Legal Secretary Abu Dhabi

Key Responsibilities And Challenges

We are looking for a seasonal Legal Secretary with a min of 3 years of Legal Secretary experience as in a law firm or professional services firm, which is mandatory for this role.

Document production

• Undertake all document production tasks to the highest standards and to agreed deadlines using appropriate software and all available resources
• Type from manuscript, blacklining documents, using house style documents and non house style where required
• Proof read documents to ensure accuracy
• Prepare PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets
• Draft correspondence/emails
• Undertake photocopying, scanning, printing and faxing as required
• Assist other members of the group/division/firm as required to include the Marketing Team with pitch documents
• Ensure you are up to date on all programs and templates used
  
  

• Diary management – arranging meetings and conference calls, liaising with clients, prioritising and rescheduling meetings as appropriate (must be able to anticipate principals’ needs in scheduling diary)
• Arrange conference calls, meetings, catering
• Co-ordinate all travel arrangements including taxis, accommodation, booking flights and expense forms as appropriate, keeping fee earners diaries up to date with the same
• Prepare and collate papers ahead of meetings
• Assist in the planning for key meetings
  
  

• Collating and circulating agendas as appropriate
• Managing confidential data
• Deal with internal and client calls in a timely, confident, helpful manner and pass on accurate messages as required / action where necessary
• Deal with visitors in a confident and professional manner
• Keep client contact details, client book/CRM and lists up to date
• Support client events as required
  
  

• Preparation of the Engagement Letter/Terms of Business/submission to Engage and following up where engagement terms are not in place
• Assist in preparation of bills and bill narratives
• Request draft bills and review for accuracy
• Take responsibility for the processing and accuracy of invoice changes
• Prepare e-mails and cover letters on behalf of matter manager for sending of invoices
• Adding disbursements to invoices via Readsoft application
• Sending invoices out to clients and keeping a record of the same
• Assist in monitoring the billing process for your principals as required
• Assist in opening new clients, as required
• Complete online matter opening for new matters
• Liaise with principals, conflicts, matter management and finance teams on matter administration
• Monitor work in progress and chase matter managers to bill, as required
• If a matter is monthly billing, ensure follow up process is followed appropriately
• Amend timelines using the DTA tool when necessary
• Run billing guides for fee earners when requested
• Providing weekly/monthly fee updates to clients on matters
  
  

• Actively support process which minimize the Firm’s exposure to risk (i.e Information Barriers and e- Filing)
  
  

• Manage annual leave requests for fee earners and keeping a record of the same
• Deal with incoming and outgoing mail
• Proactive monitoring of emails as required and forward/action as necessary
• Maintain update/reminder system of ongoing mail if required
• Establish and maintain effective and accurate filing systems (hard copy/ iManage)
  
  

• Develop your competencies and skills in order to provide excellent professional assistance, attending training when required
• Keeping distribution lists up to date such as client marketing lists
• Submit timesheets for principals in their absence or as required
• Undertake other ad-hoc administrative tasks as required and agreed with Group Secretary
• Support Firmwide IT system rollouts
• Support principals in the use of IT systems such as Sophia/Workday
• Contribute (where required by Head of Secretarial services/Group Secretary) to Firmwide projects which relates to the Secretarial Services Function
• Attend secretarial meetings
• Attend training as required to keep up to date with firm wide procedures
• Working proactively as part of a team to ensure time is used effectively using all available firm wide resources to meet pressured deadlines
• Effectively manage and prioritize work
• Working with and assisting the other legal secretaries in the Middle East where necessary