Personal Assistant (Dubai)

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP; Dubai; On-site; AED 201,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in Dubai seeks an proactive Personal Assistant to support fee earners across MENA with high-level administrative duties and office operations involvement. The role covers diary management, travel coordination, client liaison, and assistance with BD and events, ensuring timely and accurate service delivery.

The successful candidate will handle confidential documents, coordinate internal seminars, manage billing processes end-to-end, and provide reception

Qualifications

• Experience supporting fee earners and handling confidential material.
• Proactive in administrative tasks and able to prioritise workload.

Responsibilities

• Manage fee earners' diaries, arrange meetings and travel.
• Assist with billing processes end-to-end and draft first bill narratives.
• Maintain client liaison with regular WIP updates and matter status awareness.
• Support marketing and BD activities, pitches and client communications.
• Draft letters and perform filing and document management with confidentiality.

Skills

Diary management

Travel arrangements

Billing support

Client liaison

Event coordination

Job description

Role summary purpose of job

The primary focus of this role is to provide support to the fee earners across MENA to ensure a high level of administrative support received The key responsibilities of this role relate to personal assistant duties and to participate in office operation activities when required to meet business needs

Key responsibilities and deliverables

Client engagement

• Responds to assesses and prioritises clients requests however communicated and offers appropriate efficient and business‑like help and assistance to meet their needs
• Maintains a good knowledge of current matters and carries out client liaison duties including regular WIP updates
• Develops and maintains an up-to-date knowledge of the stage of the matter upon which the fee earners are working current matter workloads potential issues and sensitivities

Marketing and Business Development activities

• Proactively supports fee earners MBD responsibilities Includes submitting content to MBD systems CV database pitch experience lists etc intranet LinkedIn publishing prompting fee earners to provide material for uploading conducting basic research on potential clients running regular activity and tracking reports to support MBD initiatives
• Carries out basic business development duties such as updating contacts and sending out business development materials
• Updates firmwide software systems Introhive and Salesforce with new contacts and BD activities
• Assists with administrative support for both internal and external business development and client events working in conjunction with the relevant central and practice based MBD teams as appropriate
• Supports fee earners with maintaining BD database Foundation to ensure firmwide credentials are captured
• Support the MBD department as required on the production of pitches client presentations and maintaining up-to-date CVs for fee earners

General administrative support

• Helps to manage incoming communication including fee earners e‑mail drafts and transcribes replies when directed by fee earners and ensures all mail is processed in an accurate and timely manner
• Pro‑actively manages fee earners diaries makes appointments arranges meeting rooms and organises travel arrangements and expense claims to ensure all work activities are scheduled effectively Able to make reasoned decisions when conflicts occur or know when to refer to fee earner for the decision
• Arranges all travel effectively and efficiently This must include understanding fee earners preferences anticipating additional requirements accommodation currency returns transfers and planning in contingency
• Types letters correspondence and legal documentation often involving confidential material
• Proofreads all work to ensure that completed documents are delivered accurately and to an appropriately high standard
• Establishes and maintains a robust electronic filing system and other administration systems such as client files if required to ensure completeness and accuracy of technical professional and matter information
• Uses Worksite for e‑mail filing as per departmental standards
• Carries out day‑to‑day administrative tasks to ensure provision of high quality service in all areas including liaison with department business centres and other service departments as appropriate
• Provide administrative support and cover to the Receptionist on office administration operations tasks as required
• Assists fee earners with basic technical queries allowing them to make best use of available IT and KBD resources Ensures own knowledge of technical packages is up to date
• Assists with administration coordination and logistics for internal seminar and training events ensuring relevant events are diarised for fee earners
• Carries out risk checks matter openings and draft engagement letters
• Assists fee earners with the billing processes preparing first drafts of bill narratives and managing process of sending bills end‑to‑end
• Provides fee earners with appropriate support in managing personal matters such that fee earners are able to focus their time on providing efficient services to clients
• Aware of department s policy on confidentiality walls and acts accordingly

Communication

• Communicates on a daily basis with all of their fee earners ensuring a high level of awareness of current priorities fee earners whereabouts and service requirements
• Proactively communicates with Team Supervisor on issues of workload and any other difficulties

Team support

• Is proactive in providing support to other business services teams where necessary
• Contributes to departmental support projects on an ad hoc basis