Controller

Job Description

Position Summary

The Controller will oversee the firm's day-to-day accounting operations, financial reporting, budgeting, cash flow management, and compliance functions. This role requires a CPA with strong technical accounting expertise, leadership skills, and experience managing financial operations in a law firm, professional services firm, or similarly complex business environment.

The ideal candidate understands the importance of accuracy, confidentiality, compliance, and timely reporting in a legal services environment, including trust accounting, case cost tracking, settlement disbursements, vendor management, and operating account oversight.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management & Reporting
• Oversee all accounting operations, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll coordination, bank reconciliations, and month-end/year-end close.
• Prepare timely and accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
• Provide financial analysis, KPIs, cash flow reports, and profitability insights to firm leadership.
• Manage annual budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Monitor revenue, expenses, case costs, marketing spend, and operating margins.

Law Firm Accounting & Compliance
• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, tax requirements, and law firm financial regulations.
• Oversee client trust/IOLTA accounting, where applicable, ensuring strict compliance with state bar rules.
• Manage settlement accounting, lien payments, case expense reimbursements, and disbursement processes.
• Maintain accurate tracking of case costs and advanced client expenses.
• Develop and enforce financial policies, procedures, and internal controls.

Leadership & Process Improvement
• Lead, train, and develop accounting and finance team members.
• Improve accounting workflows, reporting processes, systems, and controls.
• Partner with operations, intake, case management, and leadership teams to support firm growth.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability, reduce risk, and increase financial visibility.
• Support implementation or optimization of accounting, payroll, case management, and reporting systems.

Tax, Audit & External Relationships
• Coordinate with external tax advisors, auditors, banks, lenders, insurance brokers, and other financial partners.
• Oversee preparation of tax-related documentation and support annual tax filings.
• Manage banking relationships and support financing, credit line, and treasury management needs.
• Ensure compliance with payroll tax, sales/use tax, 1099, and other reporting requirements.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications
• Active CPA license required.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• 7+ years of progressive accounting or finance experience.
• 3+ years in a controller, assistant controller, accounting manager, or similar leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, internal controls, budgeting, and cash flow management.
• Experience with trust/IOLTA accounting, law firm accounting, professional services, or case-cost accounting strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with accounting systems such as QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, or similar platforms.
• Advanced Excel skills and comfort building financial models, reports, and dashboards.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• High level of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience in a personal injury, plaintiff-side, or contingency-fee law firm.
• Familiarity with legal case management systems such as Filevine, Litify, SmartAdvocate, Needles, Clio, or similar platforms.
• Experience managing settlement disbursement workflows and client cost reimbursements.
• Experience scaling accounting operations in a growing multi-office firm.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus.

Core Competencies
• Financial accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong judgment and ethical decision-making.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Process-driven mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Leadership presence and ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, high-volume legal environment.

Additional Information

• Medical, dental & vision
• Hospital plans
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Company paid Basic Life and AD&D as well as voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Company paid short and long-term disability
• Health & Dependent Care Spending Accounts (HSA & DCFSA)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Assistance
• Time Off/Leave(PTO, Allegis Group Paid Family Leave, Parental Leave

Join Our Team

At The Ward Law Group, every role contributes to changing lives.

If you're looking for an opportunity to grow your litigation career, maximize client recoveries, and work alongside a high-performing legal team, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and become part of a team committed to excellence, accountability, and changing lives-one client at a time.

The Ward Law Group is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at The Ward Law Group via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from The Ward Law Group HR/Recruitment will be deemed the sole property of The Ward Law Group. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by The Ward Law Group as a result of the referral or through other means.

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