Company Secretarial Paralegal

The General Counsel’s Organization (GCO) is American Express’ legal and government affairs departments, along with the Corporate Secretary's Office (which is responsible for interactions with our Board of Directors). They are responsible for protecting and strengthening American Express through world-class expertise and strategic advice that helps our business partners manage risk, identify opportunities, and deliver on the Company's promise of exceptional products and services. 

This is a real opportunity to help transform the approach for the company secretarial and legal entity governance support function in this region for American Express during a time of exceptional change. In addition to helping define the strategy for company secretarial support for American Express in this region, this role will require a ‘hands on’ approach.

Forming part of the in-house legal department of American Express (known as the General Counsel’s Organization) in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, this role will help to provide company secretarial and governance support for American Express subsidiaries in UK. 

The role will report to the UK Company Secretary in the American Express General Counsel’s Organization.

• Assist the UK secretariat for main American Express operating companies in the UK
• Planning board meetings, coordinating and preparing board materials
• Provide comprehensive company secretarial support to a number of boards and board committees, preparation of agendas, creation and collation of board packs, taking minutes following up on action points and providing governance advice. 
• Maintain board and board committee calendars, seeking and monitoring director availability for additional meetings as necessary. 
• Drafting board and shareholder resolutions as required
• Drafting documentation necessary to support corporate administration, including appointments and resignations, powers of attorney, delegations of authority, confirmation statements, updates to constitutional documents and issuance of share capital and declaration and payment of dividends, etc
• Research on correct company secretarial and governance procedures required by law, constitutional documents and American Express internal policy and processes
• Effecting relevant corporate filings and updates as required for UK and European subsidiaries, branches of foreign companies established in the UK and working with internal stakeholders and outside counsel for filings relevant to local subsidiaries and branches in other countries in the EMEA region
• Maintain statutory records and registers and submit statutory returns
• Maintain the annual calendar for policy reviews.
• Manage and monitor the use of board management software across the UK entities
• Assist with other administrative tasks related to activities of the secretariat including execution of documents, liaising with stakeholders to have documents legalised, managing company books and filings. 

• Proven experience of being a paralegal
• Experience in a company secretarial department or other senior administrative role
• An understanding of the requirements of the Companies Act 
• Adopts a methodical approach with excellent attention to detail
• Proactively seeks out opportunities to improve processed and ensure the effective functioning of the secretariat
• An excellent team player who is able to work independently when required
• A flexible can-do approach to relevant issues and to act promptly to ensure situations are dealt with appropriately, effectively and with professionalism
• Able to multitask and work to tight deadlines
• An effective communicator with excellent interpersonal skills 
• Excellent record keeping skills with the ability to minute in great detail

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.