Legal Secretary - Real Estate in Newcastle upon Tyne

Working as a team to act as a point of contact for lawyers and to ensure the effective completion of their work, as well as undertaking a variety of secretarial tasks. The LSA will manage the workflow by utilising Administrative Assistants (AA) and the Central Legal Support Team (CLS), retaining ownership and accountability of all tasks through to completion. Provide a high quality, comprehensive workflow management and organisational service to lawyers in the group and exceptional client service.

Key Responsibilities

• Client Relationship Management
  • Manage the production of documents and check returned work produced by the CLS 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.
  • 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 track key dates for clients and ensure compliance procedures are up to date on all files and matters.
  • Support lawyers in business development activities including the involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations, scheduling meetings e.g. tenders, internal client, etc.
  • 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 their team, dealing with queries and acting on initiative to provide exceptional client service, promoting and developing ownership within the teams.
  • Arrange for the preparation and collation of internal sector newsletters and briefings.
  • Uploading documents to PDF docs and editing documents using the same.
  • Arrange photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out letters, faxes etc.
  • Submitting documents for signature by clients via DocuSign.
  • Receiving instructions via digital dictation for tasks and acting upon the same.
• Communication
  • Key point of contact for lawyers 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 lawyer 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.
  • 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.
  • Liaison with and taking direction from your HL.
  • Liaise with the HL over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant lawyers.
• Financial
  • Assisting lawyers with billing related tasks.
  • Reviewing and updating time allocation and disbursements ensuring appropriate matter allocation.
  • Request cheques, bank transfers, and paying in money received, as appropriate.
  • Supporting the co-ordination of the WIP process.
  • Dealing with matter related finance administration to include BACs, TTs etc.
  • Processing expenses.
• Processing
  • Responsible for managing priorities and workloads to ensure deadlines are met.
  • Liaising with HL where challenges arise.
  • Responsible for ensuring the creation and maintenance of data rooms and client information in accordance with case milestones.
  • Responsible for ensuring client and matter data is maintained and updated within appropriate systems, raising requests as appropriate.
  • Online applications e.g. Companies House, Land Registry, Searchflow, forms.
  • Undertaking searches and completion of requisite forms and submissions.
  • Ensuring compliance with firm wide/department policies and procedures.
• Customer Service
  • Arranging and attending team meetings.
  • Liaising with lawyers, PAs, HLs and Secretarial Managers (SM) to take instruction and liaise on work requirements.
  • Consistently and appropriately update service users on progress where appropriate.
  • Regularly offer assistance wherever possible.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Experience of working in a legal or professional services environment.
• An aptitude for managing multiple priorities, producing documents and client communications of the highest standard.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Advanced knowledge of document management/case management systems.
• An effective communicator with an excellent customer and client service approach; striving to provide exceptional service at all times.
• Customer/client service focused.
• Proven experience of managing 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.