Legal Operations Manager, Outside Counsel and Spend Management

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Job Description

Your Career

This role will support Palo Alto Networks’ legal department by optimizing outside counsel management and spend. This individual will manage outside counsel engagements, including selection, onboarding, performance evaluation, and billing review. They will also maintain legal technologies and processes for e-billing, matter management, and spend analytics. This role will report into the Director, Head of Legal Operations and collaborate with internal legal teams, finance, and outside counsel.

Your Impact

• Oversee quarterly and annual budget planning with Finance across legal practice areas.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to forecast and budget legal spend.

• Develop and implement strategies to reduce outside counsel spend while maintaining quality.

• Implement a top-tier law firm panel program (preferred vendor panel) and a spend optimization strategy with outside counsel.

• Manage onboarding for new firms, selection, and performance evaluation of outside counsel.

• Negotiate and manage outside counsel billing rates and alternative fee arrangements.

• Oversee e-billing, ensuring accuracy and compliance, including invoice review and processing.

• Develop and maintain legal spend analytics and reporting to identify trends, cost drivers, and savings opportunities.

• Implement and manage legal technology solutions for outside counsel management, e-billing, and spend analytics, including systems implementations, training, and user support.

• Stay current on industry best practices for outside counsel management and legal spend optimization.

• Train internal legal teams and outside counsel on billing guidelines, e-billing processes, and relevant topics.

• Drive continuous improvement in legal operations processes and systems.

• Develop strong, collaborative relationships with cross-functional partners.

Qualifications

Your Experience 

• A self-starter with enthusiasm, who can work independently with minimal oversight on certain projects but who is also a team player and can support projects when needed. Must have a passion for operations, willing to take on diverse projects.

• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize effectively.

• Impeccable attention to detail and exceptional professional judgment. Excellent organization and communication skills with the ability to develop, implement, and enhance processes.

• Ability to execute under pressure and within tight timelines while juggling multiple projects.

• 7+ years of experience in legal operations, focused on outside counsel management and understanding of legal billing practices/e-billing systems.

• Experie