Van Ness Feldman is a nationally recognized law firm focused on energy, environmental, and natural resources law and policy. Home to 100 attorneys and policy professionals, the Firm has offices in Washington, DC; Seattle; the Bay Area; Houston; and Louisiana. For nearly 50 years, the Firm has provided strategic business advice, legislative and policy advocacy, legal and regulatory compliance counsel, representation in administrative proceedings and litigation, and support for project development, permitting, and transactions.
The Sr. Billing Specialist serves as a strategic liaison between timekeepers, clients, and the Firm’s billing and accounting functions, providing end-to-end client account support for complex and high-value matters. This role partners closely with timekeepers to ensure accurate, timely, and client-compliant invoicing while supporting broader firm objectives related to pricing, budgeting, and revenue management.
In this role, the Sr. Billing Specialist applies advanced knowledge of legal billing, client guidelines, alternative fee arrangements, and e-billing platforms to proactively manage client accounts, resolve billing challenges, and improve financial outcomes. The position requires strong analytical judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to translate billing data into actionable insights for timekeepers and firm leadership.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Collaborate with timekeepers to ensure complex billing arrangements, including multi-payer and delayed split billing, volume discounts, retainers, and alternative fee arrangements are followed prior to finalizing invoices.
Review and analyze invoices to ensure compliance with Firm policies, client billing guidelines, and contractual requirements.
Coordinate the preparation and distribution of monthly pre-bills, track timekeeper feedback, and ensure timely completion of revisions and invoice finalization.
Monitor client accounts to proactively identify billing risks, exceptions, or delays, and partner with timekeepers on appropriate resolution strategies.
Research and resolve billing issues related to unbilled time, aging balances, unapplied cash, and client inquiries, providing thoughtful recommendations to support timely resolution.
Act as a trusted escalation point for complex billing issues, rejected invoices, or client-specific requirements.
Identify and address issues related to billing setup, time entry, or rate configuration to prevent subsequent billing challenges.
Generate and analyze Work in Progress (WIP), Accounts Receivable (AR), and On-Account reports for assigned timekeepers and matters.
Facilitate the preparation and submission of matter budgets and as requested, provide variance analysis and financial insights to timekeepers.
Process billing-related adjustments, including narrative corrections, time entry splits, write-ups, write-downs, transfers, in accordance with Firm policy.
Maintain oversight of client invoicing and payment activity to support potential audit requests for audit appeals process.
Identify opportunities to improve billing processes, documentation, and workflows to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and client satisfaction.
Satisfactorily performs all other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
High school diploma or GED required, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or related field preferred
5+ years of legal billing experience managing high volume billing portfolio in a fast-paced customer environment, customer service and business analysis.
Strong working knowledge of Work in Progress (WIP), Accounts Receivable (AR), accruals, and billing lifecycle management.
Experience preparing, reviewing, and finalizing invoices, including pre-bill review, revisions, and electronic invoice submission.
Advanced attention to detail with the ability to identify billing risks, inconsistencies, or compliance issues before invoice submission.
Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.
Experience supporting and managing retainer-based agreements and complex billing arrangements, including alternative fee arrangements, multi-payor & split billing, and client-specific billing guidelines.
High degree of professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment when handling sensitive financial and client information.
Strong knowledge in Aderant Legal Billing accounting system. Proficient in billing applications such as eBilling, LEDES file formats or BillBlast; experience with iTimekeep preferred
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel
