Practice Assistant - Real Estate

Department: Real Estate - Residential Development

Location: Leeds

Description

As the single point of contact for partners, with responsibility for the completion of their work, PAs will undertake a variety of secretarial tasks (as listed below) and, where appropriate, will manage the workflow by utilising Administrative Assistants (AAs) and the Central Transcription Unit (CTU), retaining ownership and accountability of all tasks through to completion. Provide a high quality, comprehensive workflow management and organisational service to lawyers in the group and exceptional 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 CTU team/speech recognition for accuracy/formatting, before it is passed to the relevant lawyer.
• Taking and making client related calls, dealing with and handling message taking as appropriate.
• Liaise with Clients & Markets to assist with the organisation of, and providing support for, scheduling client events, tender meetings, client training etc.
• Assist with the organisation of tenders and pitches to ensure the document creation process is managed effectively and to the highest standards, liaising with appropriate contributors as necessary.
• Manage client contacts 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, implementing, providing guidance and training to others where necessary and ongoing monitoring.

Administrative

• Responsible for files to be opened and closed and supervise general filing requirements and record keeping and production of engagement letters ensuring compliant at all times.
• Manage and monitor the key dates process for clients and ensure compliance procedures are up to date on all files and matters.
• Support lawyers in business development activities including the involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations, scheduling meetings e.g. tenders, internal client etc.
• Work with business development managers on the maintenance of CRM to ensure key client contacts are stored 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.
• Manage diaries, ensuring they are up-to date, anticipating requirements e.g. associated travel/accommodation bookings, meeting rooms, drafting itineraries, preparing agendas, preparing and circulating papers.
• Along with HL, 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.
• Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required.
• Assisting in the tender process – liaising with Business Development, collating outstanding information, assisting with draft/final submissions.
• Arrange for the preparation and collation of internal sector newsletters and briefings.
• Uploading documents to PDF docs and editing documents using the same.
• Arrange photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out letters, faxes etc.
• Submitting documents for signature by clients via DocuSign.
• Receiving instructions via digital dictation for tasks and acting upon the same.

Communication

• Key point of contact for allocated Partners and Clients 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 lawyer and actioned as necessary; proactively responding to and drafting responses on behalf of others, prioritising emails, collating necessary paperwork and e-filing.
• Liaising with clients and contacts involved in client matters, taking the lead on ensuring actions are taken forward, addressing queries personally and escalating as necessary.
• Liaising with and providing support to their immediate colleagues in the department, and where practical, other legal and support departments as requested by Hub Leader (HL). 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 HL.
• Liaise with the HL over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant lawyers.
• Assist HL and act as a coach to develop the team to the highest standards.

Financial

• Assist partners and business development for client and event billing and credit control process.
• Responsible for the completion of complex billing; ensuring bills are prepared to the highest standards of accuracy and it's undertaken within the team in accordance with the contractual requirement.
• Request cheques, bank transfers, and paying in money received, as appropriate.
• Reviewing and updating time allocation and disbursements ensuring appropriate matter allocation.
• Taking overall responsibility for the client billing process, ensuring compliance with client protocols at each stage.
• Anticipating and dealing with matter related finance administration to include BACs, TTs etc.
• Supporting the co-ordination of the WIP process.
• Managing expenses.

Processing

• Responsible for managing priorities and workloads to ensure deadlines are met. Liaising with HL/SM where challenges arise.
• Responsible for managing the creation and maintenance of data rooms and client information in accordance with case milestones.
• Responsible for managing client and matter data, ensuring it is maintained and updated within appropriate systems, raising requests as appropriate.
• Online applications e.g. Companies House, Land Registry, Searchflow, forms.
• Undertaking searches and completion of requisite forms and submissions.
• Ensuring compliance with firm wide/department policies and procedures.

Customer Service

• Arranging and attending team meetings.
• Liaising with partners, lawyers, LSAs, Hub Leader and SM's to take instruction and liaise on work requirements.
• Consistently and appropriately update service users on progress where appropriate.
• Regularly offer assistance wherever possible.

Firm wide

• Understands DAC Beachcroft is an international firm. Works with awareness of this structure to operate as one team/brand.
• Actively operates in the best interests of the firm at all times internally and externally.
• Operates in a regulated environment, effectively managing risk and compliance issues including data security.
• Works in partnership with others to manage and mitigate commercial risk.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Significant experience of working in a legal or professional services environment.
• An aptitude for providing top level organisational support, anticipating support needs, producing documents and client communications of the highest standard.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Advanced knowledge of document management/case management systems.
• An effective communicator with the ability to establish and build client relationships; striving to provide exceptional service at all times.
• Customer/client service focused.
• Proven experience of managing high level client facing tasks and priorities, with a hands-on, practical approach.
• Effective at investigating issues and seeing a problem through to conclusion.
• Conscientious, taking personal responsibility for own work and accountability for its delivery and quality.
• Excellent team player, sharing in team goals to provide excellent quality and efficiency of service, with a willingness to take on new responsibilities and challenges.
• Positive can-do attitude with the ability to adapt to change.
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop people.
• Confidential and discreet but able to redirect information when appropriate to ensure areas of concern are resolved effectively.
• Well organised and methodical with excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in all client communications and deliverables.