Paralegal

HCR Law; Reading; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK law firm is looking for a Paralegal to support a team transition in Reading. The role includes legal research, drafting documents, and providing support to solicitors. Candidates should have a Law LLB or GDL, strong communication skills, and a client service focus. This position offers numerous perks including generous leave and a bonus scheme.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Bonus scheme

Life Assurance

Pension Scheme

Healthcare cash-plan

Gym membership contribution

Electric vehicle scheme

Flu vaccinations

Qualifications

• Ability to work as an effective member of a team and support peers.
• Former Paralegal experience would be advantageous.
• Strong written and oral communication skills required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research and present results.
• Draft legal documents using precedents.
• Ensure compliance with risk management policies.
• Provide legal support and act as a legal resource.
• Manage diary for the team ensuring deadlines are met.
• Undertake legal processes, like file management.

Skills

Client service focus

Strong communication skills

Proactive self-starter

IT literacy

Teamwork skills

Organizational capability

Attention to detail

Education

Law LLB or GDL

Job description

About The Role

Following the current Paralegal of this team successfully securing a training contract with the firm, we are proactively looking to recruit another Paralegal to support this transition, and act as their successor. You will have a thorough handover with the current Paralegal, as the sector is niche and complex.

Our large team of Dispute Resolution Solicitors handle a diverse range of issues, and due to our commercial approach, we have a growing national reputation as a respected UK law firm and work with a wide range of organisations.

This sub department, Real Estate Dispute Resolution, advises investors, developers, owners and occupiers of real estate on how best to avoid, manage and resolve real estate issues and disputes. This team works closely with colleagues in the property transactional, construction and planning teams to ensure a full and seamless real estate service for clients.

You will be given hands on and interesting work. This opening is based in our Thames Valley (Reading) Office.

The Paralegal role objective is to undertake routine legal tasks including:

• Undertaking legal research, using appropriate methods and sourcing, presenting the results in an accurate and timely manner.
• Drafting legal documents using appropriate precedents and templates.
• Ensure all work complies with risk management policies and procedures, in line with GDPR.
• Provide legal support to the team and act as a legal resource, providing help where required.
• Diary management for the team, ensuring all deadlines are met in a timely manner.
• Undertaking legal processes, under supervision, such as routine file management.
• Take an active role with the Paralegal and Trainee (PT) group and attend networking events or careers fairs.
• Take an active part in promoting the firm and department through social media channels such as LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

About You

As a Paralegal you will need to have:

• Law LLB or GDL.
• Former Paralegal experience would be advantageous or interest in the sector.
• Ability to work as an effective member of a team and to offer support to peers where required.
• Client service focused.
• Proactive self-starter who demonstrates a willingness to learn and the ability to manage a growing workload.
• IT literacy and accurate typing capability.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
• Excellent organisational capability with attention to detail in all aspects of your work.

About Us

Benefits of working with us as a Paralegal include:

• 28 days annual leave (plus public holidays)
• Bonus scheme
• Life Assurance
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme
• Healthcare cash-plan
• 1/3 gym membership contribution
• Electric vehicle scheme
• Happy People/Perks at Work benefits portal
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Flu vaccinations

Is HCR the smart move for you?
HCR suits people who love a challenge and want to work in an environment where careers thrive on the back of hard work and personal merit. Our people enjoy feeling part of something bigger than themselves, and whilst our clients drive our development, it is our people who bring their energy, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial mindsets together to solve problems and help our clients succeed.

Why HCR people love their jobs
Our people tell us they enjoy working on good quality, interesting matters from a wide variety of our clients, because they get the experience they want to develop their careers. We will give you responsibility early, the mandate to make things happen and we’ll back your good ideas. Our “Passion for People” lives and breathes every day throughout the firm as our peoples’ energy and sense of fun create a warm environment in which to thrive.

What career progression will HCR offer you?
HCR’s growth constantly creates opportunities for people who want to go places and make a difference, your career plan can become part of our growth plan. At HCR you can expect to work with friendly, energetic, ambitious people, who love getting stuck into a client problem, and enjoy celebrating a good outcome. Our people value the sense of community provided by the individual personality of each office and the collegiate approach across all our service and sector teams.

What does HCR believe, achieve and stand for?
As a Times Best Law firm, among the UK Top 60, we provide the full range of services that you would expect to organisations, business leaders and individuals. However, in our mission to give everyone the opportunity to experience a different kind of legal service we take an entrepreneurial approach. We’re flexible and responsive to the needs of our clients, delivering the best outcomes for them. We have more than 800 lawyers and support staff, including more than 150 partners, and have been awarded the Law Society’s Lexcel quality mark in recognition of our compliance and client care standards.

With ten offices in England and Wales our well-established presence stretches from west to east, ensuring clients can access a full-service legal offering no matter where they’re located. We’ve expanded significantly in Birmingham, Cardiff and the Thames Valley, and our merger with Hewitsons resulted in a full service regional hub being established in the heart of the Waterside innovation area centre of Northampton. Our London and Cambridge continue to grow apace.

With solid connections in the communities we work in, and a track record of delivering legal advice to businesses and individuals throughout the areas we base ourselves in, our clients continue to value our approach to providing legal advice, in the way they need, when they need it.

As HCR is an equal opportunities employer, we don’t just accept differences, we celebrate them. We want to attract a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and skills to create a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and which works together to achieve the best outcome for our clients. We are privileged to be an armed forces-friendly organisation.

We also want you to achieve your absolute best during the recruitment process. Please let us know of any changes we can make at any point that will help support your application. If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.

A note for recruitment agencies – The HCR Resourcing Team is responsible for recruitment across the firm, and where possible will use direct hiring methods. We do work with a Preferred Supplier List, and where appropriate, we will release vacancies to those agencies who we deem most appropriate to support us. Only those agencies will be invited to submit candidates via our recruitment portal. Any speculative or unsolicited CVs sent to any employee or Partner of HCR will not be considered an introduction, and no fees will be applicable. Furthermore, we retain the right to pursue these candidates without query of ownership