A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.
We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.
Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.
What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.
Role purpose
To provide a high level of professional, client focussed support to partners/lawyers. The Legal Professional Assistant (“LPA”) will deliver proactive administrative support, management of complex tasks and client relationship support to both partners/lawyers. To act as the gatekeeper of partners/lawyers’ time and resolve conflicts. To liaise with the Working Capital Controllers (“WCC”) on deals / matters to ensure timely and accurate billing. It is recognised that the balance of tasks within this job may vary dependent on the role, work and practice area of the partners/lawyers.
The Legal Professional Assistant reports to the Legal Support Supervisor and works closely with him/her and other LPAs as required to ensure that partners/lawyers benefit from a similarly high quality and responsive support.
Role and responsibilities
General administrative support
- Proactive daily management of diary and organisation of the day-to-day schedule of partners/lawyers, to include the identification and resolution of potential issues
- Manage partners/lawyers in-box, prioritising and highlighting key communications and responding as appropriate / agreed
- Proactive set up and management of meetings and all logistics ensuring partners/lawyers are prepared in advance of meeting with all necessary documentation and details
- Co-ordinate travel and prepare itineraries, plan for contingencies and anticipate additional requirements
- Manage partners/lawyers expenses
- Respond to telephone calls, acting as a filter to manage and control calls
- Limited and appropriate printing support (if self service is not an option)
- Assist with any projects the partners/lawyers are leading / working on
- Attend relevant team or project meetings to coordinate and capture action points
- Assist with setting up Compass meetings for associates and mid / end of seat reviews for trainees
Document support
- Produce letters, correspondence, reports and legal documentation
- Complete urgent document edits for matters
- Assist with minor amendments made by a lawyer to knowledge materials
Client support
- Support partners/lawyers in their management of their client relationships, including building relationships with and help with on-boarding new clients
- Instigate and manage matter inception, including engagement and client care letters. Facilitate and encourage comprehensive completion of the matter inception system data requirements
- Build relationships with clients to support excellent client service and be a direct point of contact for the client to facilitate tasks including the setting up of meetings (including virtual where appropriate) and schedule calls
Business development
- Co-ordinate / organise client meetings, partner sponsored client events, and client roadshows, including schedule management, venue and food & beverage bookings, and dispatch, creation of EPiC mailing lists, production of name tags
- Collate and print packs of information for client meetings
- Make amendments and formatting changes to pitch documents
- Maintain / update EPiC/Outlook marketing activity records relating to partners/lawyers
- Ensure EPiC client lists, contact records and relevant partner/counsel CVs are kept up to date and in proper form
Financial
- Back up point of contact for client on billing issues
- Awareness of overall WIP and outstanding debts
- Arrange and attend monthly working capital call to discuss write offs, billing amounts, deferred WIP, aged debt and matters to close. Ensure matter manager(s) are also invited where applicable
- Following up actions from monthly working capital call
- Basic checks on invoices from WCC, coordination of any additional supporting documentation required, facilitating the matter manager in their responsibility to fully review invoices commercially and sending them to partners for approval.
Key requirements
- Able to work independently and with minimal supervision
- Demonstrate a good understanding of the business (the area in which they work), its clients and its work
- Well organised and readily able to prioritise and manage own time and workload
- Adaptable and flexible to meet the requirements of individual partners/lawyers, aspects of the role, being a part of the wider team and taking on additional share of workload as and when required
- Proactive in managing tasks and situations
- Able to problem solve and demonstrate good judgement, willing and confident to challenge when appropriate
- Demonstrate strong attention to detail and produce high quality / accurate work
- Demonstrate a positive attitude in all aspects of the role, taking personal responsibility and ownership
- Maintain tact and diplomacy, trust and confidentiality
- Demonstrate outstanding communication skills, positioning tone and structure of communications effectively
