- Proactively manage, control and fully understand fee earner diary using discretion and business knowledge to prioritise commitments. This will include extensive arrangements of appointments, conferences and meetings across different time zones and offices, using different processes and IT infrastructure (videoconferencing, tele-conferencing, client office software etc.).
- Develop and maintain a robust file management system for all electronic and hard copy correspondence, and documents, ensuring adherence to naming conventions policy.
- Liaising regularly with fee earners to identify work commitments, prioritising workloads accordingly.
- Prepare for all meetings, including preparation of all pre-reading documentation (if appropriate), follow up and coordinate all meeting actions, ensure they are properly recorded and dealt with, including any necessary follow-up communications.
- Travel arrangements including liaison with travel company, arranging visas, booking travel and accommodation, arranging currency, preparing itineraries, ensuring compliance with the firm's Travel Policy at all times
- Coordinate and assist with global visitors.
- Arrange photocopying, printing, scanning, organising post and couriers, etc.
- Ensuring partner PDPRs are up to date
- Build strong and effective relationships with, and develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of, internal and external clients and their teams
- Support lawyers in marketing activities including research and obtaining client information and data, as well as involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations
- Support the internal business development team by undertaking an event secretary role, managing the e-alert process, assisting with legal directory administration and delegating tasks appropriately
- Proactively maintain and update the client relationship management system, ensuring any follow-ups are actioned
- Attend and contribute to team meetings as required, detail and progress action points as appropriate
- Ensure all new client/matter onboarding processes are completed accurately, following up as appropriate and adhering to risk and compliance requirements at all times
- Coordinate and action the production of accurate compliance documents (including drafting engagement letters, critical information and collection proforma, etc.)
- Attend and actively participate in WIP and credit control meetings, undertaking and driving actions as agreed
- Produce and review WIP reports, identifying matters for billing, write-offs, debtors and client credits
- Manage partners' billing processes: agreeing billing dates, gathering disbursements, initiating prebills, complete billing checklist (to include: time transfers, write-offs, applying discounts, returns to WIP, producing drafts and updating Expert as appropriate). Submitting prebills for approval
- Preparing covering emails/letters, and ensure completed invoices are despatched in a timely manner and uploaded into delivered bills
- Using Aderant to assist fee earners with financial queries, producing reports if required
- Ensuring disbursements and all client payments are processed accurately, having completed all relevant pre-checks
- Undertake client audits and prepare draft documentation
- Ensure expenses, receipts and contact reports are completed, uploaded and filed appropriately
- Act as gatekeeper for fee earners, taking appropriate messages and ensuring they are passed on/followed up appropriately
- Using own initiative to manage post and email accounts: screening, prioritising and dealing with incoming emails and post in fee earners absence; develop and maintain systems to promote efficiency
- Draft high-quality correspondence, engagement letters, documents, agendas, presentations and spreadsheets or other (non-legal) correspondence on behalf of fee earners, actioning responses if appropriate
- Proactively delegating document production and dictation transcription to appropriate resource, providing appropriate timeframes for work and checking returned work if required
- Actively filing documents appropriately within iManage, ensuring compliance with the Stephenson Harwood naming conventions policy
- Following the Records Management policy and procedure, undertaking regular records management of files and papers for fee earners, ensuring all documents are recorded electronically and recording original documents in the Records Management system prior to off-site storage
- Undertake regular file reviews, closing finished matters when appropriate
Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.
Attributes / skills required
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills
- Experience in billing and matter onboarding is required
- Extensive diary management experience
- Proven experience with complex travel booking (including full itinerary preparation)
- Commercial and financial acumen
- A thorough understanding of working in a professional, service driven environment and stakeholder/client/business confidentiality
- Confident and professional manner with the ability to build strong relationship with fee earners and clients
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact at all levels
- Collaborative and supportive of the business and its initiatives
- Adaptable and open to change showing a willingness and confidence to make suggestions for change where appropriate
- Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail
- Ability to remain proactive and flexible at all times
- Reliable, hardworking, work to tight deadlines and have the ability to remain calm when under pressure
- Anticipate and identify potential problems and provide innovative solutions