Controller - PI Firm in Chicago, Illinois at Law Offices of Michael P McCready

McCready Law is an established and growing plaintiff personal injury law firm seeking an experienced, hands on Controller to lead and strengthen our accounting and finance operations.

This role is responsible for overseeing accounting operations, financial reporting, reconciliations, trust and escrow accounting, budgeting support, cash flow visibility, and internal financial controls. The right candidate will have prior Controller experience and the ability to manage the details while also helping leadership improve financial structure, reporting, and decision making.

In a plaintiff personal injury practice, financial leadership includes more than traditional accounting. It also requires strong oversight of settlement funds, trust and escrow accounts, case costs, vendor payments, cash flow, and financial controls.

This role will begin with in person onboarding and integration with leadership and staff, with the opportunity to transition into a hybrid or fully remote arrangement after training and onboarding.

• Oversee accounting operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger, month end close, year end close, and financial reporting
• Manage bank, operating account, trust account, escrow account, and credit facility reconciliations
• Oversee attorney trust and escrow accounting and support compliance with applicable rules and procedures
• Prepare accurate financial reports, dashboards, KPIs, and leadership updates
• Support budgeting, forecasting, cash flow planning, and financial analysis
• Monitor case costs, settlement activity, operating expenses, vendor costs, and overall financial performance
• Supervise, support, and mentor accounting and bookkeeping staff
• Strengthen internal controls around settlement funds, vendor payments, bank accounts, financial approvals, and reporting processes
• Coordinate with outside CPA firms, auditors, tax professionals, banking partners, and financial institutions
• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes, reporting accuracy, automation, and efficiency
• Partner with leadership on financial reporting, department spending, compensation planning, profitability, and growth initiatives

Our Culture

At our firm, we believe in supporting one another, treating our clients with compassion, and fostering a respectful, collaborative environment. We are a close-knit team that values integrity, clear communication, and a good sense of humor, especially on busy days.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required
• Prior Controller experience required
• CPA strongly preferred
• 7 or more years of progressive accounting or finance experience
• Experience managing accounting staff and financial operations for a multi million dollar organization
• Strong experience with financial reporting, reconciliations, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and internal controls
• Experience with trust accounting, escrow accounting, client funds, or other highly regulated account reconciliations strongly preferred
• Law firm, plaintiff personal injury, contingency fee, or professional services experience strongly preferred
• Advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency with accounting software and financial reporting systems
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem solving skills
• Ability to be both strategic and hands on in a growing organization

• Plaintiff personal injury law firm experience
• Law firm or professional services accounting
• Trust and escrow accounting oversight
• Case cost tracking and profitability analysis
• Multi entity accounting
• Financial modeling and forecasting
• Process improvement and systems implementation