Practice Assistant/Legal Secretary - Private Client (Nottingham)

Overview

Practice Assistant/Legal Secretary – Private Client (Nottingham) at Browne Jacobson. The Legal Support department is hiring a Practice Assistant/Legal Secretary to join the Private Client team on a permanent basis. Based in Nottingham, the role is the single point of contact for fee earners and the completion of their work. The role may undertake all aspects of the Practice Assistant role, or, where appropriate, manage the workflow by utilising Team Assistants and Shared Services, retaining ownership and accountability of all tasks through to completion. The candidate should provide a high quality, comprehensive workflow management and organisational service to fee earners in the group and exceptional client service.

Responsibilities

• Become an active part in the care of clients and be familiar with contacts/clients; handle basic client queries as appropriate
• Manage the production of documents and check returned work produced by the Shared Services team for accuracy/formatting before it is passed to the relevant lawyer
• Take and make client-related calls, handling message taking as appropriate
• Liaise with Client & Marketing and support scheduling tender meetings, directory interviews, client training, etc.
• Manage Interaction and ensure new prospects, clients and contacts, activities and business development information are added
• Maintain up-to-date client protocols and processes; provide guidance and training to others where necessary; monitor ongoing compliance

Administrative

• Open and close files; supervise general filing, record-keeping and production of engagement letters, ensuring ongoing compliance
• Monitor and manage key dates for clients and ensure procedures are up to date on all files
• Support fee earners in business development activities, including pitches and presentations; schedule meetings (tenders, directories, internal client events)
• Maintain CRM to ensure key client contacts are in Interaction and up to date; review bounced-back emails and archive invalid contacts
• Organise internal and external events, seminars and conferences
• Manage diaries, travel arrangements, meeting rooms, agendas, and circulating papers
• Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required
• Serve as first point of contact for the team and provide exceptional client service
• Assist in the tender process with Business Development, collating information and submissions
• Prepare internal sector newsletters and briefings; handle photocopying, printing, and couriers
• Receive instructions via digital dictation and act on them; maintain LinkedIn profiles and update connections
• Review CVs, tenders, policies and insurance details as required; manage enquiry inboxes and website queries

Communication

• Be a key point of contact for Fee Earners and Clients to maintain relationships and ensure high-level support
• Monitor post and emails; draft responses on behalf of others; prioritise emails and collate necessary paperwork
• Provide support to colleagues and other departments as requested; assist when capacity allows
• Answer phone calls for other team members and participate in a lunch-time rota
• Take minutes and follow up on actions
• Coordinate planned absences with the Team Manager and arrange cover as needed

Financial

• Assist with client and event billing and credit control processes
• Prepare complex bills to high standards and in line with contractual requirements; request cheques, bank transfers and money processing as appropriate
• Review and update time allocation and disbursements; support WIP certification and matter-related finance administration (APR, BACs, TTs)
• Manage expenses

Processing

• Prioritise workloads to meet deadlines and coordinate with the Practice Services Manager when challenges arise
• Create and maintain client data rooms in line with case milestones; promote data room use with clients and lawyers
• Ensure client and matter data are maintained in case management and practice management systems; raise requests with the CMI team as appropriate
• Handle online applications (Companies House, Land Registry, Searchflow, CRU forms) and undertake related searches (e.g., Stamp Duty Land Tax)
• Ensure compliance with firm-wide and department policies, including Lexcel and Information Security

Customer service

• Arrange and attend team meetings; liaise with fee earners and PSMs on work requirements
• Provide regular updates to service users on progress; offer assistance where possible

Person specification

What technical skills are required?

• Experience in a legal or professional services environment
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Aptitude for producing high-standard documents and client communications
• Advanced knowledge of document management and case management systems

Who would be a good fit?

• Experience in a legal or professional services environment
• Experience in Private Client is desirable
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Aptitude for producing documents and client communications of high standard
• Advanced knowledge of document management/case management systems

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Administrative
• Industries: Law Practice

Note: This description maintains the core responsibilities and qualifications while removing duplicate headings and extraneous boilerplate present in the original text.