Practice Assistant in Manchester

Key Responsibilities

• Client Relationship Management
  • Become an active part in the care of clients and be wholly familiar with contacts/clients and dealing with basic client queries as appropriate.
  • Manage the production of documents and check returned work produced by the Document Production team/speech recognition for accuracy/formatting, before it is passed to the relevant lawyer.
  • Taking and making client related calls, dealing with and handling message taking as appropriate.
  • Liaise with Client & Marketing and provide support for scheduling tender meetings, directory interviews, client training etc.
  • Manage Interaction and ensure new prospects, clients and contacts, activities and business development information are added.
  • Responsible for keeping up to date with client specific protocols and processes, implementing, providing guidance and training to others where necessary and ongoing monitoring.
• Administrative
  • Responsible for files to be opened and closed and supervise general filing requirements and record keeping and production of engagement letters ensuring compliant at all times.
  • Monitor and manage key dates for clients and ensure compliance procedures are up to date on all files and matters.
  • Support fee earners in business development activities including the involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations, scheduling meetings e.g. tenders, directories, internal clients.
  • Work with business development managers on the maintenance of CRM to ensure key client contacts are in Interaction and 'bounce-backs' e.g. contacts with rejected email addresses are reviewed, updated or archived from system.
  • Assisting in the organisation of internal and external events, seminars and conferences.
  • Manage diaries, ensuring they are up-to date, anticipating requirements e.g. associated travel/accommodation bookings, meeting rooms, drafting itineraries, preparing agendas, preparing and circulating papers.
  • Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required.
  • First point of contact for the team, dealing with queries and acting on initiative to provide exceptional client service, promoting and developing ownership within the teams.
  • Assisting in the tender process - liaising with Business Development, collating outstanding information, assisting with draft/final submissions.
  • Arrange for the preparation and collation of internal sector newsletters and briefings.
  • Arrange photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out letters, faxes etc.
  • Receiving instructions via digital dictation for tasks and acting upon the same.
  • Maintaining LinkedIn profile, updating connections and adding new activity.
  • Checks CVs, copies of old tenders.
  • Manages enquiry inboxes, and website queries.
• Communication
  • Key point of contact for allocated Partners, Fee Earners and Clients to maintain relationships and ensure a high level of support is always provided by the team.
  • Monitor post and/or emails and dealing with as appropriate ensuring all client related correspondence is passed on to an appropriate Fee Earner and actioned as necessary; proactively responding to and drafting responses on behalf of others, prioritising emails, collating necessary paperwork and e-filing.
  • Liaising with and providing support to their immediate colleagues in the department, and where practical, other legal and support departments as requested by Hub Leader.
  • Assisting others where there is spare capacity or it is evident that a colleague needs assistance with their workload.
  • Answering phone calls for other members of the team when they are away from their desk and participating in a lunch time telephone rota within the Practice Assistant team.
  • Minute taking, following up designated actions to ensure completion ahead of the next meeting.
  • Liaison with and taking direction from your Legal Support Manager.
  • Liaise with the Legal Support Managers over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant Fee Earners.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Advanced knowledge of document management/case management systems.
• Effective communicator with the ability to establish and build client relationships; striving to provide exceptional service at all times.
• Customer/client service focused.
• Proven experience of managing high level client facing tasks and priorities, with a hands-on, practical approach.
• Effective at investigating issues and seeing a problem through to conclusion.
• Conscientious, taking personal responsibility for own work and accountability for its delivery and quality.
• Excellent team player, sharing in team goals to provide excellent quality and efficiency of service, with a willingness to take on new responsibilities and challenges.
• Positive can-do attitude with the ability to adapt to change.
• Confidential and discreet but able to redirect information when appropriate to ensure areas of concern are resolved effectively.
• Well organised and methodical with excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in all client communications and deliverables.

Technical Skills

• Experience of working in a legal or professional services environment.
• An aptitude for providing top level organisational support, anticipating support needs, producing documents and client communications of the highest standard.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.