Client Terms Paralegal - London

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer; Greater London; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer seeks a paralegal to manage engagement letters and client terms across active matters, with oversight from supervising fee earners. You will log, store, and monitor documents, ensure accuracy of terms, flag unsigned items, and maintain a central matter tracker.

Coordinate with the finance team to confirm opening requirements before billing. A degree and prior paralegal experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• Degree educated or similar level.
• Previous paralegal experience desirable (with a preference for experience in a City practice).

Responsibilities

• Liaise with partners, lawyers and business development teams to obtain engagement letters and client terms.
• Monitor and chase outstanding engagement letters to ensure complete records.
• Review incoming correspondence and identify documents requiring logging or storage.
• Request updated terms where existing documentation is out of date or expired.
• Review retrieved documents to confirm they are complete, properly executed, and meet internal requirements.
• Cross-reference client terms against standard terms of business to identify deviations or bespoke provisions.
• Check engagement letters for accuracy, including client names, matter descriptions, fee arrangements, and signatory details.
• Flag any unsigned or incomplete documents to the relevant matter team.
• Upload all client terms and engagement letters into the central repository following naming conventions and filing protocols.
• Maintain an accurate matter register or tracker recording status across active matters.
• Ensure documents are attached to correct client and matter records and accessible to authorised personnel.
• Apply appropriate key term tagging.
• Archive superseded or expired terms per retention policy and escalate concerns to reporting manager.
• Assist with audits of client files to verify completeness and correct storage.
• Maintain and update internal tracking spreadsheets or databases recording receipt, status, and location of all client terms and engagement letters.
• Respond to internal queries from matter teams and secretarial staff.
• Liaise with the finance team to confirm that matter opening requirements, including signed engagement letters, are satisfied before billing commences.
• Provide regular status updates to supervising fee earners.

Skills

Paralegal experience

Education

Degree educated or similar level

Job description

Liaise with partner, lawyers and business development teams to obtain outstanding or missing engagement letters and client terms.

Monitor and chase outstanding engagement letters and client terms to ensure complete records are maintained across all active matters.

Review incoming correspondence and identify documents requiring logging or storage.

Request updated terms where existing documentation is out of date or has expired.

Review retrieved documents to confirm they are complete, properly executed, and meet the firm's internal requirements.

Cross-reference client terms against the firm's standard terms of business to identify any deviations or bespoke provisions that require escalation to a supervising lawyer.

Check engagement letters for accuracy, including correct client names, matter descriptions, fee arrangements, and signatory details.

Flag any unsigned or incomplete documents to the relevant matter team.

Upload all client terms and engagement letters into the firm's central repository in accordance with established naming conventions and filing protocols.

Maintain an accurate and up-to-date matter register or tracker recording the status of engagement letters and client terms across all active matters.

Ensure documents are attached to the correct client and matter records and are accessible to authorised personnel.

Apply appropriate key term tagging.

Archive superseded or expired terms in accordance with the firm's document retention policy.Escalate any concerns regarding missing, conflicting, or non-compliant documentation to reporting manager promptly.

Assist with periodic audits of client files to verify that engagement documentation is complete and correctly stored.

Maintain and update internal tracking spreadsheets or databases to record the receipt, status, and location of all client terms and engagement letters.

Respond to internal queries from matter teams and secretarial staff

Liaise with the finance team to confirm that matter opening requirements, including signed engagement letters, are satisfied before billing commences.

Provide regular status updates to supervising fee earners regarding outstanding engagement documentation.

Please note, the work in this role would not constitute "qualifying work experience" for the purposes of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

Qualifications / Skills / Experience

Degree educated or similar level

Previous paralegal experience desirable (with a preference for experience in a City practice)