Legal Support Manager

About Us:

Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP provides sophisticated intellectual property advice and legal services to many of the world’s largest, most innovative businesses, research institutions, universities, and entrepreneurs. For more than six decades, we have been exclusively dedicated to excellence in the practice of IP law. Our size and singular focus enhance efficiency, foster responsive and creative decision-making, and help clients achieve mission-critical results. We cultivate trust, communicate clearly, and deliver effective solutions.

Your Role:

The Legal Support Manager will play a critical role in overseeing the firm’s prosecution legal administrative assistant staff, facilities management, and various administrative operations. This position is responsible for ensuring sufficient support for attorneys, managing team assignments, conducting annual reviews for prosecution legal administrative staff, managing workloads, and handling other administrative duties as needed. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in legal administrative support services, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with multiple departments. This is a high-impact role where leadership and organizational skills will directly support our attorneys and enhance firm-wide collaboration and efficiency.

Your Impact:

• Lead & Inspire: Oversee and lead legal administrative support staff, ensuring smooth daily operations and high-quality service delivery.
• Drive Performance: Conduct annual performance reviews for legal administrative support staff and provide ongoing, constructive feedback to champion professional development.
• Strategic Staffing & Pairing: Manage the pairing of attorneys with legal administrative assistants and assign team assistants to practice teams based on need, workload, and expertise.  Monitor administrative staffing needs and adjust coverage as priorities shift—keeping business continuity front and center.
• Onboard & Facilitate Training: Lead onboarding and training efforts for legal administrative assistants to ensure successful integration and readiness.
• Enhance Workflow Efficiency: Monitor workload distribution and proactively rebalance support assignments to reduce unnecessary overtime. Identify patterns, streamline workflows, and implement time management strategies that drive down LAA overtime hours while maintaining service excellence.
• Attorney Collaboration: Partner with attorneys, legal professionals and department heads to ensure adequate and proactive support coverage across all areas.
• Problem Solving: Address and resolve personnel issues related to legal administrative assistants, scheduling, office logistics, or facilities concerns.
• Development and Retention: Create and implement staffing and training plans aligned with firm strategy, manage performance, and create development plans and career paths for legal administrative staff in collaboration with HR and aligned with firm goals.
• Oversee Facilities: Ensure a functional and well-maintained office environment, coordinating with internal teams and vendors as needed.
• Support Operations: Provide assistance with various administrative tasks, including stepping in to cover absences and urgent overflow needs,  and provide assistance with special projects to support broader operational needs.

YOUR SKILLS:

Required:

• 5+ years of demonstrated experience in legal administrative support services or office management, preferably in a law firm setting
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related field
• Ability to facilitate clear and concise communications at all levels of the firm in a productive and professional manner
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills – clear, concise and professional at all levels
• Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality and navigate complex personnel challenges
• Demonstrated success managing a large team of support staff
• Proven ability to handle shifting priorities and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong time management skills and ability to work independently
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), including formatting, styles, tables, and formulas
• Flexibility to adjust hours as necessary to support team and client needs.

Preferred:

• Prior experience as a legal secretary, administrative assistant, practice coordinator or in a similar capacity
• Familiarity with USPTO and WIPO procedures
• Prior experience working with legal technology and third-party trademark docketing/reporting tools

YOUR REWARDS:

• Competitive salary, overall compensation and 401(k)
• Hybrid Remote Work Policy (3 Days In Office, 2 Days Remote)
• In-house and external learning and development opportunities
• Career Coaching Services
• Generous health insurance, mental health and well-being benefits
• Salary $135,000 to $165,000

 

EEO Statement

Our Firm is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Our employment decisions are based on individual qualifications, job requirements and business needs without regard to race, color, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, religion, disability, citizenship status, national origin, pregnancy, veteran status and/or any other legally protected characteristics. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations, if you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please email HumanResources@marshallip.com.