Team Secretary IP Team London

CMS are recruiting for an experienced Team Secretary to work within our Intellectual Property Practice Group in London.

About the role

We have an opportunity for a Team Secretary within our IP/Trademark team. You will have proven strong secretarial experience, preferably working within a Law firm providing support at Senior Associate level and have strong organisational skills. You will be confident in meeting the frequent demands of a fast paced role with the understanding that strong communication with those you will be supporting is fundamental. You will report directly to the Assistant Secretarial Support Manager.

In this role, you can expect to get involved in a variety of work including:

• Diary and email management for the fee-earners within your team, travel arrangements and handling telephone enquiries as and when required.
• Managing workflow to the Document & Design Centre, Print Room etc. as required; proactively taking steps to ensure work is returned within required timescales.
• Amending, formatting and producing agreements, legal documents, presentations and other client-facing materials as required.
• Collating and indexing legal documentation and setting up files as necessary.
• Processing fee-earner expenses on Chrome River in a timely manner.
• Liaising with Business Development, Marketing, Events and Finance teams to support team-specific activities and business initiatives.
• Managing the client onboarding process, including preparing and submitting conflict checks, coordinating client due diligence requirements and liaising with relevant teams to ensure compliance procedures are completed efficiently.
• Opening new clients and matters in accordance with firm procedures and maintaining accurate client and matter records.
• Drafting and producing engagement documentation, including retainer letters and associated client onboarding documentation.
• Supporting the billing process through monitoring work in progress (WIP), producing WIP and billing reports, raising proformas, liaising with fee-earners on billing requirements and assisting with invoice production.
• Maintaining and updating CRM systems to ensure client and business development information remains accurate and up to date.
• Assisting with the coordination of internal and external events, meetings, seminars and client hospitality activities, including logistics, invitations and attendance tracking.
• Acting as a key point of contact between fee-earners, clients and business support teams to ensure a seamless and efficient service is delivered.

About you

We will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one. Our opportunities are open to all suitably qualified applicants, so to be considered for this role, you must meet the following skills and experience:

• You will need to be adaptable to change whilst maintaining a professional approach, demonstrating high levels of client care, organisational and time management skills.
• You would have gained previous experience within another law firm or other professional services environment demonstrating a proactive and enthusiastic approach with high levels of IT literacy, superb attention to detail and the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Previous experience of working at this level in a similar IP/Trademark environment would be an advantage.

What’s in it for you?

We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:

• Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
• Flexible, hybrid working policy
• Generous bonus scheme
• Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
• Holiday exchange scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced parental leave
• Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.

Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.