A Chief of Staff With a Seat at the Table Is a Force Multiplier

Law firm competition is accelerating, new providers enter the sector frequently, and clients continue to keep more work in house. The competitive edge for law firms will depend on how well they master their increasingly complex enterprises. To date, firms have responded by professionalizing their operations and retaining a c-suite of sophisticated experts tasked with running the firm as a business.

It’s clear firms face increasingly complex challenges that will require professionals with specific skills that can be applied across the existing verticals to deliver on the strategy set by managing partners, executive committees, and chief operating officers. Enter the chief of staff.

The position of chief of staff or COS can be a linchpin in the efficient management and seamless operation of a law firm. The COS is a versatile professional who plays a pivotal role in fostering communication, strategic planning, and operational efficiency. They’re deeply experienced and have evolved into a rare professional who is equally effective at advancing strategic objectives and managing tactical duties.

The Role

The COS serves as a right-hand person to the managing partner/CEO or COO and provides strategic and operational support for the firm’s broader executive leadership team. While the responsibilities of this role can greatly vary based on the firm’s size, structure, and objectives, the primary focus is on optimizing internal processes, enhancing communication channels, and aiding in the implementation of strategic initiatives.

An effective COS possesses certain capabilities that equip them to excel in their multifaceted role:

• Executive communications
• Disciplined project management
• A nuanced understanding of client development
• Relentless organizational prowess
• Operating effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure environments
• A proven ability to manage diverse teams of professionals across a variety of functions
• Diplomacy
• Being a quick learner

A COS can provide the critical, overall program management and cross-functional collaboration needed to move business objectives forward.

An effective COS can accomplish these mission-critical projects through:

Strategic Alignment: One of the central roles of a law firm COS is to ensure that the various departments and teams are aligned with and advancing the firm’s strategic goals. By collaborating closely with the leadership team, the COS assists in developing and executing initiatives that drive the firm’s growth, enhance its reputation, and improve its overall success.

Operational Efficiency: In an industry where time is money, optimizing internal processes that support the practice of law is critical. The COS identifies inefficiencies, streamlines workflows, and implements best practices to enhance overall operational efficiency. Such efforts might include redesigning organizational structures to maximize resource allocation and efficacy, implementing new technology to automate tasks, speeding up the development and improving the accuracy of deliverables, and executing cost reduction measures.

Communication: Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful organization. The COS acts as a bridge between the firm’s leadership and its various teams, ensuring that vital information flows seamlessly in both directions. In this way, the COS can gain insights into the day-to-day operations and identify potential obstacles and mitigate risks.

Project Management: One of the most crucial roles for the COS is to take on special projects that the managing partner or COO doesn’t have the capacity to manage. The most valuable COS is one who is an excellent project manager, overseeing initiatives from inception to completion while ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget.

The Challenge

The COS role is still a relatively new concept for law firms. One challenge is effectively integrating the role into existing hierarchies. It’s one of the few positions straddling firm management, professional team functions, and even client work in some instances. It’s important that the role is well defined and clearly communicated to the firm.

To be impactful, the COS must have a seat at the leadership table. It’s critical that they’re privy to the discussions of the executive leadership team while being enmeshed in the inner workings of the firm. Further, the COS needs to be given explicit authority to utilize internal resources to help achieve the firm’s goals.

This crucial element is not always formalized, and those COSs may find themselves in the precarious position of trying to guide teams without having the designated authority. As one COS at an AmLaw 100 firm shared, she finds the role interesting and fulfilling, but admits she struggles with the ambiguity and undefined authority of her position.

A well-supported COS can be a force multiplier. For this to be successful, the COS must be given explicit management support and the authority to draw upon the resources they need to get the appointed job done. It’s incumbent on firm management to be explicit about their expectations for each manager to provide the COS with their full cooperation and offer incentives to procure this cooperation.

The Benefits

The rise of COS positions in the legal industry is indicative of a broader trend in which traditional organizational structures are being adjusted to meet the demands of modern business and client requirements. The COS role can also be tailored to suit the specific needs of a law firm and its leadership team.

An effective COS keeps a finger on the pulse of the firm and provides the senior management team with the intelligence needed to make well-informed decisions. Further, given their unique position, they have a deep understanding of the firm’s distinct culture, enabling them to effectively manage change and drive incremental progress without causing major disruptions.

The COS role provides not only a significant power boost for firm operations, but the function itself offers a competitive edge for firms by producing results that can be transformative. Many initiatives either lie fallow or aren’t even considered because there’s precious little existing senior level capacity to handle such efforts. In the race to innovate and stay relevant, perhaps it’s time your law firm considered the strategic edge a COS can offer.

Special thanks to the chiefs of staff who offered the time, input, and honest thoughts to assist me with this article, including Rebecca Edgar, chief of staff at Cooley; Kate Later, chief of staff at Willkie Farr & Gallagher; Michael Maitland, government affairs advisor at McCarter & English; and Denelle Veny, chief of staff at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Rochelle Rubin is a legal operations and business development executive with over 20 years of experience in the legal industry, including an extensive background in Big Four management consulting and global law firms such as DLA Piper and Haynes Boone.

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