We are conducting a confidential search for a Chief Financial Officer to join a 100+ attorney, multi office law firm with sophisticated, partner-led governance and a strong national platform. This is a top tier opportunity for an Am Law caliber CFO seeking meaningful influence, direct access to firm leadership, and long-term institutional impact. This is not a first-time CFO role.
The CFO will lead the firm’s strategic and operational finance platform, elevating financial clarity, execution speed, and decision-ready reporting across offices. The firm reports on an accrual basis and is enhancing leadership reporting with a cash-focused operating lens, ensuring liquidity, partner distributions, and forecasting are grounded in reconciled, real time insight. This role requires executive judgment and disciplined execution in a complex, multi-office law firm environment.
Ideal Profile & Core Capabilities
- 15+ years of finance leadership experience, including 10+ years in a law firm CFO or CAO role
- Experience at an AmLaw 100–200 firm or elite litigation boutique strongly preferred
- Leadership of FP&A, accounting, treasury, tax, audit, risk management, partnership finance, billing, and collections
- Deep expertise in partnership finance, including capital accounts, compensation modeling, and distributions
- Advanced proficiency reconciling accrual results to cash performance, articulating timing differences and liquidity implications
- Proven ability to improve cash conversion across WIP, billing velocity, realization, and collections
- Strong command of utilization, leverage, pricing, profitability, and revenue analytics
- Oversight of GAAP compliance, internal controls, regulatory requirements, and trust accounting
- Financial systems leadership: Aderant proficiency preferred
- Executive-level communication with equity partners and management committees
- Demonstrated urgency, ownership, and measurable execution
- Experience building and mentoring high-performing finance teams
- Long-term institutional stewardship mindset
Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Economics; MBA and/or CPA strongly preferred. This role is based in the firm’s New York office, with cross-office leadership engagement. Executive-level availability consistent with firm responsibilities is expected. Compensation: $450K–$500K+ base, performance bonus, and comprehensive executive-level benefits.
This is a highly selective search. Initial outreach should summarize relevant law firm CFO/CAO experience, including firm size, governance exposure, and multi-office leadership. Candidates should also be prepared to describe how they reconcile accrual results to cash performance for equity partners, including timing differences, liquidity impact, and distribution implications. All inquiries will be handled with strict confidentiality.
