Chief Financial Officer

Miles & Stockbridge has positioned itself as an AmLaw 200 firm that is global in scope and in reach. Miles & Stockbridge maintains a reputation for a dynamic and approachable work environment that allows talented lawyers and staff from diverse backgrounds to thrive and grow. As part of our ongoing commitment to affect positive change, Miles & Stockbridge focuses on partnerships that benefit the community, reflect the causes our colleagues support, and allow us to collaborate with clients and neighbors to deepen relationships.

Miles & Stockbridge is seeking a Chief Financial Officer in the Baltimore-Washington, DC area to help shape the financial future of the firm. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will serve as the firm’s senior financial executive, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer with indirect reporting obligations to the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors. The CFO will be responsible for the firm's financial strategy in support of all firm operational decision making including growth and acquisitions. The CFO will lead all financial functions, including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, treasury, and financial planning and analysis.

This role is an opportunity to provide financial expertise and perspective to a well-established and highly respected mid-Atlantic legal firm as we build on our existing strengths and design the roadmap for our future. The CFO will partner with leadership, bring fresh insight to important business decisions, and make meaningful contributions to the firm’s long-term success. The ideal candidate will have prior financial leadership experience and a strategic financial mindset. While law firm or other professional service experience is preferred, deep financial and strategic leadership is the primary consideration.

Responsibilities:

Financial Leadership

• Analysis, preparation of financial statements, with the ability to translate complex financial data into actionable insights for non-financial stakeholders (e.g., board of directors, firm principals, practice group leaders, etc.).
• Development and understanding of compensation structures and profitability analysis in a multi-unit or multi-practice environment.
• Management of firm financial functions including accounting, budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, treasury, and financial planning and analysis.
• Serve as strategic partner to executive leadership, board-level or equivalent governance bodies, and practice/business unit leaders.
• Management, mentorship, and development of a team of 15 - 20 finance and accounting professionals, including direct reports across accounting, financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, billing, and collections.
• Leverage models, utilization and realization metrics, rate-setting, and the relationship between origination, production, and compensation.
• Understand and advise on federal, state, and local income tax considerations including planning and compliance of a professional corporation (P.C.).
• Track and analyze firm's key financial metrics such as revenue per lawyer (RPL), profit per equity partner (PPEP), realization rates, and collection cycles.
• Interfaces regularly with the firm's external auditors, tax advisors, and banking partners.
• Serves as a key member of the firm's senior administrative leadership team, retirement and benefits committees.

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Hands-on leadership of enterprise-wide annual budgeting processes, including revenue forecasting, expense budgeting, headcount planning, and capital expenditure planning for an organization of comparable scale ($150M+ in revenue).
• Build-out and maintenance of rolling forecasts, scenario models, and sensitivity analyses to support strategic decision-making.
• Long-range financial planning, including modeling for lateral partner acquisitions, practice group expansion, office openings/closures, and other strategic investments.

Qualifications:

• MBA or master's degree in finance, accounting, or a related discipline and/or CPA designation.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive financial leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior finance role (CFO, VP of Finance, or equivalent) overseeing the finance function or a major division of an organization.
• Prior experience in a professional services firm (e.g., accounting, consulting, advisory, architecture/engineering, or similar partnership or partner-equivalent structure) is helpful but not required.
• Experience with financial systems implementation or optimization (e.g., ERP, financial reporting platforms, business intelligence tools commonly used in professional services).
• Familiarity with professional services billing practices, including alternative fee arrangements, matter-level profitability analysis, and client-driven billing guidelines.
• Experience with debt facilities, lines of credit, or other treasury and capital structure considerations.
• Prior involvement in merger, acquisition, or combination transactions in a professional services context.

Key Competencies / Personal Attributes

Strategic Vision: Ability to see beyond the numbers and contribute to firm-wide strategy, including growth planning, market positioning, and operational efficiency.

Communication and Influence: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build credibility and trust with partners, firm leadership, finance and accounting team and both internal and external stakeholders.

Change Management: Proven ability to drive process improvements, technology adoption, and organizational change within a consensus-driven, partnership culture.

Analytical Rigor: Detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, balanced by sound business judgment and pragmatism.

Confidentiality and Discretion: Unquestioned integrity and the ability to handle highly sensitive compensation, financial, and strategic information.

Adaptability: Comfort operating in an environment where financial leadership must balance the competing interests of individual partners, practice groups, and the institution as a whole.

This position may be located in our Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD office location and requires travel to offices in Baltimore, Washington, DC, North Bethesda, New York, NY, and Richmond, VA.

Miles & Stockbridge offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including PTO, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401K, Firm sponsored Memberships (i.e. Peloton, Norton LifeLock), and more.

The pay range for this position is $400,000 - $475,000 plus incentive compensation aligned with firm performance. The pay range provided is in compliance with state, city, or local employment laws and applies to this location only. Actual pay for this position will be determined based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, current market data, and business needs.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to push, pull, lift, and move up to 15 pounds. The employee is frequently required to walk, stand, and repeat motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

Disclaimer and Acknowledgement:

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employee(s) will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

A review of this position has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements will exclude individuals who may pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties in this job description at any time for any reason.

Miles & Stockbridge is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to cultivating an inclusive environment that embraces and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values of our firm.