Executive Assistant - 12 month FTC

London, England, United Kingdom

11/18/2024

UK Job Description

The Firm

Reed Smith is a global law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 30 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

Operating as one global partnership, we represent leading international businesses from FTSE 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises; advising clients on cross border transactions, international commercial disputes and regulation. We specialise in industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, energy and natural resources, entertainment and media, shipping and real estate.

We all share a common culture, with core values supporting the firm’s commitment to add value, achieve excellence, and promote professional development. London is our largest office with approximately 700 people, including over 350 fee earners across the full range of commercial practice areas. Consistent with the firm’s strategy, the office has grown significantly over the past five years. Key to this growth has been our ability to successfully integrate new hires into our business and give them a platform to flourish. We place a huge significance on listening to our people and incorporating their ideas wherever possible.

KEY REPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities

Meetings and Travel Management

• Manage fee earner’s calendars
• Arrange conference calls, meetings, VCs, catering
• Coordinate all travel arrangements, including taxis, accommodation and expense forms as appropriate
• Prepare and collate papers ahead of meetings
  
  

Administration

• Deal with incoming and outgoing mail
• Monitor emails promptly as required and forward/action as necessary
• Establish and maintain effective and accurate filing systems (both hard copy and electronic)
• Assist in opening new clients and matters (including and AML processes) as required
• Utilise all global resource hubs
  
  

Customer Service

• Deal with internal and client calls in a timely, confident, helpful and polite manner, passing on accurate messages promptly and actioning where necessary
• Deal with visitors in a confident and professional manner
• Keep client contact details as up to date as possible
  
  

Document Production & Technical Skills

• Produce, format and edit legal documents efficiently and accurately sourced through digital dictation, hardcopy and audio
• Prepare PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets
• Draft simple correspondence
• Undertake photocopying, scanning and faxing
  
  

Teamwork

• Attend training courses as required
• Attend EA meetings as required to keep up to date with firmwide procedures, current issues and add value to the EA practice
• Contribute to the team being proactive and helpful to colleagues and other fee earners by providing assistance during busy periods and covering for other fee earners in colleague’s absence
• Effectively manage and prioritise work
  
  

Billing

• Assist in monitoring the billing process as required using 3E
• Strong billing skills required. Assist in preparation of bill narratives and draft cost details as required
• Raise, monitor and issue appropriate cheques for clients or third parties as required
• Record time for fee earners in their absence or as required
• Communicating with clients and/or outside co-counsel on fees, invoices and ad hoc queries
• Maintaining record of client specific rates and billing requirements
• If required, maintaining and updating trackers for key clients or projects
• Collections – manage this process and stay on top of outstanding invoices
  
  

Co-Managing Partner to Athens office, Support

• Set-up regular group meetings for Partners across the Global firm
• Go to person for any queries
• Assisting with the yearly Posidonia event – sending out invites and collating responses etc.
• Assist with fee earner compensation meetings, ensuring all confidential documents are available and resources to hand
• Support the Co-Managing Partner with any firmwide related matters, meetings, lunches and events. Large amount of international travel
• By on hand to assist with any administrative needs
• Keeping information confidential at all times
  
  

Skills

KEY SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES AND EXPERIENCE

• Strong EA skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Extensive organisational skills and attention to detail
• Able to manage pressure and conflicting demands on time
• A committed team player
• Proactive and enthusiastic
• Commercially aware
  
  

Practical Experience/Academic Qualifications

Minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths and/or a minimum of 5 years+ EA experience in a corporate/professional services environment

Office Skills

Extremely high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office specifically:

• Word, Outlook and Excel
• Excellent knowledge of PowerPoint
• Typing speed of at least 60 wpm
• Knowledge of iManage and 3E
  
  

Reed Smith CareeRS Competencies

Clients/Customers

Customer Service – provides high quality and timely customer service

Innovation & Improvement - Acts on ways to add value to the team and Firm

Business Skills

Thinking & Planning – is highly organised and thoughtful in his/her approach to work

Judgement & Professionalism – demonstrates appropriate workplace behaviour

Communication –communicates effectively orally and in writing

Citizenship

Teamwork & Collaboration – maintains good relationships with co-workers

Developing Self & Others – addresses own developments needs and assists others to develop

Functional Skills

Ability to understand the organizational structure of the Firm including office locations, roles and responsibilities of key people and firm strategy

Able to utilise accounting, operational and administrative applications as relevant to area of responsibility

Able to understands legal industry requirements and guidelines as relevant to role

Can identify and classify legal documents, and organise and file them according to standard firm practice

Able to files documents electronically with third parties

Ability to maintain accurate court information regarding local rules and procedures for the different courts and jurisdictions serviced

Can understand the basic terminology and transactions of applicable practice area and clients

Able to understand the client engagement process and ensure compliance of time and expense reporting requirements.

At Reed Smith, we welcome direct applications either in response to one of our advertised vacancies or on a speculative basis. Please click on the “Apply Now” button to submit your details and we will be in touch.

No search firms/agencies please.

Reed Smith's success depends heavily on the effective utilization of qualified people, regardless of their race, ancestry, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran's status, or any characteristic protected by law. As a firm, we adhere to and promote equal employment opportunity for all.

We are committed to making all stages of our recruitment process accessible to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions. If you have a disability or a long-term health condition and require adjustments to be made for you within the recruitment process, please contact a member of the Recruitment team. For more information on our approach to diversity and inclusion please visit our website .