Practice Assistant in London

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has more than 2,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.

The Practice Assistant provides dedicated support to Partners, Counsel and Associates within an assigned practice group. This role functions as a key administrative resource, providing proactive, high-quality support aligned with the distinct needs of a specific practice group.

• Provide dedicated support to Partners and allocated lawyers maintaining awareness of priorities, deadlines, client expectations, and matter related commitments.
• Manage calendars and arrange internal and external meetings, liaising with clients where needed.
• Assist lawyers with correspondence and formatting of legal documents process mark-up’s, create and amend pitch documents.
• Foster collaborative relationships with lawyers, other assistants, and business service professionals by providing proactive support while developing an understanding of practice-specific workflows, priorities, and client needs.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements inclusive of itineraries, accommodation, ground transportation, and related logistics.
• Deliver exceptional customer service by responding to lawyer and client requests with professionalism, urgency, and discretion while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality.
• Enter, review, and maintain lawyer time records accurately while complying with billing guidelines.
• Collaborate with billing coordinators to ensure seamless coverage by managing and editing bills and narratives in accordance with billing department needs.
• Prepare, review, and process expense reports and reimbursement requests in accordance with firm policies and ensure timely resolution of outstanding items.
• Assist with tasks such as writing/updating bios, new matter opening support, and administrative reporting.
• Support relationship-building efforts by assisting with client gifts, recognition initiatives, maintaining CRM data entry, and supporting with practice group business development initiatives in accordance with firm policies.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for lawyers on administrative and workflow matters, guiding them to the appropriate resources, teams, and internal support functions.
• Work with the Conflicts team to implement and monitor screening procedures and insider lists when needed, setting up and monitoring distribution lists for external use where appropriate.

• 3-5 years’ administrative support experience (legal/professional services preferred).
• Strong ability to work in a high-volume, process-driven environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team setting.
• Attention to detail in composing, typing and proofing correspondence and documents.
• Adept at prioritising and consistently meeting deadlines.
• Ability to use diplomacy, confidentiality and discretion in relaying information.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to learn and manage new technology platforms.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise workload.
• Ability to work independently and deal with conflicting priorities from different sources.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills with the ability to communicate with staff at all levels, including Partners and clients.
• Ability to work effectively within a team as well as independently.
• Ability to adjust approaches to meet changing business needs.

Salary and Benefits: Competitive

Hybrid: Monday-Thursday in office, ability to WFH on Fridays

Simpson Thacher is committed to ensuring that everyone can reach their full potential, irrespective of background, identity, or circumstance. We know that we are at our best when we bring together diverse experiences and perspectives. This is why we are focused on fostering a collegial environment which maximises collaboration, empowering every individual to thrive and succeed.