Legal Secretary

Role Overview

Legal Secretary at Clyde & Co, based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with regional responsibilities across the Middle East and North Africa (MEA). This is a permanent position.

Company Overview

Clyde & Co is a global law firm with 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people across nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. The firm is committed to operating responsibly with a diverse and inclusive workforce, pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and has committed to the SBTi Net-Zero standard with ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Role Purpose

Provide comprehensive legal support to Fee Earners across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider MEA region. Support the delivery of Fee Earner work through all aspects of the Legal Secretary function, coordinate with Administrative Assistants and Document Production teams based in the United Kingdom Global Business Services (GBS) hub, retain ownership and accountability for all tasks through to completion, ensure effective workflow management, organisational support and 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 and clients, dealing with basic client queries as appropriate.
• Manage the production of documents and check returned work produced by the Document Production team and speech recognition for accuracy and formatting before it is passed to the relevant Fee Earner.
• Take and make client-related calls, deal with and handle message taking as appropriate.
• Liaise with clients and the marketing team to provide support for scheduling tender meetings, directory interviews, client training and other events.
• Manage Interaction and ensure new prospects, clients, contacts, activities and business development information are added and maintained.
• Keep up to date with client-specific protocols and processes, including regional variations, implement guidance and training to others where necessary and conduct ongoing monitoring.

Administrative

• Keep track of and assist with files to be opened and closed via the Client Matter Intake Team (CMI) across the region.
• Supervise general filing requirements and record keeping and production of engagement letters ensuring compliance 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 involvement in preparation of CVs, pitches, presentations, capability statements and client registration portals.
• Schedule meetings including tenders, directories and internal client meetings.
• Work with Business Development Managers across the MEA region on the maintenance of CRM to ensure key client contacts are in Interaction and resolve 'bounce-backs' such as contacts with rejected email addresses by reviewing, updating or archiving from the system.
• Assist in the organisation of internal and external events, seminars and conferences.
• Manage diaries, ensuring they are up to date and anticipating requirements including cross-regional meetings and travel.
• Coordinate with regional stakeholders on associated travel and accommodation bookings, meeting rooms, draft itineraries, prepare agendas and prepare and circulate papers.
• Produce and maintain Excel spreadsheets as required.
• Act as the first point of contact for the team, deal with queries and act on initiative to provide exceptional client service and promote and develop ownership within the teams.
• Arrange for the preparation and collation of internal sector newsletters and briefings.
• Arrange photocopying, printing, organising couriers, sending out letters and faxes.
• Receive instructions via digital dictation for tasks and act upon them.
• Maintain LinkedIn profile, update connections and add new activity.
• Arrange travel and accommodation, prepare and produce and keep track of itineraries.
• Arrange restaurant bookings for Business Development and Client meetings.
• Maintain Fee Earner mailboxes and electronically file emails and documents.
• Deal with emails during Fee Earner absence from the office and take appropriate action.
• Conduct ad hoc internet research.
• Update client and contact database on Outlook and on Interaction.
• Cover for other team members when required and capacity allows.

Communication

• Serve as 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 emails and deal with them as appropriate, ensuring all client-related correspondence is passed to the appropriate Fee Earner and actioned as necessary.
• Proactively respond to and draft responses on behalf of others, prioritise emails, collate necessary paperwork and e-file.
• Liaise with and provide support to immediate colleagues in the department and across the MEA region as requested by Team Leader.
• Assist others where there is spare capacity or it is evident that a colleague needs assistance with their workload.
• Conduct minute taking and follow up designated actions to ensure completion ahead of the next meeting.
• Liaise with and take direction from the Legal Support Manager.
• Liaise with the Legal Support Manager and Team Leader over any planned absences, arrange cover as necessary and communicate this to the relevant Fee Earners.

Financial

• Assist Fee Earners with billing-related tasks.
• Review and update time allocation and disbursements ensuring appropriate matter allocation.
• Request cheques, bank transfers and paying in money received as appropriate.
• Support the coordination of the Work In Progress (WIP) process.
• Deal with matter-related finance administration including APRs, BACs and TTs.
• Process expenses.

Processing

• Manage priorities and workloads to ensure deadlines are met, liaising with Team Leader and Legal Support Managers where challenges arise.
• Manage the creation and maintenance of data rooms and client information in accordance with case milestones.
• Ensure client and matter data is maintained and updated within appropriate systems, raising requests with the Business As Usual (BAU) team globally as appropriate.
• Complete online applications including Companies House, Land Registry, Searchflow and CRU forms.
• Undertake searches and completion of requisite forms and submission.
• Ensure compliance with firm-wide and department policies and procedures.

Customer Service

• Arrange and attend team meetings.
• Liaise with Fee Earners, Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers locally and across the MEA region to take instruction and liaise on work requirements.
• Consistently and appropriately update service users on progress where appropriate.
• Regularly offer assistance wherever possible.

Skills & Competencies

Essential Skills & Experience

• Advanced knowledge of document management and case management systems.
• Effective communicator with the ability to establish and build client relationships, striving to provide exceptional service at all times.
• Customer and 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.
• 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.

Technical Skills

• Experience of working in a legal or professional services environment.
• Aptitude for providing top-level organisational support, anticipating support needs, producing documents and client communications of the highest standard.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Additional Information

• Contract type: Permanent.
• Clyde & Co is an equal opportunities employer committed to fairness, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• The firm reserves the right to reasonably amend this job description in accordance with the changing needs of the business.