Legal Executive Assistant - Global Transactions

Legal Executive Assistant - Global Transactions / Corporate Finance (initial 12 month contract) Salary up to £60,000 + excellent Benefits

This role is supporting 2 busy and dynamic Partners who are seeking an established Executive Assistant who has experience of complex travel arranging, dealing with ever changing diaries and Billing.

Duties:

• Proactive in-box and diary management.
• Ability to act on behalf of stakeholder and first point of contact.
• Effective gate-keeping, forward planning and scheduling.
• Proactive flagging and escalation of priority emails.
• Draft high-quality correspondence and communicating on stakeholder behalf.
• Preparation and timely circulation of agendas, materials, minutes/actions, monitor and follow up of actions.
• Highlight priorities and conflicts to stakeholder, source delegates.
• Communicate with clients directly, screening calls and providing responses, including resolving and/or directing enquiries/requests to more appropriate areas in the firm.
• Management of effective Outlook filing system and firm e-filing protocols.
• Oversee progress of meeting logistics delegated to AC e.g. room set-up, refreshments, AV etc.
• Utilise the firm travel agent platform to arrange complex travel, VISAs, itineraries.
• Project management and ownership of tasks delegated to AC as appropriate.
• Support limited personal and partnership administration with external advisor activity e.g. charities, Boards etc.
• Attend meetings with stakeholders if required to take meeting minutes; proactive follow up on action points.

Matter management

• Provide client and matter relationship support such as client contact, arranging and attending meetings, taking minutes, producing actions.
• Draft client engagement letters.
• Create and maintain holiday charts for matter/project teams.
• Draft and track submission of Experience Capture Forms at matter close.
• Liaise with AC for tasks such as risk checks, CMOs (Client Matter Opening), Matter/project distribution lists, Workspace access, set up of matter work streams and phases.

Financial management

• Arrange WIP updates and billing cycles according to client matter requirements.
• Ensure knowledge and recording of client/matter fee deals and discount rates for billing purposes.
• Work with Billing team to proactively manage WIP and attend routine WIP meetings with stakeholders.
• Communicate regular fee updates as appropriate.
• Prepare personalised letters to accompany client invoices when required.
• Assist with bad debt management and communicate with clients regarding bad debt as required.
• Monitor local budgets and cost schedules.
• Liaise with AC for tasks such as: raising proformas, processing invoices/POs, time recording (ensuring application of correct phases and detailed narratives), 1st draft bill narrative edits (review work once complete), write off actions, WIP reports.

Marketing and Business Development (MBD) and Events

• Act as key client contact.
• Proactive upward management of business development and other firm-wide initiatives.
• Utilise Salesforce to maintain client contacts and client programme activities, and track deal activity.
• Research prospective clients and draft capability statements and other supporting collateral for more speculative opportunities.
• Support with 1st stage draft pitch documents, working with the pitch team as required.
• Support with organisation of internal and external events, hearings, conferences etc, utilising the Events team and delegating to AC as appropriate.

Key requirements

• Excellent academic background educated to graduate level or has equivalent professional experience.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
• A thorough understanding of working in a professional, service driven environment and of stakeholder/client/business confidentiality and discretion.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to interact at all levels.
• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail.
• A strong team player, able to work within a team or independently.
• A degree of flexibility around working hours is expected with this role.