Client Terms Paralegal - London

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals. Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years. As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs.

At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas. We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, infrastructure and resources. And we’re focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world. All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition – which is to help you achieve yours.

The Opportunity

Key Responsibilities:

• Liaise with partner, lawyers and business development teams to obtain outstanding or missing engagement letters and client terms.
• Monitor and chase outstanding engagement letters and client terms to ensure complete records are maintained across all active matters.
• Review incoming correspondence and identify documents requiring logging or storage.
• Request updated terms where existing documentation is out of date or has expired.
• Review retrieved documents to confirm they are complete, properly executed, and meet the firm's internal requirements.
• Cross-reference client terms against the firm's standard terms of business to identify any deviations or bespoke provisions that require escalation to a supervising lawyer.
• Check engagement letters for accuracy, including correct client names, matter descriptions, fee arrangements, and signatory details.
• Flag any unsigned or incomplete documents to the relevant matter team.
• Upload all client terms and engagement letters into the firm's central repository in accordance with established naming conventions and filing protocols.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date matter register or tracker recording the status of engagement letters and client terms across all active matters.
• Ensure documents are attached to the correct client and matter records and are accessible to authorised personnel.
• Apply appropriate key term tagging.
• Archive superseded or expired terms in accordance with the firm's document retention policy.
• Escalate any concerns regarding missing, conflicting, or non-compliant documentation to reporting manager promptly.
• Assist with periodic audits of client files to verify that engagement documentation is complete and correctly stored.
• Maintain and update internal tracking spreadsheets or databases to record the receipt, status, and location of all client terms and engagement letters.
• Respond to internal queries from matter teams and secretarial staff.
• Liaise with the finance team to confirm that matter opening requirements, including signed engagement letters, are satisfied before billing commences.
• Provide regular status updates to supervising fee earners regarding outstanding engagement documentation.

Please note, the work in this role would not constitute "qualifying work experience" for the purposes of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

Qualifications / Skills / Experience

• Degree educated or similar level.
• LPC qualified desirable.
• Previous paralegal experience desirable (with a preference for experience in a City practice).

Team

General Counsel and Risk

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

London

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.