We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.
Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.
You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.
Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.
Job DescriptionThe Commercial Specialist role sits under the Order to Cash – Commercial Finance function within the Finance team, servicing our global network. The team are regarded as the experts in their field providing high quality reporting and analysis.
You will work closely with the APAC Head of Commercial Advisory; Commercial Pricing Team; Global Commercial Director; Director of Commercial Finance; APAC Partners, Practice Area Leaders and Regional Business Managers; colleagues across the Finance and other Business Professional functions (including Business Development, Best Delivery, and Innovation), as well as Clients.
The role of the Commercial Specialist is primarily focussed on:
- Supporting the APAC Head of Commercial Advisory, Director of Commercial Finance and APAC Chief Financial Officer in pushing the Firm's strategic pricing objectives, commercial standards and pricing governance.
- Supporting Partners with client and matter pricing support, as well as driving pricing initiatives within APAC.
- Raising commercial awareness with Partners and influence their pricing decision making on strategic client fee deals (both panels and matters).
- Delivering pricing support, reporting and analysis with a focused, co-ordinated and consistent approach.
- Producing pricing models and negotiation strategies for strategic client fee deals and provide support throughout the pricing process.
- Supporting the design of client pricing proposals and submission of pricing proposals to the Global Pricing Committee.
- Client facing, engaging with client procurement in client fee negotiations and supporting the Partners throughout.
- Raising commercial awareness to the broader business and delivering Commercial Awareness training to fee earners and business professionals
Key Responsibilities
- Working with Partners to support and, in some instances, lead negotiations on behalf of the firm.
- Influence Partners on how to formulate pricing and how to develop a negotiation strategy.
- Identify opportunities to improve commercials on current client, work type and matter opportunities.
- Guide on participation in competitive tendering processes.
- Undertake internal client, work type and matter pricing review benchmarking.
- Contribute to the evolution of the commercial pricing function and work within a global commercial pricing community.
- Ensure adherence to the firm's commercial standards and pricing governance.
- Continually refine governance tools and processes in line with market developments.
- Develop and submit pricing proposals (both panel and matters) to the global pricing committee.
- Work with Partners to increase the variety of alternative fee arrangements the firm is offering to clients.
- Deliver commercial awareness training to fee earners and business professional groups.
- Responsible for training and upskilling individuals across the network to extend the coverage of the global pricing community.
Team:
- Work as part of a highly skilled and knowledgeable global commercial team creating a "go to", trusted and highly valued function.
- Reporting to the APAC Head of Commercial Advisory, and working closely with Global Commercial Finance team, Business Development and Best Delivery colleagues.
Skills:
- A commercially focused individual with a proven ability to influence Partners and senior stakeholders.
- A strong communicator who can explain commercials with sufficient gravitas to influence Partner decisions.
- A commercially astute and strong negotiator who can hold/protect margin in contract discussions whilst taking on responsibility for liaising with client procurement functions.
- Able to work autonomously but under firm guiding principles.
Experience:
- Experience of providing matter pricing support within a law firm or professional services environment.
- You will have experience of scenario modelling/compiling pricing proposals and understanding the levers to deliver client value and commercially viable pricing.
- You will have experience of supporting and/or leading client negotiation.
Knowledge
- You will be a finance/procurement expert who understands and can balance the sensitivities of dealing with Partners and clients on matter pricing.
Qualifications
- You will ideally have a commercial/accounting/finance degree.
- Fluent English is required, with Mandarin proficiency preferred to support regional stakeholder engagement and delivery of commercial guidance and training.
Equal opportunities statement
At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.
We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.
We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.
Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.
Find out more about our inclusive culture here
