Legal Secretary - Johannesburg, South Africa - Hogan Lovells

Hogan Lovells

Verified Company

Johannesburg, South Africa

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Thabo Mthembu

beBee Recruiter

Description

Keen to become part of a truly global, collaborative team of professionals? Your journey begins here.

Role Purpose:

The Overall purpose of the role is to work closely with the legal professional team to provide routine administrative and secretarial support including drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organising and maintaining paper and electronic files, providing information to callers, providing assistance with preparing invoices, billing and working with the credit departments to collect fees.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Diary Management:

Ensuring that diaries are uptodate at all times and all requests for meetings by internal and external stakeholders are scheduled.
Ensuring meeting rooms, refreshments, IT equipment, travel arrangements and all other ad hoc requests are arranged and in place prior to the start of meetings and/or teleconferences.
Ensuring all relevant meeting minutes, agendas and necessary information packs are collated and circulated timeously to all meeting delegates.
Client, debtor and correspondent attorney interaction and management of timelines.

Document and Pleadings Administration:

Adhering to house styles and formats in preparation of pleadings, agreements and correspondence.
Ensuring all documentation is produced within specified deadlines and is of a high quality.
Ensuring accurate and timely distribution of documentation and correspondence to all internal and external stakeholders (debtors / correspondents / advocates and sheriffs).

Financial Administration:

Attending to all administrative requirements pertaining to the practice's invoicing process (where required).
Proactively monitoring and attending to all outstanding invoices on a timely basis.

Business Development Administrative Support:

Providing assistance in the compilation of monthly reports.
Ensuring that client and debtor contact lists, correspondent panels, Court and sheriff data are uptodate at all times.

Office Management and Administrative Support:

Providing an administrative support function to all team members.
Maintaining a neat, tidy and presentable work area at all times
Maintaining an adequate stationery float and adhere to the stationery ordering schedule.
Reporting and escalating all office maintenance and facilities queries and ensure appropriate follow up.
Managing the filing systems for the litigation practice and assisting with overflow filing within the team.
Appropriately using all electronic document management systems as well as client specific software.
Ensuring that the team's archiving system is regularly managed.
Providing assistance to clients and/or escalating client queries to the relevant team members.
Keeping abreast of the operations within the practice area to provide an effective client liaison function to all internal and external stakeholders.
Observing professional telephone etiquette to internal and external clients at all times.

Requirements profile:

Education:

Grade 12 or equivalent
Secretarial Qualification or equivalent qualification

Experience

Litigation practice administrative support

System Skills

Microsoft Office
Advanced

Mental & Environmental / Legal Requirements

Must be able to handle pressure, setbacks and a high level of stress
Must be able to work to a deadline
Capable of working overtime as and when required
Must have a clear criminal record

Knowledge and Skills

Debtors administration and diary management in a legal practice environment
Client care and maintenance in a legal environment
Office management and office administrative support
Drafting and preparing litigation documents, such as counsel's briefs, notices and pleadings ensuring that all documents are properly formatted, edited, and filed with the court.
Ability to professionally liaise with and assist stakeholders
Ability to prioritise and manage schedules within high pressure environment

Behavioral competencies

Good command of the English and Afrikaans language, both verbal and written
Excellent organisational skills with attention to detail
Good interpersonal skills
Tact and discretion with the ability to maintain confidentiality
Ability to work in a team as well as independently
Conscientious, proactive and service orientated
Punctual and reliable with strong work ethic
Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
Able to work overtime when required from time to time
Shows initiative by taking action to achieve goals on a proactive basis
Produces accurate and timeous results and sets own high goals or standards of performance
Able to adapt and embrace change
Ability to liaise with all stakeholders professionally in the work environment
Additional Considerations:_
Applicants must be South African citizens or have a valid South African work permit

Hogan Lovells Services (South Africa) Limited (Incorporated in England) is an equal opportunity employer. Al