Corporate Legal Assistant

Blakes; Toronto; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) is seeking a Legal Assistant for the Corporate practice in Toronto. The role provides day-to-day administrative support with confidentiality at the forefront.

Responsibilities include managing lawyers’ emails and calendars, drafting responses, arranging travel, coordinating meetings, and handling billing and docketing. Strong MS Office, CMS, InterAction skills and corporate experience are valued.

Qualifications

• College diploma, undergraduate degree or legal assistant diploma or equivalent.
• 2–5 years of experience providing support to legal professionals in a corporate or professional services environment.
• Corporate experience is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Manage lawyers’ email inboxes and calendars — book appointments, set up conference calls, monitor inboxes and respond as required.
• Review and prioritize correspondence and emails, drafting responses or routing to appropriate person.
• Arrange travel and ensure tickets, itineraries and documents are prepared in advance.
• Coordinate meetings and events, agendas, rooms and distribute documents.
• Draft and prepare speaking engagements.
• Maintain paper and e-filing systems.
• Manage large volume of expenses and perform reconciliation.
• Open and close files; docketing and billing.
• Collaborate with finance and marketing and liaise with clients regarding invoices and WIP/AR reports.

Skills

Microsoft Office

CMS

InterAction

Communication

Organization

Time management

Confidentiality

Education

College diploma / undergraduate degree / legal assistant diploma

Job description

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s largest and most successful law firms, is currently looking for a Legal Assistant to join the Corporate practice group in the Toronto office. The Assistant is responsible for providing day-to-day administrative support while maintaining a high degree of confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Managing lawyers’ email inboxes and calendars — booking appointments, setting up conference calls, monitoring email inboxes and responding as required
• Reviewing and prioritizing correspondence and emails, including drafting responses where suitable or redirecting to the appropriate individual for response
• Scheduling and making work-related travel arrangements and ensuring travel tickets, itineraries and all required meeting documents are prepared in advance
• Coordinating meetings and events, including developing and distributing agendas, reserving meeting rooms, and preparing, compiling and distributing supporting documents
• Drafting and preparing for speaking engagements
• Maintaining paper and e-filing systems
• Managing a large volume of business expenses and performing expense reconciliation
• Opening and closing files
• Docketing and billing
• Working with various departments (e.g., finance and marketing), as needed
• Liaising with clients regarding invoices, collections and preparation of WIP/AR reports

Education & Experience

• College diploma, undergraduate degree or legal assistant diploma or equivalent is required
• Minimum of two to five years of experience providing support to legal professionals in a corporate or professional services environment
• Corporate experience is an asset

Skills & Abilities

• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, CMS and InterAction
• Strong communication, organizational and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to exercise sound judgment
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality when interacting with internal and external clients
• Willing to work flexible hours, as required

Compensation

The anticipated annual salary for the Corporate Legal Assistant position is $65,000–$75,000. Salary levels will be determined commensurate with internal equity, market equity and experience.

Other Relevant Application Information

Blakes welcomes applications from all qualified applicants. The Firm is committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment composed of people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, identities and cultures. The Firm provides accommodation for applicants with disabilities and in respect of other protected grounds during the recruitment process, in accordance with applicable laws. Please contact us to request accommodation. While our experienced team will select and interview successful candidates, Blakes may use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with shortlisting, screening and evaluating applications.

About Blakes

At Blakes, we care about our people. We are committed to providing exceptional experiences for our clients and employees. As a winner of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Greater Toronto’s Top Employers awards, we understand the importance of fostering an inclusive workplace environment that brings out the best in each person. Our success as a firm starts with hiring top talent, retaining our people and helping them thrive.