Legal Secretary

The Practice Assistant is responsible for providing professional core business support to the firms fee earners. The support provided will be as part of a team with shared responsibilities and collective accountability working with the firms other Business Professionals teams. The Practice Assistant is expected to create positive working relationships with fee earners and their colleagues in order to provide excellent business support. The Practice Assistant is responsible for ensuring that all activities are carried out in compliance with the firms policies and regulatory requirements.

The Practice Assistant must be flexible and adaptable with the ability to adjust to different practice areas and teams as required.

Key responsibilities:

This role sits within the Milan office and includes responsibility for delegating and steering work to the appropriate specialist CC team which may include the Service Centre DPU Design and other Business Professionals teams. The Practice Assistant is responsible for providing clear direction and taking full ownership and management of their work to ensure that tasks are prioritized by business need and completed in a timely manner. When working agilely the Practice Assistant is expected to provide a consistently excellent level of support without disruption to the business and stakeholders.

Daytoday activities

• Managing and organising agendas of supported partners and fee earners managing appointments autonomously.
• Supporting partners in managing inbox and drafting/sending emails.
• Supporting partners with update of contacts.
• Supporting partners with timekeeping tasks.
• Processing and managing expenses and reimbursements for all fee earners.
• Managing al matter related activities from inception through to billing such as ad hoc conflict checking opening of new matters AML for new clients/debtors.
• Arranging and managing domestic and international travel.
• Full assistance with all commercial discipline/billing activities.
• Processing and managing all expenses and invoices.
• Attending work in progress (WIP) and debtor meetings as required and following up on action points with the Billing team.
• Assisting with good housekeeping of documentation including postclosing administration;
• Providing full support on video conferencing using CC supported applications.
• Managing beginningtoend document management processes such as amending formatting running sanity checks.

Client Focus and Support

• Progressing and assisting with client relationship initiatives.
• Reminding and assisting fee earners with the updating of CVs.
• Assisting during pitching process by creating or amending PowerPoint presentations Excel documents or fee quote documentation.
• Assisting BD team with tender offers procedures and onboarding / management of  supplier portals.
• Supporting BD team with client relationship activities.
• Supporting BD team with Matter Capture information.

Financial and Matter Management

• Providing financial management support from inception through to billing: supporting the firms commercial discipline initiatives such as conflict checking using Intapp and ensuring that fee estimates and phases are included setting up SPM and ensuring that the relevant team members are added setting up and maintaining project email distribution lists setting up matter balance reports and ensuring that all relevant information is included creating and informing the deal team of any time recording rules taking account of specific client ebilling rules and sending regular reminders to the deal team amending narratives as required including sharing further guidance with the team to reduce errors and drafting bill letters.
• Processing and managing all expenses and invoices. 
• Processing and managing reimbursements for all fee earners.
• Keeping track of updates to prebills and ensuring smooth running and preparation of bills.
• Attending work in progress (WIP) and debtor meetings as required and following up on action points with the Billing team.
• Drafting emails and taking responsibility for sending client matter updates on WIP and debts.
• Assisting with good housekeeping of documentation including postclosing administration.

Other Support Activities

• Assisting Partners and fee earners during appraisal processes.
• Encouraging and proactively following up with fee earners on completion of their mandatory training requirements.

Qualifications :

Skills

• Exceptional organizational skills with excellent attention to detail
• Understands the importance of the role and how this contributes to the practice area and wider firm strategy
• Client orientated with proven experience of building strong relationships both internally and externally
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral
• Aware of confidentiality and the use of discretion when required

Experience

• Previous experience of working as an executive assistant within a legal firm required
• Experience of complex diary management international travel email management and assisting with the preparation of correspondence on behalf of stakeholder
• Supporting new business client or business development teams with pitches events marketing materials and client research
• Proven experience of supporting on financial matters i.e. knowledge of recording time sheets billing and ebilling expenses and invoices.

Knowledge

• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Word Outlook Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience of setting up data rooms and other document sharing platforms would be an advantage
• Experience on supplier and ebilling platforms is a plus
• Knowledge of legal processes and matter management is required
• Knowledge of any of the following would be an advantage but not essential: Intapp Intapp Time Interaction Kira and Litera Transact.

Qualifications

• Higher education

Additional Information :

At Clifford Chance we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender gender identity and expression marital or civil partnership status race colour national or ethnic origin social or economic background disability religious belief sexual orientation or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection terms and conditions of employment including pay promotion training transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here