Commercial Real Estate Legal Secretary

Role Overview

The Legal Secretary will provide comprehensive secretarial support within the Commercial Real Estate team to a range of fee earners, including Partners, Associates, and Trainees. This job description is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Administrative Support: Assist fee earners with administrative tasks such as bundling, indexing, and general organisation.
• Client Care: Handle client correspondence, open files, conduct conflict checks and sanctions searches, and collaborate with the AML team during the client/file opening process.
• Client Interaction: Serve as the first point of contact for clients via phone, email, and face-to-face interactions. Proactively support client activities and requirements, including taking messages and answering simple queries.
• Document Preparation: Prepare client registration documents, engagement/assignment letters, conflict checks, money laundering and sanctions searches, and audit letters under the direction of the partner/fee earner.
• Email Management: Manage inboxes and file emails, ensuring urgent emails are promptly addressed by fee earners or forwarded to another fee earner in their absence.
• Typing Tasks: Undertake typing tasks, including urgent documents through digital and non-digital dictation.
• Travel Arrangements: Make travel arrangements such as booking flights, hotels, and dinners.
• Collaborative Support: Work collaboratively with other secretarial support and provide assistance during secretarial absences within the department and firm. Undertake ad-hoc duties as requested by fee earners.
• Property and Finance Searches: Conduct relevant property and finance searches through “InfoTrack,” handle Land Registry applications, and manage stamp duty returns under the direction of the fee earner.
• Billing Support: Assist fee earners with billing processes.

Skills & Experience

• At least 3 years of professional experience as a Legal Secretary / Legal PA within Commercial and Residential property
• A secretarial qualification (ILEX, Pitmans, Quest, RSA, or equivalent).
• Proficient in using Microsoft Office packages in a professional capacity.
• Experience in full diary and email management.
• Excellent communication skills.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize tasks effectively.