Legal Secretary

Legal Secretary required to join a global, well-established and prestigious Law Firm. Based in modern offices in Cambridge, they offer hybrid working, excellent benefits and an inclusive office environment, this company genuinely care and value their staff.

Working within the Private department and supporting both Real Estate and Private Wealth and Tax, the role holder will also be a key point of contact for tech matters within the team.

Legal Secretary Duties and Responsibilities

• Acting as a first point of contact on behalf of the fee-earners, fielding calls, emails, correspondence and meeting requests (both internally and from clients), responding on behalf of the fee-earner, if appropriate.
• Full calendar management for assigned lawyers, including scheduling calls/meetings.
• To support fee-earners in the smooth running of the client/matter lifecycle, following documented procedures, ensuring all required information/documentation is obtained, issued and correctly stored on the Firm's systems. This will involve pro-actively chasing fee-earners and their clients for any missing information as well as full management of client files etc.
• To develop a strong working knowledge of the Firm's billing systems, including processes, IT systems and specialist support available internally, to support the fee-earners in being able to prepare and issue timely and accurate bills to clients.
• Supporting fee-earners with monitoring and addressing unpaid bills, liaising with Credit Control as required.
• Full management of travel and expenses for assigned fee-earners, ensuring business travel is booked via the Firm's in-house provider.
• Ensuring all documents are maintained and filed.
• Prepare, amend and proofread documents (e.g. letters, reports, attendance notes, memos, emails, pitch, presentations, articles etc. ensuring these are produced in the Firm's house style, and that they are retained and filed accurately.
• Assisting fee-earners keeping their LinkedIn profiles.
• Organising business breakfasts, dinners or smaller events and ensuring that business expenses are captured, approved and processed for payment in line with policy. Researching company/client information and biographies.
• Assisting fee-earners logging referrals and contacts to Interaction.
• Supporting the fee-earning teams in using existing tools and technology (including giving access, providing admin support etc.)
• Contributing to requirements gathering for new technology and solutions, including testing and providing active feedback.
• Facilitating testing and engaging other members of the team in any pilots for new technology.
• Contributing to training and engagement planning for new technology and solutions, in collaboration with the Tech, Strategy and Academy Tech Learning teams.
• Supporting the rollout of new technology and solutions.
• Being actively involved in the LAB programme as and when required.
• Ongoing involvement in technology product development, including identifying new use cases for existing technology. Working closely with the Academy tech learning team to identify training needs for Legal Operations training on Tech subject matter, and to act as a key point of contact between both teams as well seeking and providing feedback.
• If hired within the team, collaborating with Administrative Assistants to ensure that they provide support with filing and archiving, scanning, photocopying, updating contacts on Interaction and arranging couriers etc.
• Liaising with other internal departments (to obtain specialist input as needed, taking ownership of issues and following up where appropriate.

Skills/Experience

• Previous experience gained in an administrative role supporting a team in a similar professional services environment (ideally legal).
• Excellent IT skills across a broad range of MS Office and other business management applications, with a natural affinity for Tech and the ability to share knowledge with others in its use.
• Previous experience managing calendars for multiple individuals, with the ability to apply judgement and common sense to ensure the best use of people's time is made, and that any potential diary clashes are pro-actively identified and addressed.
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to deliver work to a consistently high standard of precision (even under pressure) in an environment where accuracy is prized.