Legal Secretary

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our market leading, Real Estate department that provides high-quality advice to private and commercial clients.

The department comprises of five main parts; Core Real Estate, Non-contentious Construction, Real Estate Disputes, Planning and Residential.

• Our core real estate team covers investment, development, branded real estate, asset management and secured lending.
• Our construction team provides non-contentious advice to developers, funders, contractors and consultants, acts on specialist construction disputes and negotiates and advises on all forms of construction contracts,
• Our residential team deal with high value purchases and sales, secured lending work on behalf of private banks and with a range of landlord and tenant matters,

As a Legal Secretary in the Real Estate department, you will support the Head of Department, 2 Partners, 1 Associate and a Conveyancing Assistant across a wide range of activities including secretarial and administrative services.

You will be required to take a proactive role in the continued enhancement of working practices, maintaining and constantly improving quality standards and our service to clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide a full secretarial service to partners and other fee earners by liaising with the secretarial and administration team where necessary.
• Use Bighand and Outlook efficiently to prioritise and complete tasks accurately and to time as part of the support pod, to include delegation of tasks to administrators.
• Ensure invoices and narratives for every client are produced accurately and to time each month to meet the department’s budget targets.
• Undertake all finance administration tasks accurately and in accordance with the timing protocols to ensure no breaches occur, to include receipt slips, transfer slips, write offs and disbursement payments to third parties.
• Type correspondence by copy (and/or audio) and compile draft replies to standard letters, ensuring that all correspondence and documents are produced to the highest standard and are in line with the Firm’s house style and liaising with the document centre regarding the production of documents when necessary.
• Open new clients and new matters via In Tapp, to include all associated processes such as conflict checks and production of CCLs.
• Draft AP1s (and associated forms) and SDLTs as required.
• Saving and filing incoming mail items received electronically, in accordance with the Firm’s naming and saving protocols.
• Closing completed matters promptly, as per advice from fee earners or revenue control, and draft file closing forms for fee earner review and undertaking all related tasks, to include archiving and/or returning documents to clients as appropriate.
• Implement good housekeeping with regard to filing (client generated and administrative, e-filing and paper filing), archiving and the document management system by organising and maintaining a comprehensive filing and document management system.
• Accurate use of Docu Sign as and when requested by fee earners.
• Accurate use of data rooms as and when requested by fee earners.
• Screen incoming calls, assisting clients with enquiries where possible via Microsoft Teams audio and/or video calls.
• Undertake scanning and copying or co-ordinate through the general office.
• Undertake training bookings upon request, to include making bookings with training venue, arranging payment of fees, updating fee earner diaries and booking any associated travel.
• Making travel arrangements to assist fee earners attending client meetings outside of the office, to include providing all necessary booking and confirmation information, ensuring diary entries are up to date and all finance expenditure information is provided to accounts department.
• Represent the best interest of the Firm when dealing with people internally and externally.
• Conduct TM searches, insolvency searches and Land Registry searches.
• Be aware of time critical dates and assist with diarising completion dates, SDLT, Land Registry and Companies House etc.
• Assist with the preparation of financial and completion statements.
• Use Outlook for reminders and tasks to ensure that all bring-forward matters and important dates are highlighted.
• Obtain indemnity policy quotes.
• Cover secretarial work across the team during times of absence or high workload, to include both in-office and remote support as appropriate.
• To follow all reasonable instructions.

Person Specification

Our ideal candidate will possess most of the following attributes

• Strong academics.
• Previous relevant experience within a real estate department of a law firm.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail and will be able to demonstrate exceptional case management.
• A demonstrable track record of excellent direct client contact and client care.
• Excellent IT skills, including advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Office packages, working knowledge of document management system and e-filing and a minimum typing speed of 65wpm.

You will be a confident communicator with a positive work ethic and the ability to build credible relationships with clients both internal and external.

We are looking for an individual who presents themselves with professionalism and polish, who will inspire the confidence of clients and colleagues.

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