Sr. Legal Assistant - Real Estate

Capstone Search Partners; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Capstone Search Partners in Columbia, South Carolina is seeking a Senior Legal Assistant to support a busy Commercial Real Estate practice. You will assist Shareholders and attorneys with transactional workflows, document revisions, closing binders, and client communications.

The role emphasizes expert Word formatting and redlining, PDF-to-Word conversion, and precise billing oversight. You will manage deadlines, notices, and filings, coordinate with clients, counties, and government filings,

Qualifications

• 3+ years as legal assistant or legal secretary.
• Experience in real estate, government relations, or related fields preferred.
• Proficient with Word, redlining, and document formatting.
• Familiar with closing binder software and secure file portals.

Responsibilities

• Draft, edit, redline complex transactional documents and filings.
• Prepare closing binders and distribute to clients and counties.
• Draft notices of public hearings and coordinate publications.
• Manage client file portals (ShareFile) and renewal tasks.
• Handle prebills, time entries, and monthly expense reconciling.
• Support multiple attorneys and maintain calendars and deadlines.
• Serve as a point of contact for client inquiries and billing.

Skills

Word processing & redlining

Attention to detail

Multi-tasking

Communication skills

Tools

SimplyAgree

ShareFile

Microsoft Word

PDF to Word conversion

Excel

Job description

Sr. Legal Assistant - Real Estate

Position Title: Sr. Legal Assistant
Practice Areas: Commercial Real Estate
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Position Type: Full-Time

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented Senior Legal Assistant to provide critical practice support to a busy group of Shareholders and attorneys specializing in Corporate Real Estate, and Government Relations.

In this fast-paced, high-volume role, you will manage complex transactional workflows, handle frequent document revisions under tight deadlines, coordinate statutory public notices, oversee specialized client closing binders, and maintain rigorous financial and billing oversight. If you thrive on multi-tasking, possess advanced Microsoft Word formatting capabilities, and enjoy serving as a central operational anchor for top-tier attorneys, we welcome your application!

Key Responsibilities

Transactional & Document Support

• Advanced Document Formatting: Draft, edit, redline, and revise complex legal documents, agreements, correspondence, and statutory filings (including Fee-in-Lieu-of-Tax [FILOT] agreements, Department of Revenue [DOR] filings, tax forms, and engagement letters).
• Document Conversion: Expertly convert complex PDFs to editable Microsoft Word files while preserving layout and formatting integrity.
• Closing Binders & Filings: Compile, prepare, and distribute comprehensive electronic and physical closing binders (utilizing SimplyAgree) and mailings to counties, DOR representatives, and corporate clients.
• Public Notices & Affidavits: Draft and coordinate the publication of notices of public hearing with local newspapers, track publication timelines, and secure required affidavits of publication.
• Client File Management: Oversee ShareFile document sharing portals, maintain file distribution lists, and coordinate subscription/license renewals.

High-Volume Account & Attorney Operations

• Large Client & Conflict Management: Process high-volume, rapid-turnaround client requests (often 5–10 per day); conduct conflict checks, open new files, manage file trees, and maintain active deadline tracking spreadsheets updated every other day.
• Practice Group Support: Maintain active file lists, calendars, and schedules across multiple Shareholders and attorneys.
• Government Relations Support: Assist the firm’s lobbying practice team (especially during annual peak reporting season) with client expense pass-throughs, registration billings, and document compilation (pagination/printing).

Financial, Billing & Administrative Management

• Prebill & Invoice Management: Review, process, save, and distribute monthly prebills on behalf of multiple Shareholders, working extensively with detailed master spreadsheets.
• Time Entry & Expenses: Handle time entry for primary Shareholders, process check requests, execute audit response letters, and complete monthly expense and credit card reconciliation reports (e.g., Synovus).
• Client Communication: Serve as a responsive, direct line of contact for client emails, phone calls, and administrative inquiries.

Qualifications & Desired Skill

• Experience: 3+ years of experience as a legal assistant or legal secretary (prior experience in Economic Development, Corporate Real Estate, Public Finance, or Government Relations is strongly preferred).
• Advanced Word & Redlining Skills: Demonstrated mastery of Microsoft Word (track changes/redlining, formatting, pagination) and PDF-to-Word conversion tools.
• Closing Binder Technology: Experience with electronic closing binder software (e.g., SimplyAgree) and secure file transfer portals (e.g., ShareFile).
• Spreadsheet & Billing Proficiency: Strong proficiency in Excel (navigating and updating complex multi-tab spreadsheets) alongside legal billing and timekeeping software.

Core Competencies

• High Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to proofreading, legal numbers, dates, and compliance deadlines.
• Multi-Tasking Under Pressure: Proven ability to manage competing priorities and sudden influxes of file openings and client requests with speed and accuracy.
• Professional Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with corporate leaders, county officials, newspaper publishers, and internal accounting teams.