Legal Secretary Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Preston

Harrison Drury is a market leading practice of solicitors with offices across the Northwest servicing both business and private clients. We have been successful for a fifth time placing in the Top 100 Best Companies to work for in the UK. We are an employer of choice because we have a culture that challenges the conventional law firm approach and focuses our energy on getting great results for our clients, while attracting and developing brilliant people.

The Commercial Dispute Resolution & Avoidance team are seeking to recruit an experienced Legal Secretary to provide secretarial and administrative support within their busy team. The overall purpose of this role is to provide accurate, timely, efficient and professional support to the team. This will enable the team to ensure they operate within compliance standards and produce excellent customer service whilst maximising the opportunity to conduct fee earning work at the right level. Please be aware that this role is based at the Preston office.

The role:

• Effective administration of the files (hard copy and on SOS). This includes matter opening, producing initial drafts of client care letters, matter closing, matter archiving and data updates during the course of a matter.
• Ensuring file compliance with relevant regulatory standards and the Office Manual processes.
• The ability to use the information in client files to inform Fee Earners of required action, keep the critical dates accurate and action upon them as required.
• Management of bill process, aged debt and agreed time, including interaction with the Finance team.
• Reviewing matter file financial ledgers and preparing posting slips for monies received or sent out.
• Assisting with the production of case bundles in accordance with case requirements and CPR Rules.
• Production and issue of correspondence upon instruction from the Fee Earner and, where done independently, under supervision.
• Typing dictations from Bighand or equivalent.
• Attendance at meetings when required, taking minutes when requested and updating attendance notes.
• Drafting of documents for clients upon instruction from Fee Earners and under supervision.
• Management of meetings for Fee Earners when requested (including liaison with other party, meeting room booking, car park booking and production of relevant materials / documents).
• Telephone call handling for the team.
• Liaison regarding client queries with the client and the relevant Fee Earners.
• Effective liaison with other service line teams within the Law Firm.
• Training other new junior staff members, upon request.
• Dealing with new client enquiries on the phone or by email.
• Engage with individuals on work experience.
• Drafting documents including correspondence and Court documents upon instruction from Fee Earners.
• Develop professional relationships with clients and third parties, such as barristers, experts, referrers, as required.

Skills and experience:

• Experience of working in a Law Firm or other professional environment.
• Previous role as a Legal PA, Legal Secretary, Legal Administrator or similar in a legal service line team.
• Experience with SOS or similar legal case management systems.
• Experience of working on the Court’s central filing system or filing Court documents electronically.
• Dealing with members of the public / clients.
• Formal letter production, including solicitor-client and inter-partes communications.
• Familiar with typing digital dictation.
• Financial report production / analysis.
• Familiarity with legal documents in contentious practice areas, ideally in relation to County Court and High Court proceedings.
• Preparation of Court forms.
• Intermediate / Advanced use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Intermediate / Advanced use of Adobe Acrobat, including the ability to edit PDF documents and compile court bundles.
• Intermediate / Advanced use of Lexis Nexis, Westlaw and / or Practical Law.
• Strong academic record. Maths and English GCSE at grade C or above.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to prioritise and manage competing demands.
• Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines.
• Ability to work within teams and individually using own initiative.
• Client focussed.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to work.
• Self-motivated.