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 Shared Services 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 Client & Marketing and 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, implementing, providing guidance and training to others where necessary and ongoing monitoring

• Responsible for files being opened and closed. 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


• Support fee earners in business development activities including the involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations, scheduling meetings e.g. tenders, directories, internal client


• Work with business development managers 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 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


• 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


• 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


• Checks Mytenders for CVs, copies of old tenders, policies, insurance details etc.


• Manages enquiry inboxes, and website queries

Communication

• Key point of contact for Fee Earners 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 fee earner and actioned as necessary; proactively responding to and drafting responses on behalf of others, prioritising emails, collating necessary paperwork and e-filing


• Provide support to their immediate colleagues in the department, and where practical, other legal and support departments as requested by the Team Manager. Assisting others where there is spare capacity or it evident that a colleague needs assistance with their workload


• Answering phone calls for other members of the team when they are away from their desk and participating in a lunch time telephone rota within the Practice Assistant team


• Minute taking, following up designated actions to ensure completion ahead of the next meeting


• Liaise with the [Team Manager] over any planned absences, arranging cover as necessary and communicating this to the relevant fee earners

Financial

• Assist fee earners 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


• Supporting the co-ordination of the WIP certification process


• Anticipating and dealing with matter related finance administration to include APRs, BACs, TTs


• Managing Expenses

Processing

• Responsible for managing priorities and workloads to ensure deadlines are met. Liaising with PSM where challenges arise


• Responsible for managing the creation and maintenance of client data rooms in accordance with case milestones


• Proactively promote the use of data rooms with clients and lawyers


• Responsible for ensuring client and matter data is maintained within our case management and practice management systems, raising requests with the CMI team as appropriate


• Online applications e.g. Companies House, Land Registry, Searchflow, CRU forms


• Undertaking searches and completion of Stamp Duty Land Tax


• Ensuring compliance with firm wide/department policies and procedures including Lexcel and Information Security