Senior Legal Secretary

Job Description

Opportunity to join a leading, global law firm and be part of their growing Edinburgh team. With a strong presence in over 40 countries, their global reach ensures that they can operate and help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world andcontinue to lead the legal industry by attracting some of the brightest legal professional in the world. This role will work within their hub function and takes ownership for the efficient running of the team by role-modelling as an effective and responsibleteam member and act as workflow supervisor where required.As Senior Secretary - Corporate you will take ownership and responsibly to ensure the work is undertaken in the most appropriate way by actively engaging with the workflow through the team inbox. This role is a traditional legal secretary support role and requiresprevious experience working in a law firm.What you will be doing

• Coordinating internal and external client meetings and ensure all work activities are scheduled effectively, including the identification and resolution of potential challenges and clashes
• Organising meetings, ensuring rooms and conference facilities, video conference facilities are booked, liaising with attendees if necessary both internal and external and making sure that any required catering and technical equipment is in place
• Manage expectations in terms of deadlines and outcome of tasks assigned
• Responding and dealing with external or internal telephone calls and queries in a professional manner and taking clear and concise messages for other members of the practice group as required
• Organising travel arrangements through the travel desk, booking and confirmation of reservations, flights, hotels, car transfers, ordering currency and expense claims and producing detailed itineraries
• Preparation of key documents including visas, correspondence (including invitation letters), travel invoices, expense claims and maintenance/filing of copies
• Understanding the document management processes. Amending and re-formatting documents when appropriate to do so, ensuring that completed documents are delivered accurately and to a consistently high standard
• Learning to organise agendas, presentations and meeting papers, including print production and timely distribution; ensuring that fee earners have all documents and adequate preparation time
• Supporting the secretarial team by ensuring the timely completion of the support teams shared work, ensuring work of an appropriate level is dealt with according to priority
• Demonstrating flexibility with working practices in line with the business need, especially in times of pressure/ high workload
• Organisation of file management, including closing of files, archiving and ensures that all relevant documents are filed electronically and paper-based, if required
• Working towards full capability for managing and understanding of the end-to-end billing process, of standard bills, using Elite (internal financial system). Following the relevant procedures and prompting fee earners to complete all necessary time recording,or to enter such time recording on their behalf
• Creating standard bills, disbursements, amending narratives as well as requesting credit notes
• Understanding the client matter opening, client reporting and client balances processes
• Completing financial reports where required, from internal systems highlighting outstanding monies to be billed and updating particular client financial schedules where necessary
• Managing group and fee earner contacts to ensure they are up to date through Interaction (CRM tool)
• Providing administrative support to fee earners with conflict searches and audit requests
• Assisting on ad-hoc projects as and when required, for example managing bundles, assisting during team events, indexing documents, etc

Technical:

• Extensive relevant experience as a Legal Secretary
• Have a strong working knowledge of WorkSite and Bighand or similar tools
• IT literate with high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook) & Lync - Skype for Business
• Excellent diary management
• Exemplary document management and filing
• Excellent telephone manner
• Detailed understanding of billing
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills
• Applies knowledge and judgement to solve problems and make decisions
• Experience of delegating to, and training, junior team members

Personal:

• Friendly, personable and approachable
• Excellent communicator- both written and verbally
• Adaptable and flexible
• Confident and professional
• Conscientious and diligent