Accounts Assistant

About Sheridans

Sheridans is a leading London law firm whose lawyers combine deep legal and commercial expertise with the breadth of experience needed to deliver unparalleled advice to our clients.

About Sheridans

Sheridans is a leading London law firm whose lawyers combine deep legal and commercial expertise with the breadth of experience needed to deliver unparalleled advice to our clients.

Since 1956, Sheridans has represented individuals and organisations across a wide variety of sectors, providing high-quality advice that is commercially focused and personally delivered.

Our specialist lawyers in media, entertainment, leisure and technology work closely alongside our corporate finance, employment, real estate, family and dispute resolution teams to provide a truly bespoke service. Sheridans is a challenger brand, where discreet, sensitive and tailored client care sits at the heart of everything we do.

The firm is based at Seventy Six Wardour Street, in the heart of Soho — a location that places us at the centre of the media, entertainment and creative industries we serve, and that reflects the culture and personality of a firm built around those sectors.

Sheridans' work spans advertising and brands, broadcasting, computer games and esports, cyber risk, digital media, family, fashion and design, film, hotels, retail and leisure, music, publishing, reputation management, sport, talent, technology, television, theatre and the visual arts.

About The Team

Our accounts department is led by the Head of Finance and comprises two financial controllers, two credit controllers, two accounts assistants and a junior accounts assistant. Many members of the team have been with the firm for a number of years, and together they create a friendly, collaborative and supportive working environment in which colleagues work closely and cover each other's roles.

Responsibilities

• Processing receipts and payments on client and office accounts in accordance with the Solicitors Accounts Rules
• Posting purchase ledger invoices and processing supplier payments
• Posting fee earner and staff expense reclaims
• Managing petty cash
• Onboarding new clients and opening matters in line with the firm's compliance procedures
• Finalising invoices and credit notes in the financial system as per the firm's procedures
• Loading finalised invoices onto various clients' e-billing systems — for example, Uniport, Collaborati, CounselLink, LegalTracker and Coupa
• Managing the invoice mailbox, responding to queries on bills sent and liaising with the relevant Fee Earner or PA where appropriate
• Assisting with WIP write-offs and retrospective WIP-to-bill allocations in line with the firm's procedures
• Uploading multi-jurisdictional agent fee notes onto the finance system with the correct VAT and currency treatment, and reconciling supplier statements
• Updating and reconciling third-party payments on the finance system in a timely manner, ensuring correct allocation of fees and posting charges where necessary
• Chasing internal allocation of rechargeable disbursements
• Performing ad hoc client ledger reconciliations
• Raising pro formas (monies on account) in line with fee earner requirements
• Processing client-to-office bill payments
• Generating monthly WIP reports, bill drafts and final bills for fee earners’ review
• Processing month-end bills in line with fee earner instructions, ensuring that information is accurate and in line with VAT requirements
• Working with the collections team to ensure proactive follow-up on aged invoices and resolution of client requests and queries
• Responding to ad hoc enquiries and requests from fee earners and PAs
• Processing payments through the firm's online banking platforms, including BACS, CHAPS and Faster Payments, and ensuring the appropriate approvals and supporting documentation are in place
• Posting receipts to client and matter ledgers, investigating and allocating unidentified funds, and processing client-to-client transfers where required
• Carrying out daily bank reconciliations across client and office accounts and investigating any discrepancies
• Monitoring client account balances, residual balances and inactive matters, and escalating potential breaches of the Solicitors Accounts Rules to the Head of Finance
• Supporting month-end and year-end accounting procedures, including reconciliations, VAT returns and audit preparation
• Ensuring compliance of all processes and systems in the accounting cycle against the relevant internal and external regulation and legislation
• Providing general assistance to the accounts team as and when required, including holiday cover

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties — as the firm and your role develop, you will have the opportunity to take on different and additional tasks in line with the overall needs of the business.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

Skills & Experience

• Previous experience in a legal or other professional services setting where excellent customer service and team-working skills were demonstrated — specific legal experience is highly desirable but not essential
• Good working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, including basic competency in Excel — familiarity with VLOOKUP and pivot tables would be desirable but is not essential
• A methodical approach to work with a strong focus on accuracy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a confident approach to liaising with senior internal stakeholders
• Enthusiasm, resilience and a professional, approachable manner, with a strong customer service ethic
• Ability to build strong working relationships and to liaise with, persuade and influence colleagues at all levels
• Ability to stay organised, prioritise and multi-task, particularly when managing a large workload under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion at all times
• A flexible approach to working hours during busier periods
• A working knowledge of the Solicitors Accounts Rules
• A basic understanding of accounting principles, including nominals, prepayments and accruals

Qualifications

• A strong academic background, with demonstrated basic accounting knowledge — for example, a strong Mathematics A-level

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

At Sheridans, we want everyone who works with us to feel welcomed, valued and able to do their best work as themselves. We know that diverse teams make us better lawyers and better advisers to our clients, and we are committed to building a firm that reflects the breadth of talent and experience across the profession.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Recruitment decisions are made on merit, against the requirements of the role.

We recognise that a fair process looks different for different people. If you need any adjustments to our recruitment process — whether to the format of an interview, additional time, or anything else — please let us know at any stage and we will do our best to accommodate you. We also offer flexible and hybrid working arrangements where the role allows, and are happy to discuss what flexibility might look like for you before you apply.