Legal Secretary

Clyde and Co LLP

The Team To provide comprehensive legal support to Fee Earners across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and, where required, the wider MEA region.

The role is responsible for supporting the delivery of Fee Earner's work by undertaking all aspects of the Legal Secretary function and, where appropriate, coordinating with Administrative Assistants and Document Production teams based within the GBS hub in the United Kingdom. The role retains ownership and accountability for all tasks through to completion, ensuring effective workflow management, organisational support and the consistent delivery of high-quality client service.

Key Responsibilities

Client Relationship Management

• Become an active part in the care of clients and be wholly familiar with contacts/clients and dealing with basic client queries as appropriate.
• Manage the production of documents and check returned work produced by the Document Production team/speech recognition for accuracy/formatting before it is passed to the relevant Fee Earner.
• Taking and making client related calls, dealing with and handling message taking as appropriate.
• Liaise with clients and marketing team to provide support for scheduling tender meetings, directory interviews, client training etc.
• Manage Interaction and ensure new prospects, clients and contacts, activities and business development information are added.
• Responsible for keeping up to date with client specific protocols and processes, including regional variations, implementing, providing guidance and training to others where necessary and ongoing monitoring.

Administrative

• Responsible for keeping track of and assisting with files to be opened and closed via the Client Matter Intake Team (CMI) across the region and supervise general filing requirements and record keeping and production of engagement letters ensuring compliant at all times.
• Responsible for files to be opened, closed, and supervise general filing requirements and record keeping and production of engagement letters ensuring compliant at all times.
• Monitor and manage key dates for clients and ensure compliance procedures are up to date on all files and matters liaising with teams across the MEA region where required.
• Support fee earners in business development activities including the involvement in preparation of CVs, pitches, presentations, capability statements and client registration portals, scheduling meetings e.g. tenders, directories, internal clients.
• Work with Business Development Managers across the MEA region on the maintenance of CRM to ensure key client contacts are in Interaction and 'bounce-backs' e.g. contacts with rejected email addresses are reviewed, updated, or archived from system.
• Assisting in the organisation of internal and external events, seminars, and conferences (vulture).
• Manage diaries, ensuring they are up to date, anticipating requirements including cross-regional meetings, travel and coordination with regional stakeholders, e.g. associated travel/accommodation bookings, meeting rooms, drafting itineraries, preparing agendas, preparing, and circulating papers.
• Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required.
• First point of contact for the team, dealing with queries and acting on initiative to provide exceptional client service, promoting and developing ownership within the teams.
• Arrange for the preparation and collation of internal sector newsletters and briefings.
• Arrange photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out letters, faxes etc.
• Receiving instructions via digital dictation for tasks and acting upon the same.
• Maintaining LinkedIn profile, updating connections and adding new activity.
• Arrange travel and accommodation, to prepare and produce and keep track of itineraries.
• Arrange restaurant bookings for Business Development and Client meetings.
• Maintain Fee Earner's mailboxes and electronically file e-mails and documents.
• Deal with e-mails during Fee Earner's absence from the office and to take appropriate action.
• Conduct ad hoc internet research.
• Update client/contact database on Outlook as well as on InterAction.
• Cover for other team members when required and capacity allows.

Communication

• Key point of contact for Fee Earners and Clients including coordination with regional and cross-regional counterparts across MEA to maintain relationships and ensure a high level of support is always provided by the team.
• Monitor post and/or emails and dealing with as appropriate ensuring all client related correspondence is passed on to an appropriate Fee Earner and actioned as necessary; proactively responding to and drafting responses on behalf of others, prioritising emails, collating necessary paperwork and e-filing.
• Liaising with and providing support to immediate colleagues in the department, and where practical across the MEA region as requested by Team Leader. Assisting others where there is spare capacity, or it is evident that a colleague needs assistance with their workload.
• Minute taking, following up designated actions to ensure completion ahead of the next meeting.
• Liaison with and taking direction from your Legal Support Manager.
• Liaise with the Legal Support Manager and Team Leader over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant Fee Earners.

Financial

• Assisting Fee Earners with billing related tasks.
• Reviewing and updating time allocation and disbursements ensuring appropriate matter allocation.
• Request cheques, bank transfers, and paying in money received, as appropriate.
• Supporting the co-ordination of the WIP process.
• Dealing with matter related finance administration to include APRs, BACs, TTs.
• Processing expenses.