Senior Legal Secretary

Term: Temporary
Duration: 6 months
Working hours: Full-time
Department: Secretarial Services
Location: London
The firm

Ropes & Gray is a global law firm that operates across 17 time zones and has more than 1,400 lawyers based in the United States, Europe and Asia who collaborate seamlessly to provide clients with high-quality representation in innovative industries that shape the global economy. Our clients include private equity firms, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, financial institutions, mutual funds, hospital systems, and more. Client by client, we’ve built a reputation for first-class work, a pragmatic approach, and impeccable standards of service and ethics. We count many of the world’s most respected companies and institutions as longtime clients, and serve organizations at all stages of development. Clients trust us with their most important matters because they know we understand their businesses and deliver the results they need. 

Our deeply rooted culture of teamwork means that our lawyers work closely with colleagues around the world to provide support to clients. This collaborative approach encourages our lawyers to work alongside partners and clients on sophisticated matters. We work as a team to support a range of leading legal practices, including private equity, M&A, capital markets, finance, asset management, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, data, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. 

Ropes & Gray London is one of the largest offices in the Ropes & Gray network, and the hub of the firm’s EMEA network and set up in London in 2010. While we are now an established presence in the UK, we’ve retained all the buzz of our start-up years. It makes us a little bit different: it means we have the stature and resources of a major international law firm combined with the pace, inclusivity and career progression of a specialist firm. Our clients like to work with us. We are, of course, always professional, but we are personal, and personable with it. As a group, we’re international, diverse and our team is always professional, but uniquely personable. With around 31 partners, 137 fee earners and a trainee intake of 13, everybody in the office knows everyone else. That means that every hire we make is an important investment for the firm, because each team member has a distinct role to play in delivering excellent service to our clients. 

 

The department

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE

To provide high quality secretarial and administrative support to the London secretarial team and their allocated fee earners across all practices as well as business support professionals. The shift pattern is 09:00-17:00 with flexibility needed in times of pressure. The role reports to the Secretarial Supervisor.

 

The role

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Develops and maintains professional relationships with secretarial team, business support professionals and clients
  • Help coordinate and facilitate meeting requests (including transportation and catering requests)
  • Aid with travel arrangements and prepares itinerary
  • Entering and updating contacts in InterAction
  • Assist with entering business development entries and reports within InterAction
  • Maximises the efficiency and effectiveness of filing supported by the firm's electronic filing system, ensures that all client files, whether electronic or hard copy, are kept complete and up to date
  • When required, help input timesheets onto Intapp
  • Assist with editing and transferring time entries in 3E
  • Completion and submission of expense forms using correct client or office charge code (travel expenses and other expenses)
  • Day to day administrative tasks to ensure smooth running of the service to fee-earners i.e., photocopying, binding, scanning documents, filing of looseleaf materials, etc.
  • Proof reading of work to ensure that completed documents have been produced to an appropriately high standard
  • Answering telephone calls promptly in a professional manner i.e. full message taking, actioning, following up and responding to messages where appropriate
  • Recognises the importance of working as part of a team, promotes team spirit both within own group and firm wide. Willingly assists other team members and shares knowledge
  • Build affective internal working relationships with all stakeholders at the firm (lawyers, business support professionals, secretarial team etc.)
Qualifications and Skills

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

  • Proficiency with the MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) applications
  • Strong written and communication skills
  • Adaptability to a changing environment with a positive attitude to change
  • A critical eye for detail and consistency
  • Well organised and demonstrates the ability to multi-task
  • Positive, professional attitude and able to remain calm under pressure
  • Ability to prioritise and use initiative
  • Ability to handle information of sensitive and confidential nature in the utmost professional manner
  • Highly motivated and confident
  • Dependable and team-orientated
  • Willingness to work flexibly to meet client needs, offering assistance to others when needed and delegating to other resources as require
  • Professional demeanour and style appropriate for an international law firm