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.
Responsibilities
- Responsible for a variety of billing-related tasks, including generating and sending invoices, tracking payments, and managing financial records.
- Assist in monitoring the billing processas required using 3E
- Assist in preparation of bill narratives and draft cost details as required
- Raise, monitor and issueappropriate cheques for clients or third parties as required
- Record time for fee earners in their absenceor as required
- Communicating with clients and/oroutside co-counsel on fees, invoices and ad hoc queries
- Maintaining record of clientspecific rates and billing requirements
- If required, maintaining and updating trackersfor key clients or projects
- Manage fee earner’s calendars
- Arrange conference calls,meetings, VCs, catering
- Coordinate some travel arrangements, including taxis, accommodation and expense forms as appropriate. Unusually, this partner books most flights herselfusing the firm’stravel agents in the US. Processing expenses.
- 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 KYC and AML processes) as required.
- Utilise all global resource hubs
Key Skills, Attributes and Experience
- Strong EA skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Extensive organisational skillsand attention to detail
- Able to manage pressure and conflicting demands on time
- A committed team player
- Proactive and enthusiastic
- Able to use initiative and problem solve
- Able to work and make decisions independently
- Commercially aware
Office Skills
Extremely High Level Of Proficiency With Microsoft Office Specifically
- Word and Outlook
- Good knowledge of Powerpoint and Excel
- Typing speed of at least60 wpm
- Knowledge of iManageand 3E
Clients/Customers
Customer Service – provides high quality and timely customer service
Innovation & Improvement - Acts on ways to add value to the team and Firm
- Involvement in copyright, gaming, AI and contract work Customer Service
- Deal with internal and client calls in a timely, confident, helpful and polite manner, passing on accurate messagespromptly and actioning where necessary
- Deal with visitors in a confident and professional manner
- Keep client contactdetails as up to date as possible
- Discretion is needed, this role is supporting a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee
Teamwork
- Attend trainingcourses 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
Document Production & Technical skills
- Produce, format and edit legal documents efficiently and accurately sourcedthrough digital dictation, hard copy and audio
- Prepare PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets
- Draft simple correspondence
- Undertake photocopying, scanning and faxing
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 structureof the Firm including office locations, roles and responsibilities of key people and firm strategy
Able to utiliseaccounting, operational and administrative applications as relevant to area of responsibility
Able to understands legalindustry 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 documentselectronically with third parties
Ability to maintainaccurate 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.
Key Skills, Attributes And Experience
Minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths and/or a minimum of 4 years’ EA experience in a corporate/professional services environment
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 . 
