Practice Team Assistant

Herbert Smith Freehills; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm known for exceptional client service and a culture focused on excellence. The team supports fee earners with a range of administrative tasks, from document management to billing and client intake.

The London-based role is a permanent, full-time position requiring proactive organisation, meticulous attention to detail and strong communication.

Qualifications

• 6 months experience in an administrative role
• Excellent typing speed and accuracy
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and email/calendar management
• Strong written and verbal communication and relationship-building skills

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality administrative support to fee-earners and teams
• Manage telephone calls and client inquiries with consistent, professional service
• Assist with billing administration, expense claims and document production
• File and organise documents, maintain electronic and hard copy filing systems
• Coordinate meeting logistics, travel arrangements and event setup
• Support with onboarding, client intake and engagement letters as required
• Ensure accurate entry of timesheets and efficient use of firm systems
• Assist with ad hoc duties and internal projects as needed

Skills

Typing 45 wpm

MS Office

Communication skills

Stakeholder relationships

Tools

Outlook

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals.

Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years.

As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs.

At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.

We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, infrastructure and resources. And we’re focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world.

All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition – which is to help you achieve yours.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: Your goals. Our ambition

The Opportunity

Primary Responsibilities

To provide support to the relevant Practice Area fee earning colleagues by assisting them in the following areas:

• Deliver high quality, accurate work whilst managing and responding to changing and competing priorities
• Meet required deadlines and negotiate alternate timeframes when necessary utilising other in-house services as appropriate (e.g. Office Operations, Reprographics, Document Production)
• Implement effective telephone call management and other communication work practices. Ensure callers and other parties receive a consistent, high quality service and their expectations are managed
• Print, photocopy and scan relevant documents as and when required. This includes assisting with the preparation of court/counsel bundles, deeds and fee earner working papers
• File relevant documents in electronic or hard copy files as and when required
• Assist with fee earner expense claims, cheque requisitions and other banking related admin in a timely manner
• Manage own email including timely response, filing of emails (including hard copy filing where necessary)
• Manage the entry of timesheets for fee earners (where relevant) promptly with accurate use of phase and task codes (if required)
• Assist with the billing administration process which may include the creation of pre-bills, editing of bills and narratives, producing bill cover letters, ebilling set-up/submission and posting onto the system as per firm policy and process
• Assist with making Intapp client/matter changes such as adding/amending client addresses, third party payers and making changes to agreed rates at the final billing stage.
• Support the team with meeting the required WIP, billing and debtor’s day’s targets by generating client matter reports via Expert and rectifying errors and omissions when required
• Assist with the new business intake administration process which may include, conflict checks, file opening forms, anti-money laundering/agreed rates forms and preparing engagement letters including checking for retainers
• Assist with the administrative support relating to the resourcing of fee earners across the Practice Areas.
• Assist with quick turnaround document work that cannot be sent to DP
• Assist with the organisation of event/meeting logistics such as booking conference rooms, arranging refreshments, equipment, arranging dial-in details and VC set-up and making restaurant reservations for client lunches/dinners.
• Assist with point to point travel bookings which may include single/return train/flight tickets, hotel and taxi bookings
• Assist with updating client information and relevant databases, following fee earner instructions (e.g. InterAction)
• Prepare files for archiving and manage return/retrieval of files following firm guidelines.
• Provide ad hoc support to the Practice Areas such as assisting with incoming mail, answering the telephones, booking couriers, organising repro/DP submissions, assisting with room moves and any other general administrative duties
• Treat your key relationships as ‘internal clients’ and demonstrate diligence, professionalism and a commitment to providing them with an exceptional experience including being a key point of contact for the team.
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• Take a keen interest in the Practice Areas, key matters, issues and ‘hot topics; so that appropriate priority is given to queries and requests and issues are escalated
• Adhere to firm, office and practice group policies and procedures, including those that are formal, informal, documented or verbal
• Take all necessary steps to ensure you are aware of correct procedures. Maintaining inquisitive, collaborative and vigilant work habits, keeping abreast of changes and developing more efficient work processes. Demonstrate this in your interactions with others
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and proactivity in the workplace, including participating in and contributing to secretarial group meetings, firm initiatives, focus groups, pilot groups, team building activities, learning and development sessions and other relevant activities
• Take responsibility for your own learning, undertake recommended training, keep up to date and comply with firm policies, adopt new or improved firm and practice group recommended work practices, and share information with others about better ways of working

Key Performance Indicators

• Practice Area fee earners are satisfied with the level of administrative support they receive (including communication of work in progress) and agree that the quality of support you provide meets expectations
• Work produced is consistently accurate and completed as requested, within agreed timeframes and is of a high standard
• A reputation within the practice group for being an effective, helpful and supportive team member
• Colleagues (including fee earners and Business Services staff) are confident that they can approach you and will receive a level of assistance that is appropriate in the circumstances
• A reputation for being an effective communicator and for working with team members and Business Services teams to achieve positive outcomes
• Compliance with the firm’s and practice group’s policies, guidelines and recommended ways of working
• Actively participate in the firm’s annual performance review process, using knowledge of the Business Support Competency Framework to set professional goals
• You take full ownership and responsibility for any absences from the office (including planned and unexpected absences). This includes leaving work in an appropriate state of order, leaving discoverable and up to date handover information, providing handover and full communication of the absence that is appropriate to the circumstances and in accordance with the process in place for the group

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Candidates to have at least 6 months experience in an administrative role
• Typing speed minimum of 45 wpm with 98% accuracy
• Good knowledge of the Microsoft suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to building effective and trusting relationships with people internally and external to the firm.

Team

Corporate

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

London

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.