Practice Innovation Advisor (Transactional Practice)

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don't just meet the standard for legal excellence - we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 22 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers' commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You'll Do

Are you passionate about shaping the future of legal services through innovation and technology? As a Practice Innovation Advisor at Kirkland & Ellis, you'll join our Practice Innovation team, working at the intersection of law and technology to enhance client service, efficiency, and profitability. In this role, you'll have a particular focus on supporting the Transactional Practice, especially Funds and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), by designing and implementing solutions that address their complex, high-volume workflows. You'll collaborate with attorneys, knowledge management professionals, and firm leadership to create and scale tech-enabled solutions that elevate both process efficiency and client outcomes.

Partner with Transactional Practice - Work closely with Funds, M&A, and other transactional groups to understand workflows, identify challenges, and implement solutions that align with the firm's objectives.
Engage and Influence - Collaborate extensively with practice leadership and knowledge management attorneys, representing Innovation initiatives at meetings and training sessions.
Align Strategy Firmwide - Ensure practice-specific needs are integrated with broader innovation priorities, bridging attorneys, innovation teams, and firm leadership.
Advance Workflow Optimization - Map transactional processes to identify opportunities for automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and data-driven enhancements.
Deliver Proofs of Concept - Develop functional pilots and prototypes that address specific use cases and process improvements.
Assess and Improve Workflows - Partner with legal teams to evaluate current processes, pinpoint pain points, and measure potential return on investment (ROI) for new initiatives.
Lead Technology Pilots - Design, launch, and manage pilots end-to-end, including scope, metrics, budgets, risks, and stakeholder management.
Promote Adoption and Change - Support rollout and change management efforts to ensure successful technology adoption within practice groups.
Leverage External Partnerships - Build and maintain strong vendor relationships to support implementation and ongoing success.
Champion Responsible Innovation - Collaborate with Applied Innovation and Responsible AI teams to ensure ethical deployment of emerging technologies.
Support Firmwide Growth - Contribute to the development of the innovation roadmap, portfolio, and long-term strategy, while assisting with evolving priorities and special projects.

What You'll Bring

Education - Juris Doctor (JD) or Master of Laws (LLM), required.
Experience - 5+ years in a law firm or customer-facing role with a legal technology vendor, required.
Technology Leadership - Hands-on experience leading enterprise software implementations from planning through deployment.
Transactional Insight - Familiarity with the workflows and demands of the transactional practice such as Funds and M&A, with the ability to tailor technology solutions to these contexts.
Platform Knowledge - Experience with legal tech platforms, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), automation, contract lifecycle management (CLM), and business intelligence tools.
Process and Change Expertise - Background in legal process improvement, workflow automation, and structured change management approaches preferred.
Communication Excellence - Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with confidence engaging attorney audiences.
Professionalism and Collaboration - Ability to interact with stakeholders at all levels with accuracy, accountability, and professionalism.
Mindset - Proactive self-starter with strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills; able to work independently while managing shifting priorities.

Compensation

The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range:

New York: $193,000 - $208,000

Los Angeles: $175,000 - 190,000.00

Chicago: $175,000 - 190,000.00

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law. #LI-Hybrid #LI-AR1