Practice Assistant

Our Office Operations team is at the heart of ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of the Firm’s day-to-day operations. Our team manages the infrastructure, systems and services —both globally and locally—relating to our office workplaces, onsite and remote operational services, security, safety and a range of other areas. We provide PA support and manage document production, translation and travel services.

Our team is responsible for our client-facing areas across the Firm, always seeking to ensure that clients and other visitors have an experience that is world-class. We also take the lead in running our day-to-day operations in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.

As a Practice Assistant, you will play a key role at the heart of our team, providing high quality, comprehensive workflow management and organizational support to lawyers and partners while taking ownership of a broad range of administrative responsibilities. You will build a deep understanding of our clients’ needs and how our practice operates, allowing you to deliver exceptional client service in everything you do and see the real impact of your contribution.

Working in a collaborative, high-performing environment, you will have the opportunity to work closely with leading practitioners, develop your skills and grow your career while demonstrating flexibility in supporting principals and colleagues across the team. You will be encouraged to bring ideas, challenge how things are done and proactively improve our ways of working by anticipating the needs of clients and colleagues and taking initiative, making you an integral part of the firm’s success and client experience.

Key responsibilities for this role include:

Administrative Manage diaries, ensuring they are up to date.

Arrange meetings, book conference rooms, refreshments, check rooms prior to meetings etc and liaise with other attendees, both internal and external.

Arrange for travel bookings and related details to be made.

Arrange photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out of letters, faxes etc.

Arrange for files to be opened and closed, supervise general filing requirements and record keeping.

Use effective systems to ensure that both short and long term tasks are completed within required timescales.

Support lawyers in marketing activities including involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations.

Communication Take internal and external telephone queries, responding as appropriate and/or ensuring that all messages are passed on in a timely manner.

Monitor post and/or e-mails and dealing with as appropriate and ensure that all client related correspondence is passed on to an appropriate fee earner and actioned as necessary.

Document Manage the production of documents and check returned work produced by the Document Production team before it is passed to the relevant lawyer and undertake basic/minor amendments where appropriate.

Type urgent/short/confidential correspondence and emails.

Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required.

Financial Assist lawyers in ensuring their time is recorded properly and entered onto the system on a daily basis.

Assist lawyers in the billing and credit control process by liaising with the lawyer and accounts and to produce standard financial/time reports through the system.

Request cheques, bank transfers and paying in money received, as appropriate.

Team Player In addition to providing support to the fee-earners to whom they report, a Practice Assistant will also provide assistance to their immediate colleagues in the department and, where practical, other departments. Team duties will therefore include:

Assisting others in the department whenever there is spare capacity or it is evident that a colleague needs assistance with their workload.

Picking up telephone calls for other members of the department when they are away from their desk.

Participating in a lunch time telephone rota within the Practice Assistant team.

Assisting other members of the department, both proactively and at the request of the Team Leader.

Working effectively with other legal and support departments as required.

Any other…