Part time Legal PA

Overview: I am working with an international law firm based at Liverpool Street and they are looking for a float to work Monday and Tuesday within their disputes team. The position is hybrid and offers working one day from home and then on the fourth week, it would be two days in the office. The hours are 9:30am–5:30pm and the salary is up to £19,000.

Key Internal Relationships: Partners, lawyers, Practice Team Assistants and other Business Services staff.

Key External Relationships: Clients, service providers.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Plan for and deliver high quality, accurate work whilst managing deadlines, responding to change and the competing priorities of all work.
• Coordinate and produce accurate compliant documents and correspondence (including drafting engagement letters), reports and presentations.
• Utilise other services as appropriate (e.g., Printroom, Document Production).
• Establish and maintain effective work practices with partners and lawyers to manage the matter life cycle from file opening to closure/archival, including adhering to the firm’s conflicts process and managing information barriers.
• Contribute to the effective management of electronic and hard copy content and active legal project management.
• Proactively manage and understand partner and lawyers’ diaries using business knowledge to prioritise commitments, organising appointments, conferences and meetings via multiple methods (videoconferencing, teleconferencing, client office software, etc.).
• Coordinate detailed, multi-centred travel arrangements and provide detailed itineraries, including short/long term accommodation, visas, offsite meeting requirements and other business commitments.
• Ensure relevant global travel is included in the International BD visit report; coordinate and assist with global visits/visitors.
• Diarise, manage and coordinate lunches and dinners and other events as required, including reviewing venues and menu planning and ensuring costs are maintained against budget.
• Proactively manage all communications in and out of the partner and lawyers’ office and maintain responsibility for ensuring everything is dealt with in a timely fashion: manage own email and partner/lawyers’ email as required; respond to communications and draft correspondence as appropriate; filter, evaluate and prioritise incoming communications and queries, and raise with the partners/lawyers when necessary.
• Deal with mail/post in the same manner.
• Produce/draft outgoing communications and documents as instructed by the partners and lawyers.
• Implement effective telephone call management.
• Ensure team members and business stakeholders are aware of movements and provide a consistent, high quality service to callers and other parties.
• Manage the coordination of the billing process including liaising with Revenue, editing bills, coordinating write-offs and discounts, and collating bills and narratives in their final form as per firm policy and process.
• Manage alternative pricing arrangements and cross-border invoicing; liaise with and delegate to the PTAs for billing administration.
• Work with the partners and lawyers to meet required WIP, billing and debtor day targets.
• Assist partners and lawyers with their BD responsibilities, including producing pitches, updating CVs and credentials, producing International BD visit reports and updating client information databases in consultation with the relevant BD representative.
• Help partners and lawyers build, manage and maintain strong relationships with clients and their secretaries by demonstrating diligence and professionalism and providing an exceptional experience; act as a key point of contact for them and the team.
• Maintain accurate client contact information and ensure client-related activities are recorded on relevant databases, keeping abreast of partner and lawyer BD objectives.
• Delegate administrative tasks to the PTAs and maintain responsibility for ensuring filing is up to date, timesheets and billing admin are completed promptly, and WIP client matter reports are compiled with errors corrected.
• Ensure client information is accurate at all times, including client-specific requirements, via InterAction; manage archiving in accordance with firm guidelines.
• Maintain strong knowledge of your practice area, key matters and issues to prioritise queries and escalate where necessary; adhere to firm, office and practice group policies and procedures.
• Maintain inquisitive, collaborative and vigilant work habits; participate in meetings and firm initiatives; take responsibility for your own learning and training; adopt new firm practices and share improvements with others.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Seen as a role model to PTAs and other secretaries/PAs with both technical skills and adherence to Business Services competencies.
• Excellent organisational skills and management of competing priorities; effectively delegates tasks.
• Assigned partners and lawyers are satisfied with the level of support provided and quality of work within timeframes.
• Documents produced are accurate, compliant and timely.
• A reputation as an effective, helpful and supportive team member within the practice group.
• Colleagues are confident they can approach you and receive appropriate assistance.
• A reputation for excellent communication within Business Services and for achieving positive outcomes.
• Compliance with policies and guidelines; client contact data is up to date.
• Support for matters management contributes to client and firm obligations; travel and preparatory support run smoothly during absences.
• Open to change and willing to adopt new ways of working; lead by example and build trust.
• Participate in the firm’s annual performance review process and set professional goals using the Business Support Competency Framework.
• Take ownership of absences with proper handover and communication according to group policy.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

• Typing speed minimum of 55 wpm with 98% accuracy.
• Intermediate to advanced skill level with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel and Word).
• Basic skill level with Visio.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build effective relationships internally and externally.
• Proven high-level organisational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritise, manage changing circumstances and meet deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail; strong client and business focus; good judgement and problem-solving ability.
• Demonstrated high-level experience as a Secretary/PA in a professional services environment (legal experience is desired).
• Minimum of four years’ experience at this level.