Senior Practice Assistant

Farrer & Co is synonymous with the highest quality legal advice and service.

We advise individuals, families, businesses, financial services, educational and not-for-profit organisations on every aspect of the law, wherever the need arises. From our offices in London we work with trusted professionals around the world to deliver a seamless international service.

Our clients present us with complex and varied challenges. Whether that's a complicated family trust issue, a multinational corporate transaction, or an emerging threat to their reputation, they need clear thinkers who can advise on the best solutions, fast thinkers when speed is of the essence and agile thinkers who can produce a fresh approach to get the job done. That's why they choose us.

Our clients value our in-depth knowledge, technical excellence and diversity of disciplines. But what really binds our long-standing relationships with them is our approach: pragmatic, plain speaking and always steadfast in our values, which we hold dear. Values which mean we gain our clients' trust, always strive to do the right thing, and aim for the best results for them.

Superb client service sits at the heart of everything we do. We are modern lawyers with timeless values.

We provide specialist legal advice on the whole spectrum of private and business issues, helping clients to preserve and transmit their family assets and wealth (advising on trusts, Wills, probate and tax).  We offer a straightforward personal service specifically tailored to clients’ requirements. We have a wealth of experience advising on all the issues clients may have to face in relation to both wealth management and other events of life.

One of the key requirements of this role will be to promote and support Knowledge Management (KM) across the team and wider firm. 

We are looking for an extremely organised and proactive Practice Assistant to provide a high level of professional support to their allocated Fee Earners as well as other members of the Department. The candidate will be experienced in their specialist area but will be expected to be flexible to cover the broader remit of the Department. They will be highly motivated, display outstanding attention to detail and have the ability to multitask with ease.  It is essential that they are a strong team player with a positive, up-beat approach.

The successful candidate will be expected to work across all areas of private client work, including:

Knowledge Management

• Creating and updating team precedents and know-how.
• Assisting Knowledge Lawyer (KL) with the preparation of the team weekly legal update.
• Managing the team’s knowledge document management systems and helping to promote them to the team.
• Assisting KL in monitoring new practice area developments and publicising them to the team.
• Assisting KL to progress team KM projects, including helping to review new knowledge IT products.
• Assisting with managing the team’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) supporter system.
• Assisting with updating the team’s Skills & Expertise Tables and the Know-Who system.
• Liaising with Marketing and team members in relation to the production of team briefings.
• Managing the team’s training booking system including publicising key training events within the team.
• Assisting KL with arranging Quarterly Tax Review training sessions for the team.
• Assisting KL with monitoring the team training budget and preparation of annual training budget submissions.
• Liaising with the Library in relation to the purchase of new resources and assisting KL with managing the team’s library as well as the team’s research budget.
• Supporting the team’s Expertise Group Heads and liaising with them to update the team’s KM Plan.
• Providing knowledge induction for new team PAs.

Organisational Support

• Effective and proactive diary management, and awareness of Fee Earners' workloads to plan ahead, with minimal supervision.
• Processes relevant applications, forms or searches, with minimal supervision.
• Has an excellent knowledge of all systems/processes used within the Department.
• Is professional and maintains effective communications with clients and Fee Earners.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge and understanding of Fee Earners' matters to enable a proactive support service.
• Researches new clients/contacts and prepares bios before meetings, and conducts basic research (on-line or otherwise) for Fee Earners when required.
• Arranges travel and any other activities on behalf of others, where appropriate.

Client Relationship and Business Development

• Provides excellent service to clients, both internal and external, in a timely and professional manner, presenting a positive image of the Firm at all times.
• Acts as a first point of contact for Fee Earners.
• Provides assistance in the delivery of marketing communications, and records all business development meetings in InterAction, and sets up reminders where follow-ups are needed with prospects on InterAction or other systems/logs as required.
• Recognises, respects and honours client confidentiality at all times.
• Organises business development meetings and events for Fee Earners, and assists in the production of business development materials in liaison with the Marketing team.

Document Production

• Creates typed work of a high quality, formatting in accordance with house style, at high speed, with accuracy and following internal guidelines.
• Makes effective use of the Document Management System.
• Creates new documents from the Firm’s templates, using contact data from InterAction where appropriate.
• Proof-reads all documents for spelling, grammar and sense, querying wording where appropriate.
• Proactively uses initiative to compose and send on behalf of Fee Earners, correspondence requiring focused concentration and attention to detail.

IT Skills/Systems

• Maintains a high level of proficiency in core IT applications including the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).
• Makes suggestions for additional training, as required.

File Management

• Adopts a pro-active approach and works with Fee Earners effectively, to maintain regular file management, ensuring all files are up to date, closed and archived, as appropriate.
• Keeps accurate records of all files sent to off-site storage via Records.

Financial Risk Management

• Prepares bills (including bill narratives) with minimal supervision, as required by Fee Earners.
• Prepares AML documentation and obtains relevant documentation from clients in a timely manner, as required by Fee Earners.
• Carries out conflict searches and correctly identifies the work type.
• Has an excellent knowledge and application of the Firm's procedures in billing, AML, Credit Control and debt management.
• Liaises with credit control and alerting Fee Earners of unpaid bills.
• Deals with time-recording matters as required by Fee Earners.

• Has excellent timekeeping and prioritises work effectively.
• Is flexible, reliable, co-operative and has a professional approach to work.
• Works as a positive, friendly and helpful team player.
• Communicates in a positive and constructive manner and always interacts in good faith and demonstrates effective listening.
• Uses initiative and takes a proactive approach to work by regularly seeking ways to improve secretarial support.
• Positively supports and promotes change within the Department.
• Has a caring approach to self and colleagues providing support and guidance to junior members of the department.
• Adjusts approach to work as the demands require.
• Respectfully and confidently puts forward solutions when dealing with competing demands from Fee Earners or others in the Department.
• Functions effectively under pressure and acts with confidence and composure.

• Qualified to GCSE standard, grade C (or equivalent) at Mathematics and English essential.
• Previous secretarial experience in a law firm essential.

The hours of work for this opportunity are 09:30am-5:30pm but it is essential to be committed, flexible and prepared to work beyond the normal office hours when necessary and in response to client demand.

You will be expected to follow the firm’s agile working policy, which embraces home working but will require employees to spend a minimum number of days each week in the London office.

Farrer & Co is an equals opportunity employer who welcomes applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We look to employ the best candidates regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other protected characteristic.

We are keen to ensure candidates have the best interview experience possible, if you require any adjustments during the interview or application process please let the recruitment team know.

Farrer & Co conducts a pre-employment screening which consists of a Criminal History Background and Credit Check for successful candidates.