Legal PA

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing is a global law firm that serves the world's most innovative people and businesses. Deeply embedded within our sectors, we work closely together with our clients to crack complex problems, enabling ideas and aspirations to thrive. Together we challenge expectation and create extraordinary results. By shaping the conversation in our sectors, we enable our clients to unlock growth, protect innovation and accelerate ambition. 

With 1200+ lawyers, 300+ partners, 28 offices and 17 jurisdictions we are looking to expand our Legal Support (Ireland)  team, with the addition of a Legal PA.

The opportunity for you

The Legal PA provides a high level of professional support to Partners, counsel, associates, trainees or senior directors, and undertakes a wide range of activities. The Legal PA is expected to take on complex tasks, support projects, and provide departmental PA support, as well as playing a critical role in managing daily administration for stakeholders.

This role requires proactive and highly competent individuals who will operate effectively in a pressurised and fast paced environment.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of clients, sector mandates, stakeholders and projects;
• Understand priorities, potential issues, sensitivities and key client stakeholders and practically apply this knowledge to support partners and fee earners across a range of activities;
• Act as the key liaison point between clients (both internal and external) and take full responsibility for handling incoming queries/issues. Assess, prioritise and follow up requests and actions, whilst managing clients' expectations;
• Provide effective mailbox management on behalf of fee earners; screen communications to act as a gatekeeper, draft emails and basic responses where possible; ensure all requests are followed up in an accurate and timely manner and escalated when necessary;
• Manage fee earners schedules; coordinate and arrange meetings to best utilise time; proactively manage diary conflicts and ensure fee earners or senior directors are prepared in advance of meetings with all necessary documentation and details
• Suggest and arrange keep in touch client visits/other meetings
• Arrange travel effectively and efficiently; plan for contingencies and anticipate additional requirements. Build extensive knowledge of fee earner preferences;
• Draft emails and letters on behalf of fee earners where applicable;
• Establish and maintain an efficient, effective and up to date electronic filing system and other administration systems with the ability to quickly store and retrieve key documents;
• Proactively build a professional network with stakeholders and their support assistants;
• Manage contacts in Outlook and ensures post meeting follow ups occur;
• Manage the production of marketing material through liaison with the BD teams, including production of pitches and client presentations where appropriate.
• Ensure partner biographies and CVs are consistently up to date and accurate.

Key responsibilities

• To provide administrative and secretarial support to partners and associates in the Banking & Finance team;
• Carry out advanced research/request information from relevant support teams to provide detailed information regarding clients and companies and analyse material to support the transaction team (in conjunction with Knowledge and Information Centre);
• Act as an integral member of the team; maintain a high level of awareness of current priorities and support required;
• Provide support to the wider team, streamlining and distributing administrative tasks and managing resources in order to provide an effective and efficient service;
• Support projects and work streams; manage delivery of tasks to timescales;
• Assist with organisation, administration, co-ordination and logistics for small events and external conferences as well as internal seminars and meetings;
• Attend meetings/conference calls and take minutes in order to action follow up where required;
• Has full knowledge of work streams from inception to completion;
• Draft engagement letters/emails and manage uploading in a timely manner to comply with risk and compliance procedures;
• Regularly facilitate knowledge sharing within the team and ensures relevant information is disseminated accordingly;
• Operate an effective aide memoire system to prompt team to meet all deadlines;
• Run firm wide projects on behalf of the team and liaises with service departments regarding impact and success of project;
• Act as a mentor/buddy for other members of the Legal Support Group.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of fee earners' workload and a high level knowledge of the firm's billing processes, ensuring detailed information is entered in a timely manner to meet submission deadlines;
• Attend WIP meetings to provide financial information and to demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the client's billing requirements;
• Prepare and manage billing process using the Aderent front office software;
• Liaise with Revenue Control team where required regarding outstanding bills and follow up on behalf of the fee earner;

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Previous experience as a Banking & Finance Legal PA or similar role within a law firm or corporate environment is preferred;
• Strong organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail and experience of managing end to end tasks that require multiple touch points;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work confidently and collaboratively, and professionally interact with clients and colleagues at all levels.
• A calm, clear thinker with keen attention to detail;
• Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively while maintaining a high level of accuracy under tight deadlines and in a fast-paced working environment;
• Discretion in handling confidential information with integrity.
• Strong technical skills with knowledge of Word, PowerPoint and Excel packages;
• Self-motivated, disciplined individual with excellent problem solving skills;
• A desire to take ownership and see a task through to completion;
• A confident, enthusiastic and committed approach, whilst remaining flexible and proactive at all times;
• A patient and calm demeanour with an ability to work well in pressured situations, always maintaining a professional and positive can do attitude;
• Commercial and financial acumen;
• Ability to anticipate and identify potential problems and provide innovative solutions.
• An excellent team player with an ability to form constructive and supportive relationships throughout the firm;
• Adaptable and open to change showing a willingness and confidence to make suggestions for change where appropriate.
• Willingness to broaden experience and develop skills further.

Benefits

Here are a select few benefits that Taylor Wessing offer; 

• Hybrid working (Offering the opportunity to work remotely, while maintaining a social boundary by working from our award-winning offices for 3 days a week) 
• Holiday (Our basic annual holiday entitlement starts at 25 days, with a further discretionary day of paid leave in December. You may also purchase up to five extra days each year (pro rata). 
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave (After one-year service, you are entitled to up to 26 weeks leave full pay if you or your partner give birth or adopt a child). 

Along with these there are many more benefits we offer, with the addition of a comprehensive flexible benefits package available. 

Our culture

Nurturing a diverse, inclusive culture allows all of our talent to flourish, sparks creativity and powers innovation.  We continue to build a team that exemplifies inclusivity and reflects the firm's core values: creative, excellence, integrity, responsible, respect and team.  We value and celebrate the differences in who we are, what we have experienced and how we think, so all candidates will be treated fairly regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender identity, marital status, neurodiversity, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.

The way we work

At Taylor Wessing, we never settle for average. We're creative thinkers, problem solvers and continuous learners who excel at what we do and believe our best work is still ahead of us. We are a firm that's large enough for you to achieve your ambitions, but connected enough to be a true community.  

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