About the role
Charles Russell Speechlys is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Project Manager to join our Legal Project Management team in a dedicated role supporting our Litigation & Dispute Resolution (LDR) division. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned LPM professional with strong litigation and eDiscovery expertise to drive innovation, efficiency, and excellence across some of the firm's most complex and high-value matters.
Reporting to the Head of Legal Project Management, you will be embedded within our LDR division, working across five dynamic practice groups: Commercial Dispute Resolution, Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency, Intellectual Property Litigation, International Arbitration, and Private Wealth Disputes. This role uniquely combines strategic project management with deep technical expertise in eDiscovery, positioning you as a trusted advisor to our legal teams and clients alike.
This role offers a unique opportunity to combine strategic project management with technical eDiscovery expertise in one of the firm's most dynamic divisions. You will work on high-profile, complex matters alongside talented lawyers and professional support teams, with genuine autonomy to shape how we deliver litigation services. You will be at the forefront of innovation in legal service delivery, with opportunities to influence firm‑wide practices and mentor the next generation of legal professionals. If you are an experienced LPM professional with a passion for litigation, technology, and continuous improvement, we would welcome your application.
Key Responsibilities
Matter management & delivery
You will take ownership of the planning, execution, and closure of select legal matters within the LDR division, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of quality. Working in close partnership with legal teams and clients, you will help define project scope, objectives, and deliverables, establishing clear communication channels and ensuring alignment with client expectations from inception through to completion. Throughout execution, you will drive accountability by creating and maintaining workstream trackers, chairing regular stand‑up calls to review progress and priorities, and circulating updated action lists to the matter team and client while flagging any issues or blockers requiring attention.
Budgeting & financial reporting
You will play a key role in preparing and managing matter budgets, working collaboratively with legal teams to develop accurate cost estimates and resource plans at the outset of matters. Throughout the matter lifecycle, you will monitor actual spend against budget, providing regular fee reporting and analysis to partners and clients. You will work closely with the firm's Finance and Pricing teams to develop competitive and commercially sound pricing proposals, contribute to alternative fee arrangement discussions, and ensure robust financial oversight across the matters you support.
eDiscovery leadership
A cornerstone of this role is providing expert guidance on eDiscovery strategy and execution across litigation matters. You will advise legal teams on best practices for managing eDiscovery workflows, from data collection and preservation through to review and production. You will assess matter‑specific requirements and recommend optimal approaches to eDiscovery management, ensuring teams have the tools, processes, and strategies needed to handle complex data challenges efficiently and cost‑effectively. You will be a key conduit between the firm's legal teams and approved eDiscovery providers. Familiarity with industry‑standard platforms such as Relativity and other eDiscovery platforms and technologies is essential, and you will serve as a key resource in leveraging these tools to maximum advantage.
Client relationship management
Throughout the project lifecycle, you will manage client relationships with professionalism and transparency, serving as a key point of contact for project‑related communications. You will address issues promptly, provide regular updates on matter progress, and ensure clients feel informed and confident in our delivery.
Cross‑functional collaboration
You will work closely with your counterpart in Legal Technology, adopting a collaborative approach to integrating technology solutions into matter workflows. This partnership will be critical in identifying opportunities for innovation, implementing new & existing tools into the division and on specific matters (as required), and ensuring seamless coordination between project management and technical delivery.
Innovation & development
As part of the firm's commitment to innovation, you will play a supporting role in Russell Up, our internal innovation programme. You will provide guidance and mentorship to trainees undertaking innovation projects, sharing your expertise in project management methodologies and helping to cultivate the next generation of innovative legal professionals.
Strategic contribution & best practice development
You will contribute to the development and refinement of project management best practices across the firm, capturing insights and lessons learned from each matter to improve team efficiency and effectiveness. Working collaboratively with the Head of Legal Project Management and other senior leaders, you will support the firm's strategic objectives and drive innovation in project delivery.
Team development & knowledge sharing
You will play an active role in developing the capabilities of the wider LPM team, sharing your expertise through training sessions, mentoring, and informal knowledge exchange. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and best practice, you will help build team coverage and resilience.
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
You will bring proven experience in legal project management within a law firm environment, with a particular focus on litigation and dispute resolution matters. Your background will include hands‑on experience working within litigation teams, giving you deep insight into the workflows, challenges, and opportunities unique to contentious matters.
You will possess a very good working knowledge of eDiscovery principles and practices, with demonstrated ability to run eDiscovery processes and advise legal teams on optimal management approaches. Practical familiarity with eDiscovery platforms such as Relativity or similar tools is essential.
You will hold an LPM‑specific qualification or a recognised Project or Change Management Qualification.
Your communication and influencing skills will be strong, with proven experience working effectively with senior stakeholders across international organisations. You will be able to collaborate professionally, diplomatically, and effectively across departments, building productive relationships that drive results.
You will be credible, articulate, and comfortable working with systems, data, and analysis, able to translate complex information into clear insights and recommendations.
Your attention to detail and organisational skills will be excellent, enabling you to manage multiple priorities and maintain high standards even in fast‑paced, high‑pressure environments.
Competencies
* Working together
* Integrity and respect
* Inclusive
* Personal impact and growth
* Driving high standards
* Commercial mindset
* Client‑centric
* Responsible Business
Hybrid working
Hybrid working – We adopt a hybrid and flexible working approach, dependent on the requirements of the role and subject to manager approval.
For a detailed specification please download the job description in the documents section of this page.
#J-18808-Ljbffr