Job Details

Williams Lea seeks a Personal Assistant to join our team at Penningtons Manches Cooper!

Williams Lea is the leading global provider of skilled, technology-enabled, business-critical support services, with long-term trusted relationships with blue-chip clients across investment banks, law firms and professional services firms.  Williams Lea employees 5,500 people worldwide, who provide efficient business services at client sites in often complex and highly regulated environments, from centralised Williams Lea onshore facilities, and through best cost company offshore locations.

Purpose of role 

The role of the Personal Assistant is to provide enhanced, proactive support to fee earners to enable them to operate efficiently. The support provided needs to be a seamless legal service to clients. The Personal Assistant role is expected to use a high degree of self-management and initiative and to maintain a high level of confidentiality.

The Personal Assistant will act as workflow manager for other support services. This includes delegating and supervising the completion of document production, file management and copying/scanning work which are primarily undertaken by other relevant business support services.

Key responsibilities 

In line with policies and procedures, key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Proactively managing complex diaries
• Answering telephone calls in a timely fashion, taking clear and detailed messages
• Organising internal and external meetings
• Liaising with clients via email or telephone and acting as a point of contact in keeping with the firm’s standards for client care
• Assisting fee earners in the billing and credit control process. Generating accurate billing reports, draft bills, and accompanying letters in a timely manner
• Assisting fee earners with finance tasks, namely requesting cheques, CHAPS/BACS payments, bank transfers and paying in money received, as appropriate
• Ensuring accurate and timely use of client relationship management tool to facilitate matter opening, maintenance, closure and archiving
• Maintaining up to date client records on the firm’s client relationship management tool, including client contact details, client specific requests in relation to billing and bill formats, details of other parties etc in line with the firm’s policy and processes
• Co-ordinating fee earner movements and making travel arrangements
• Managing the client and matter inception process ensuring files are opened in a timely manner in accordance with the firm’s policies
• Managing the process of submitting partner/fee earners expenses in a timely manner
• Co-ordinating the completion of document production (including digital dictations/manuscript amendments), e-filing and file management, photocopying and scanning services, organising couriers, sending out of letters/faxes etc
• Managing the production of official papers including bundles and relevant documents
• Drafting documents from precedents
• Liaising with fee earners and support staff based in other offices
• Demonstrating flexibility with working practices/processes in line with the business need, especially in times of pressure/ high workload

Personal attributes 

• Previous PA experience is essential
• Previous experience within a legal or professional services setting preferable
• Exceptional standard of written and verbal communication
• Proficient multi-tasker
• Competent with the Microsoft Office suite
• Team player
• Hybrid work model

Rewards and Benefits

We believe in supporting our employees in both their professional and personal lives. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to:

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays
• Salary sacrifice schemes, retail vouchers – including our TechScheme which can be used on a range of gadgets such as Smart TV’s, laptops and computers or household appliances.
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Health Assessments
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Discounted gym memberships
• Referral Scheme

You will also have the opportunity to work for a global employer who is dedicated to offering each and every employee an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding career with future career development prospects!

Equality and Diversity

The Company values the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation and will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (each of these being a “protected characteristic” in discrimination law). It will not discriminate because of any other irrelevant factor and will build a culture that values openness, fairness and transparency.