Director, Commercial Litigation

At Stout, we’re dedicated to exceeding expectations in all we do – we call it Relentless Excellence ®. Both our client service and culture are second to none, stemming from our firmwide embrace of our core values: Positive and Team-Oriented, Accountable, Committed, Relationship-Focused, Super-Responsive, and being Great communicators. Sound like a place you can grow and succeed? Read on to learn more about an exciting opportunity to join our team.

Director within our Disputes, Claims, & Investigations group (“DCI”) will work in a dynamic and fast-paced consulting environment advising clients and their legal counsel who are involved in litigation, investigations, or other challenging business conditions.

The primary role is to manage a variety of engagements within the DCI group.  Directors provide value-added consulting services to clients by expanding existing relationships, cultivating new relationships, and providing excellent product delivery.  Assignments primarily consist of overseeing the completion of various types of economic damages calculations and/or related financial analyses for litigation as well as fraud and forensic investigation matters. Work often includes the preparation and delivery of an expert report for state and federal court or in arbitration. Directors are assigned to project teams, working under the direction of engagement leaders and directing Analysts, Associates and Manager. Clients are based locally, regionally, and nationally across a wide range of industries.   

The selected candidate will also assist senior Stout practitioners with business development and marketing activities including proposals, presentations, articles, pitchbooks, and related research as well as market-facing activities to develop / maintain relationships with clients and prospects, principally commercial litigation attorneys and in-house legal counsel. 

This position will be in Chicago and will require approximately two days per week in the downtown office location.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day execution of DCI projects, with primary responsibility for coordinating and executing the engagement workplan by project teams.  Project teams typically range in size from three to six professionals, including Analysts and Associates. 
• Work with engagement leaders to strategize engagement approach; develop engagement workplans; oversee and monitor engagement progress on a daily basis; and report to engagement leadership on engagement progress and critical path items.
• Manage document organization processes including the review, organization, and analysis of case documentation, testimony, court filings, and the identification of relevant information utilized for analysis
• Management and performance of company, industry, and case-specific research, including financial, accounting,  economic damages, and/or market research to support the basis for our analyses, assumptions, and conclusions
• Oversee the creation of engagement work product, including financial analyses and modeling, written reports and presentations.  Our analyses vary from project to project and may entail complex quantitative, accounting, financial, statistical, and/or database analyses of business records.   
• Assist with the management of client relationships with and without supervision
• Manage, mentor, and assist with career development of Analysts, Associates and Managers.
• Participation in marketing and thought leadership, and other business development efforts.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Able to adapt to changing, client-imposed deadlines and requests
• Able to conduct and/or direct others in completing daily project tasks.
• Capable of managing multiple engagements simultaneously. 
• Proficient in critically analyzing financial statements, accounting records, tax returns, and other financial documents.
• Able to develop and critique alternative arguments/opinions. 
• Proficient in using spreadsheet software (Excel), database software (SQL preferred), and other data analysis tools to build (or direct staff in building) detailed, complex financial models and/or create flexible and robust scenario analyses. Ability to use other modeling and data analysis tools is also a plus. 
• Strong writing skills, specifically expert report writing to be submitted in state and federal court.
• Proven leadership abilities
• Strong organizational skills. 
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Effective in overall team and project management.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. 
• High degree of professional ethics, integrity and gravitas
• Periodic travel may be required depending on the project.  

Education and/or Training:

• 4-year undergraduate degree with a concentration in accounting, finance, or economics. Advanced degrees, such as MBA or Master of Accountancy,  a plus.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience in  litigation consulting, expert witness services, forensic accounting, fraud investigation, professional/public accounting, and/or assurance/audit experience preferred.
• One or more of the following credentials preferred: CPA, CFE, CFA, other, or currently progressing toward these credentials.   

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Why Stout?

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive Total Rewards program that includes competitive compensation, benefits & wellness programs that allows employees to choose what’s most important to them at any life stage.  At Stout, we are committed to the personal and professional development of our employees while fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.

Stout Culture: We honor the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are committed to representing and including the unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our people, partners, and the communities we serve.  Our core values embrace a culture of inclusion and the equitable treatment of all team members, starting with Stout’s leadership and spreading across the organization. We strive to recruit, develop, and retain individuals with an array of talents, ideas, and experiences that propel the entrepreneurial spirit and exceptionalism that drive our success.  To learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, click here.

Professional Development: To foster employee development we offer ongoing training and learning opportunities, employee resources groups, mentorship programming, and professional designation reimbursement. We believe in timely and proactive performance excellence, ongoing 360 feedback, clear performance expectations at each level, and quarterly check-ins with your manager ensure you are supported and growing your career.

Stout Benefits : Stout offers a variety of benefits to meet the ever-changing needs of our employees throughout their career at Stout. View our Benefits page to see what this can look like for you.   

Flexible Work Schedules: Work-life balance is important to us and we want our employees to have balanced lives, which is why we have a discretionary time off policy for all salaried exempt employees. This gives you the ability to take time off as appropriate.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job.

Stout is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of valid job requirements, qualifications and merit without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, protected genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law. Stout values a diverse workforce and strongly encourages women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, veterans, people with disabilities and members of other underrepresented communities to apply.

Interested in joining a rapidly growing group of bright, ambitious professionals in a work environment that values culture, diversity, and personal growth? Stout might just be the right place for you.

For individuals assigned to work in California, Colorado, New York City, or Washington, Stout is required by law to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. The range for this role considers several factors including but not limited to prior work and industry experience, education level, and unique skills. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.