Roles & Responsibilities

Purpose of Role:

Practice group aligned Legal Secretarial support to fee earners to deliver:

• Optimum client service
• Proactive support
• Realisation of firm-wide strategy, Purpose and business plans
• Continuous improvement
• Commitment to continuous professional development
• Industry expertise

Support may need to be provided to staff from more than one business unit and numbers and content of the group may change from time to time to reflect the current structure of the Firm.

This position is responsible for providing pro-active secretarial and administrative support to the lawyers of the firm in relation to both billable and non-billable work. It is important that secretarial services are delivered to the business in a manner consistent with the increasingly competitive environment in which the firm operates. This role is intended to embrace a team-working approach, collaborating with lawyers and other members of the support staff to fulfil the needs of the business.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Service Delivery

• Developing and maintaining an understanding of the firm’s strategy and sector focus
• Building strong relationships with key stakeholders (assigned fee earners, partners and business operations colleagues)
• Actively contributing to client service initiatives
• Be aware of the firm’s risk policies and ensure new clients are onboarded in line with them
• Assist with matter management to maximise cost recovery
• Pro-actively manage and co-ordinate meetings, appointments and travel
• Attend stakeholder meetings and take ownership of assigned tasks, duties, and outcomes
• Responsible for end-to-end service delivery
• Actively use and promote the correct use of firm wide resources
• Manage fee earner communications
• Provide support to other (support) functions as and when required including covering Reception

2. Business Development

• Building and maintaining effective relationships with the firm’s clients and their internal teams and developing knowledge of the Group's clients and their business
• Research clients, potential clients and new business initiatives or opportunities at the discretion of the fee earners
• Proactively identify and assist with business development opportunities
• Working with fee earners in editing bids, tenders, proposal documents, team sheets, brochures and client briefing documents
• Working with fee earners to manage credentials database (i.e. add new matters that have been won) (training provided by the Business Development team)
• Update fee earners’ CVs, including those used in bids/proposals and online version used on the firm’s website (training provided by the Business Development team)
• Effectively use the firm’s CRM system (Interaction) to add and amend fee earners’ client and contact data (training provided by the Business Development team)
• Work in collaboration with the Business Development Team as required to provide additional support for ‘in person’ client events

3. Innovation

• Have an innovative mindset and propose improvements to service delivery
• Proactively respond to priorities of the assigned practice group(s)
• Be committed to continuous improvement

4. Project Management

• Opening client files, including completing conflict searches and money laundering checks in conjunction with lawyers, preparing client engagement letters, collating all the relevant information required for file opening and maintaining client files on a day-to-day basis, including filing where required
• Managing production of documents (produced in-house and externally), co-ordinating changes made including taking responsibility for the consistency of those documents (e.g. formatting, numbering, CompareDocs, etc), utilising the DP as and when necessary
• Transcribing, editing and amending legal and other documents including marketing presentations and materials. Converting, comparing, copy typing and proofreading the same as necessary, ensuring that documents comply with house style
• Assisting lawyers with the billing process and ensuring timely submission of bills, including drawing up pre-bills, editing of narratives, preparing cover letters/emails and finalizing bills
• Preparing and submitting lawyers' expenses in accordance with the firm's policies and following up on authorisations
• Undertaking regular reviews of files and documents to ensure all non-active files and documents are archived/stored off-site

Key Capabilities, Knowledge and Experience:

• Ability to work autonomously and also be a team player
• Displays resilience and can work under pressure
• Has high level of influence
• Driven and proactive
• Earns respect and trust
• Critical thinking and time management
• Maintains confidentiality
• Undertakes self-analysis and evaluation
• Strong personal brand supporting the Firm’s values
• Punctual
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills (oral and written)
• Educated to diploma level standard or equivalent
• Professional certification in secretarial field
• Previous experience in a similar role within a professional services environment
• Excellent written and verbal skills in English

Tell employers what skills you have

Work Autonomously
CRM
Legal Documents
Litigation
Interpersonal Skills
Drawing
Transcribing
Time Management
Verbal Skills
Administrative Support
Team Player
Proofreading
Professional Services
Brochures
Conflict