Paralegal - Private Client Advisory (ref 1358)

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The department

The team currently comprises over 50 specialist lawyers, including 15 partners amongst Private Client Advisory, International Private Client Advisory, Tax and Wealth Disputes, making us one of the largest Private Client Advisory teams in the East of England.

We have the strength and depth of expertise to ensure we deliver the service you would expect in respect of technical quality, practical approach and timeliness of advice. We act as trusted advisers to individuals, families, trustees, family or owner-run businesses and trust companies both in the UK and internationally. We place particular priority on continuity and fostering close long-term relationships with contacts and clients in order to provide practical advice and commercial solutions on a very wide variety of tax, trust and estate planning situations that arise.

Purpose of job

If you are seeking a new, challenging role with a modern, forward-thinking firm then this could be the role for you!

You will be given early responsibilities, with the opportunity to manage your own small caseload (and fee-earn alongside the experts), and the chance to get involved in some really exciting and complex transactions!

Accountabilities

Technical ability

• To draft and amend documents with speed and accuracy
• To format, paginate, number and present documents in Birketts LLP house style
• To proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar
• To proactively work with the fee earners to ensure relevant documentation is produced to meet clients’ expectations and deadlines
• Use of Isokon for the administration of estates would be a benefit
• Undertake fee earning under supervision

Administrative skills:

Manage diaries of allocated fee earners in Microsoft Outlook to include:

• Familiarity with the creation and management of datarooms and file management processes
• Making appointments
• Arranging meetings/conferences
• Sending and responding to invites
• Process expense claims, payment requisition forms, returned advances
• To process all forms including new client form, new matter form, money laundering form, training course booking forms etc.
• To ensure that all electronic filing and paper based filing is up to date and maintained at regular intervals
• To prepare narratives and bills and keep billing files up to date
• To carry out photocopying and scanning as required

Professional skills:

• To immediately clarify instructions from fee earners should they be unclear or if deadlines are not made explicit
• To respond to internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally and take accurate telephone messages (name /number /company), passing them on to the relevant fee earners etc.
• To proactively support other members of the team and to provide cover as and when necessary to ensure that work is completed to a high standard and meets the required deadlines
• To provide full support to all team member fee earners in the full range of activities that are performed and to carry out any other duties as reasonably requested

General approach:

• To show a positive approach and interest in the work
• Show initiative when responding to queries and actively try to seek solutions to problems
• To support your team members when clients are demanding the work product to be delivered
• To support and build working relationships with colleagues and to actively work for the interests of the whole team

Equal opportunities

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy