Legal PA- Arbitration
- Recruiter
- Career Legal, Legal PA & Secretarial
- Location
- London
- Salary
- Competitive
- Posted
- 07 Aug 2017
- Closes
- 31 Aug 2017
- Job Title
- Legal PA
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Our client is currently recruiting for a Legal PA to join the Arbitration group within the Litigation Department in London on a full time basis.
Role purpose
To provide fee earners with effective high-quality PA support that appropriately meets their requirements, enabling them to focus on providing legal services and client development. In particular, support with effective diary management; all matters with regard to finance; travel arrangements; communication control (telephone, email and post); and preparation of complex and often confidential documents and presentations.
Role and responsibilities
General PA Duties – PA support, diary management, management of calls, emails and post etc.
• Daily maintenance of diary events and organisation of the day-to-day schedule of fee earners, to include the identification and resolution of potential issues
• Coordination of meetings, to include the consideration of and responsibility for ensuring all necessary arrangements are made
• Proactive management of fee earners to ensure that they attend meetings on time and with the appropriate documents/presentations
• Respond to telephone calls in a professional manner, acting as a filter to manage and control calls
• Proactive management of emails, voicemails and general post, using initiative to route emails to the appropriate individuals for swift response and action, ensuring that tasks are followed up
• Planning and coordination of comprehensive travel programmes, to include booking flights, hotels, car transfers, and preparation of itineraries etc.
• Preparation of holiday/absence handover notes and liaison with team with regard to covering fee earner absences
• Liaison with fee earners with regard to updating training records with CPD points
• Document Support – Preparation of client documentation and correspondence
• Type letters, correspondence, presentations, reports and legal documentation, including digital dictation if applicable
• Proofread all work to ensure that completed documents are delivered accurately and to the appropriate high standard
• Prepare and/or ensure availability of necessary agendas, presentations and meeting papers, including printing and timely distribution
• Ensure that fee earners have papers and adequate preparation time for meetings
• Take minutes at meetings and produce/maintain action lists where appropriate
• Deal/Matter Support – Coordination of file opening, client care, and end of matter details
Complete Matter Inception process
• Draft engagement letters and/or client-care emails and liaise with matter managers to ensure signed engagement letters are returned and filed appropriately
• Complete Omnia virtual file set-up and file and scan all awaiting documents
• Keep track of all deadlines and remind fee earners of timelines at regular update meetings
• Carry out dataroom set-up and maintenance if required
• Prepare client contact list if required
• Carry out healthcheck and "tidy" of documents or SFP templates
• Complete post-deal/matter activities including maintenance of paper files, bibling and closing matter as agreed with Matter Manager
• Liaise with Professional Support Lawyer regarding know-how collation and submission, if required
Finance – Coordination and preparation of invoices and all expense claims
• Demonstrate an understanding of the end-to-end billing process and financial system
• Take responsibility for submission of expense claims on behalf of fee earners and maintenance of copies, ensuring cross-check against Corporate Amex expenditure if appropriate
• Carry out mobile phone reallocation and reclaim process
• Routinely update Carpe Diem; complete and close timesheets where appropriate and prompt fee earners where necessary
• Chase missing timesheets
• Attend WIP meeting (if appropriate) and liaise with billing team to ensure any write-offs are actioned before production of all relevant documentation
• Edit time narratives within 3E
• Use 3E to view time on matters; print billing guides and prepare invoices
• Assist Revenue Controller in all aspects in relation to billing, ensuring disbursement invoices are authorised and added to the file in preparation for billing
• Ensure copy of final bill is correctly filed
Business Development
• Work on client pitches, to include awareness of date for submission to client; liaison with Business Development, Creative Services and Printroom for timely production of documentation
• Coordinate/organise client events and ensure all details, post-event, are followed up
• Undertake research on clients or potential clients, including putting together briefing packs as and when required
• Demonstrate knowledge of business development materials to provide to fee earners when attending meetings
• Maintain/update EPiC experience records and events calendar; liaise with fee earners and Business Development to ensure all information is collated
• Monitor contact with key clients and prompt for a call, lunch, or meeting. Advise partner of key activities of client (e.g. birthdays, maternity leave etc.)
• Understand and appreciate key client contacts and build relationships with PAs at key clients
• Ensure databases are kept up to date, e.g. APEX, EPiC, CVs
• Action e-Alerts in timely fashion as required
The successful candidate will
• Show a proactive approach to tasks and situations
• Demonstrate a positive attitude in all aspects of the role, taking personal responsibility and ownership and behaving professionally at all times
• Maintain tact and diplomacy, trust and confidentiality
• Exhibit strong professional communication skills, both oral and written
• Build successful relationships with fee earners to identify individual requirements
• Have an enthusiastic approach to change and adapt to an ever-evolving role
• Provide exemplary standard of service to clients, whether internal or external
• Ensure flexibility around contracted working hours, taking full responsibility for meeting the requirements of the role
• Take responsibility with regard to team-building and providing a supportive environment to colleagues
• Ensure familiarity and compliance with standard operating procedures and any group-specific procedures
• Take responsibility for ensuring personal development and IT skills are maintained and improved