Legal Secretary, Abu Dhabi

Minimum prior experience of 3 years as Legal Secretary in a law firm or professional services firm is required to apply for this role.

Key responsibilities and challenges

Document production

• Undertake all document production tasks to the highest standards and to agreed deadlines using appropriate software and all available resources
• Type from manuscript, blacklining documents, using house style documents and non house style where required
• Proofread documents to ensure accuracy
• Prepare PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets
• Draft correspondence/emails
• Undertake photocopying, scanning, printing and faxing as required
• Assist other members of the group/division/firm as required to include the Marketing Team with pitch documents
• Ensure you are up to date on all programs and templates used

Meetings and travel management

• Diary management – arranging meetings and conference calls, liaising with clients, prioritising and rescheduling meetings as appropriate (must be able to anticipate principals’ needs in scheduling diary)
• Arrange conference calls, meetings, catering
• Co-ordinate all travel arrangements including taxis, accommodation, booking flights and expense forms as appropriate, keeping fee earners diaries up to date with the same
• Prepare and collate papers ahead of meetings
• Assist in the planning for key meetings

Client Relationship Management

• Collating and circulating agendas as appropriate
• Managing confidential data
• Deal with internal and client calls in a timely, confident, helpful manner and pass on accurate messages as required / action where necessary
• Deal with visitors in a confident and professional manner
• Keep client contact details, client book/CRM and lists up to date
• Support client events as required

Billing and Financial Hygiene

• Preparation of the Engagement Letter/Terms of Business/submission to Engage and following up where engagement terms are not in place
• Assist in preparation of bills and bill narratives
• Request draft bills and review for accuracy
• Take responsibility for the processing and accuracy of invoice changes
• Prepare e-mails and cover letters on behalf of matter manager for sending of invoices
• Adding disbursements to invoices via Readsoft application
• Sending invoices out to clients and keeping a record of the same
• Assist in monitoring the billing process for your principals as required
• Assist in opening new clients, as required
• Complete online matter opening for new matters
• Liaise with principals, conflicts, matter management and finance teams on matter administration
• Monitor work in progress and chase matter managers to bill, as required
• If a matter is monthly billing, ensure follow up process is followed appropriately
• Amend timelines using the DTA tool when necessary
• Run billing guides for fee earners when requested
• Providing weekly/monthly fee updates to clients on matters

Risk Management

• Actively support process which minimize the Firm’s exposure to risk (i.e Information Barriers and e- Filing)

Administration

• Manage annual leave requests for fee earners and keeping a record of the same
• Deal with incoming and outgoing mail
• Proactive monitoring of 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 / iManage)

Miscellaneous

• Develop your competencies and skills in order to provide excellent professional assistance, attending training when required
• Keeping distribution lists up to date such as client marketing lists
• Submit timesheets for principals in their absence or as required
• Undertake other ad-hoc administrative tasks as required and agreed with Group Secretary
• Support Firmwide IT system rollouts
• Support principals in the use of IT systems such as Sophia/Workday
• Contribute (where required by Head of Secretarial services/Group Secretary) to Firmwide projects which relates to the Secretarial Services Function
• Attend secretarial meetings
• Attend training as required to keep up to date with firm wide procedures
• Working proactively as part of a team to ensure time is used effectively using all available firm wide resources to meet pressured deadlines
• Effectively manage and prioritise work
• Working with and assisting the other legal secretaries in the Middle East where necessary

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.