Legal Secretary

Purpose

• Responsible for the provision of high quality, efficient and effective secretarial support to the practice and business services. Secretarial tasks are now managed centrally in an efficient and coordinated way; through a workflow tool known as ServiceNow that supports all lawyers and Business Teams. You will also perform a limited number of tasks for your soft link lawyers.

Key Dimensions

• Undertake all aspects of the secretarial role including administrative and support services as required using the most appropriate tools and resources for the task
• Provide an excellent service to clients
• Demonstrate flexibility in supporting principals and fellow secretaries
• Proactively contribute to the group/division/firms’ success by actively seeking to improve working processes, anticipate needs of clients and colleagues and take action accordingly

Key responsibilities and challenges

Document production

Undertake all document production tasks to the highest standards and to agreed deadlines using appropriate software and available resources, including but not limited to:

• type from audio or manuscript with a high level of accuracy, using house style documents
• check through document work to ensure accuracy
• prepare PowerPoint presentations using appropriate house style templates and Excel spreadsheets
• draft correspondence/emails
• undertake photocopying, printing, scanning, and faxing as required

Meetings and travel management

• Manage principals’ calendars / diaries
• Arrange conference calls, meetings and coordinate catering requirements
• Co-ordinate travel arrangements, including flights booking, transportation arrangement, accommodation and preparation of expense claim forms (completing reimbursement form properly, advising where to charge costs, checking against Travel and Expense Policy and arranging approval)
• Assist in the planning for key meetings; prepare and collate papers ahead of meetings

Client relations

• Take ownership for keeping client contact details up-to-date in Client Book, adding activities, known-by relationships and proactively running searches for meeting preparation
• Deal with internal and client calls in a timely, confident, helpful manner and pass on accurate messages as required / action where necessary, answer principals’ phones when they are engaged or absent;  pick up the phone for other fee-earners in department when secretary unavailable where required
• Deal with visitors in a confident and professional manner
• Arrange client meetings / client lunches (including checking availability, booking of venue and sending out invitations)
• Prepare detailed handover notes for secretaries/float secretaries when absent by using the standardised form (to be launched)
• Co-ordinate and monitor input to Client Book for relevant fee-earners

Billing

• Confirm all information required on the bill request form and complete the form in full and correctly
• Generate and print billing guide, review for accuracy, and amend narratives through DTA
• Follow up on billing actions and monitor the billing process for principals, as required
• Prepare e-mails and cover letters on behalf of matter manager for sending of invoices, taking responsibility for the processing and accuracy of invoice changes
• Remind fee-earners to finalise bill in advance of cut-off date
• Provide WIP or Debt information through NIM, or Assist fee-earners with time recording, following up if not submitted after 3 days and entering when on holiday
• Liaise with the costs team on disbursements
• Assist Trainees/Paralegals/GO with the coordination of bible, ebible production where necessary
• Handle billback for principals (exceptions)
• Support their principals in completing the forms for ACRA online transactions
• Proactively manage or support the completion of timesheets for fee earners when required

Payment

• Confirm the information required for Payment and Staff Reimbursement forms
• Complete the form and arrange for authorisation before submitting to Finance for processing.

Mail and Filing

• Deal with incoming and outgoing mail
• Monitor emails as required and forward/action as necessary
• Maintain update/reminder system of ongoing mail if required
• Establish and maintain effective and accurate filing systems (hard copy and electronic) including archiving when complete

Risk Management and Compliance

• Assist in completing matter opening forms correctly, asking for unknown information
• Comply with the matter naming convention and check with their principals
• Complete form and follow-up with matter managers on pending items so that new matters can be opened asap 
• Proactively assist fee earners in sending engagement letters to clients, taking ownership of the process where required
• Support their principals in disseminating engagement and matter specific confirmation letters to engage team for registering in Engage!, FSS Singapore to upload the rates and local finance team

Business Services Support

Work with members of business services on admin-related tasks, including but not limited to:

• arrange meetings, photocopying, invoices, etc
• liaise with marketing on the updating of fee-earner CVs, helping to chase when necessary
• format pitch documents and presentations
• ensure brand compliance on client communications (e.g. presentations)
• track client contact and updating ‘trackers’
• assist with the organisation of client events when required
• format newsletters for client alerts
• answer basic IT questions
• basic research

Miscellaneous

• Attend training as required for personal development and to keep up to date with Firmwide procedures
• Liase with L&D about principals’ CPD administration and proactively remind on position if necessary
• Work proactively as part of a team to ensure time is used effectively; use all available Firmwide resources to meet pressured deadlines
• Undertake other ad-hoc administrative tasks as required and agreed with principals
• Support Firmwide IT system rollouts and support principals in the use of IT systems such as Sophia
• Liaise with IT/Reception/HR to help maintain accurate group contact details/staff lists.
• Process medical claims as required

Characteristics, Skills & Experience required:

Character

• A committed team player
• Proactive and enthusiastic, positive can-do attitude
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Adaptable and flexible
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to cope with pressure and conflicting demands on time
• Able and willing to follow through, exercise judgement and take responsibility for and conclude actions
• Confident and professional
• Flexible and receptive to change in line with business demands
• Able to prioritise work taking account of principals’ priorities
• Commercially aware, understand internal and external client

Education / Qualification

• O Levels and A Levels
• Diploma Course in Executive and Secretarial Administration (or equivalent)
• Degree or Associate degree programmes (Desirable)

Languages

• English. Second language an advantage

Practical Experience

• Experience in a professional services/corporate environment
• Experience supporting senior partners, senior executives, or other senior stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• International law firm experience (Desirable)

Office skills

• IT literate; high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office particularly:
• Word
• DocsCorp Compare
• English Typing speed (at least 60wpm)
• PowerPoint
• Outlook
• Excel
• Visio (Desirable)
• Interaction (Desirable)
• Intapp
• Salesforce
• M365 Co Pilot

Technical Skills:

This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive.  It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for, the performance of this job. As such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.