Legal Practice Assistant

A&O Shearman; California (MO); On-site; USD 115,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A&O Shearman seeks an experienced executive assistant/secretarial professional to support partners in our California offices. You will maintain calendars, coordinate meetings, manage emails and calls, and plan comprehensive travel programs with a focus on accuracy and efficiency.

Role includes billing support, client documentation, and collaboration with business development. On-site four days weekly; strong organizational skills required.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of secretarial experience at a global firm.
• Experience in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions or Technology Transactions.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• CRM and marketing experience preferred.
• Proficient with Microsoft 365 and Office products.
• Experience with iManage and 3E Elite preferred.
• On-site four full days per week.
• Strong organizational skills and high accuracy.
• Attention to detail and ability to work professionally.
• Proficiency with AI tools to improve efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Act as concierge for partners – manage daily calendars and schedules.
• Coordinate meetings with all necessary arrangements.
• Ensure attendees arrive on time with documents.
• Screen calls professionally and manage communications.
• Route emails and mail for swift action and follow-up.
• Plan complex travel programs with the firm’s TMC.
• Prepare handover notes for absences and cover fee earners.
• Support matters: file openings, client care, end-of-matter details.
• Prepare client letters, docs, and correspondence.
• Type and format letters, presentations, and reports with dictation.
• Proofread work to high standard; prepare agendas and papers.
• Coordinate invoices and expense claims; understand end-to-end billing.
• Assist with billing, review and revision of invoices.
• Submit expense claims and cross-check with expenses.
• Update Intapp Time and close timesheets; liaise with billing.
• Attend WIP meetings and handle write-offs with billing.
• Edit time narratives in 3E and print billing guides.
• Collaborate with working-capital and credit teams on disbursements.
• Provide leadership administrative support.
• Assist co-managing partner of California offices.
• Support special projects with senior management.
• Coordinate small and large client events with BD team.
• Assist attorneys with business development and client relations.
• Maintain Dynamics records and events calendar; liaise with fee earners.
• Monitor client contacts and birthdays; build client relationships.
• Keep A&O databases up to date (EPiC, CVs, A&O.com).
• Undertake client/lead research and briefing packs.

Skills

Calendar management

Meeting coordination

Email management

Travel planning

Billing support

Client relations

Microsoft 365

iManage

3E Elite

AI tools

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft 365

iManage

3E Elite

Job description

Role and responsibilities

• Act as concierge for partners – daily maintenance of calendar events and organization of the day‑to‑day schedule of fee earners, including identification and resolution of potential issues.
• Coordinate meetings, ensuring all necessary arrangements are made.
• Proactively manage attorneys to ensure attendance at meetings on time with appropriate documents.
• Respond to telephone calls professionally, acting as a filter to manage and control calls.
• Proactively manage emails, voicemails and general mail, routing to appropriate individuals for swift response and action, ensuring tasks are followed up.
• Plan and coordinate comprehensive travel programs (booking flights, hotels, car transfers, preparation of itineraries, etc.) in conjunction with the firm’s travel management company.
• Prepare holiday/absence handover notes and liaise with the team regarding covering fee earner absences.
• Deal/Matter support – coordinate file opening, client care, and end‑of‑matter details.
• Document support – prepare client documentation and correspondence.
• Type and format letters, correspondence, presentations, reports and legal documentation, including digital dictation if applicable.
• Proofread all work to ensure completion to a high standard.
• Prepare and/or ensure availability of necessary agendas, presentations and meeting papers, including printing and timely distribution.
• Finance – coordinate and prepare invoices and all expense claims.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the end‑to‑end billing process.
• Assist with billing, review and revision of invoices.
• Take responsibility for submission of expense claims on behalf of fee earners and maintain copies, ensuring cross‑check against credit‑card expenditure if appropriate.
• Routine update of Intapp Time – complete and close timesheets where appropriate and prompt fee earners where necessary.
• Attend WIP meeting (if appropriate) and liaise with billing team to ensure any write‑offs are actioned before production of relevant documentation.
• Edit time narratives within 3E.
• Use 3E to view time on matters and print billing guides for partner/matter manager review.
• Work alongside the working‑capital controller and credit control team in all billing aspects to ensure disbursement invoices are authorized and added to the file in preparation for billing.
• Leadership administrative support.
• Assist co‑managing partner of California offices.
• Support special projects and initiatives in coordination with senior management team.
• Coordinate/organise small client events and ensure all details and post‑event follow‑ups, or liaise with business development team for larger client events.
• Assist attorneys with business development efforts and client relationships.
• Maintain/update Dynamics experience records and events calendar; liaise with fee earners and business development to collate all information.
• Monitor contact with key clients and prompt for calls, lunches or meetings; advise partner of key client activities (birthdays, maternity leave, etc.).
• Understand and appreciate key client contacts and build relationships with PAs at key clients.
• Ensure A&O databases are kept up to date (e.g. EPiC, CVs, A&O.com).
• Undertake research on clients or potential clients, including preparing briefing packs as required.

Key requirements

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in a secretarial position at a global firm.
• Experience in Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions or Technology Transactions practice.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Customer relationship management and marketing experience preferred.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and all Microsoft Office products (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with iManage and 3E Elite preferred.
• Ability to work on‑site four full days per week.
• Strong organizational skills required.
• High accuracy rate and strong attention to detail.
• Proficiency in the use of AI tools to create work efficiencies.

Who are we looking for

• Show a proactive approach to tasks and situations.
• Demonstrate a positive attitude in all aspects of the role, taking personal responsibility and ownership and behaving professionally at all times.
• Maintain tact, diplomacy, trust and confidentiality.
• Exhibit strong professional communication skills, both oral and written.
• Build successful relationships with fee earners to identify individual requirements.
• Have an enthusiastic approach to change and adapt to an ever‑evolving role.
• Ensure flexibility around contracted working hours, taking full responsibility for meeting the requirements of the role.
• Take responsibility for team building and providing a supportive environment to colleagues.
• Take responsibility for ensuring personal development and IT skills are maintained and improved.

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and disability. A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual’s relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. If you are vision‑impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at [e-mail] or call [phone] and ask for HR Transactions.

This role is open to our Silicon Valley office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position in Silicon Valley is $115,000 – $130,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job‑related factors permitted by law. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes a discretionary bonus, paid leave, life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.