firm to become a B Corp and are the highest scoring global law firm in the B Corp community. Globally recognised as the market leading UK firm for charities and purpose-driven organisations, our commercial teams are also using law as a force for good and driving change from the inside out.

Our values are key to our success, and you’ll be able to make a real impact from day one.

Come and join the firm who have a standout and authentic commitment to a triple bottom line, where we’ll never prioritise profit over people and planet.

The role An exciting opportunity to join our Practice Management team to support our thriving and busy commercial finance function, helping the firm to generate profitable and sustainable income growth. Balancing purpose and profit, this role offers unique challenges and development opportunities. The work is varied, interesting and intellectually stimulating, often supporting niche or cutting-edge areas while applying commercial principles in a thoughtful, pragmatic, creative and purposeful way. You will have a commercial finance, financial planning and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, or broader finance background gained in a law firm (similar professional services environments will be considered). Pricing experience would be an advantage, but full training will be provided. You will be supported to develop your expertise, confidence and influencing skills across the breadth of commercial finance work, including the opportunity to gradually increase your engagement with lawyers at all levels within a supportive environment.

Key Responsibilities

Working collaboratively with colleagues in the Commercial Finance, Finance and Business Development and Marketing teams, you will contribute across the following related areas: Data analysis and modelling:

Extract, analyse and model data for clients, matters, portfolios of work, and opportunities, considering profitability and the implications for pricing, resourcing, matter management and working capital decisions.
Share quantitative and qualitative insights and recommendations, supporting our lawyers to enhance client relationships and financial performance

Pricing:

Draft pricing proposals/estimates for smaller and more straightforward matters.
Ensure that working capital implications are considered on larger quotes, including that the firm’s credit exposure policy is followed by referring to the Finance team.
Update Excel pricing tools, working with lawyers to draft new tools, and encourage and support the use of these tools.
Respond to routine pricing queries from lawyers.

Hourly rates management and alternative fee arrangements support

Update / set up and test charge and cost rates in the practice management system.
Support the annual charge rate increase communications process, including providing matter lists to the practice, responding to requests, tracking responses, and following up.
Prepare draft retainer proposals and periodic retainer reviews, using tools / reports to model / understand the impact of resourcing and charge rates.
Diarise bespoke rate reviews and retainer reviews, update records, and track actions.

Matter management support

Encourage and support the use of tools to support matter management, including matter budgets and reporting.
Provide bespoke WIP reporting on larger and more complex matters.
Sharing insights which could help identify or implement process improvements.

Specific tasks may change over time, so we’ll need you to be adaptable and flexible as we continue to meet our clients’ requirements.

About You

You:

Have at least two years’ experience in a commercial finance, financial planning and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, or broader finance role, gained in a law firm (similar professional services environments will be considered).
Are confident in analysing data to identify trends/themes in relation to KPIs and using visuals and narratives to tell a concise and engaging story which can form the basis for better decision making.
Are technically excellent and commercially minded, with strong attention to detail, good organisation, and the ability to prioritise and effectively juggle a busy day to day workload.
Have excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, a proactive and collaborative working style, and the ability to build effective relationships across functions and practice areas, and at all levels.
Have an agile and flexible mindset, with a desire to develop or enhance a creative and pragmatic approach, particularly in navigating the balance between price and volume in highly competitive markets.
Are not afraid to test assumptions and provide constructive upward challenge, thriving on exposure to a variety of challenges that will allow you to innovate.
Are proficient in MS Office, particularly intermediate Excel (including formulas, lookups, pivot tables etc.).

It would be helpful but is not essential for you to have:

A basic grounding in SQL.
Experience in Power BI or similar applications.
A basic understanding of legal pricing models, including alternative fee arrangements.
A CIMA or ACCA part qualification

What are we like to work for?

Impact-Driven Purpose: We align profit with social purpose to create lasting positive impact for our people, communities, and planet. Committed to the Climate: Through our Climate Programme, we reduce environmental impact and drive a just transition to net zero. Championing Inclusion: We foster a diverse, inclusive culture where creativity and innovation thrive. Flexible and Hybrid Working: Our hybrid model supports balance, with part-time options and at least two office days weekly. Progressive Benefits: We offer green pensions, IVF support, private healthcare, and more for your well-being and growth.

At Bates Wells, equity, diversity, and inclusion are part of who we are and how we work. As a B Corp and purpose-driven law firm, we’re committed to building a workplace that is fair, inclusive, and representative of all.