Team Administrator / Legal Secretary

Birketts is an ambitious full service, top 50 UK law firm, operating in East Anglia, Essex, London and the surrounding areas.  With a rich heritage spanning over 150 years we’ve built an enviable track record advising businesses, institutions and individuals in the UK and internationally.

Throughout our history our ethos has remained simple: we provide clear legal advice and value and insight to our clients. We believe that through this approach and a combination of technical excellence and high quality service we can develop long-lasting partnerships and become our clients' solicitor of choice.

Our Construction and Engineering Team is one of the largest in the UK. The team deals with all aspects of law impacting on the construction industry.

We act for a wide range of public and private sector clients, including professionals, contractors, developers, sub-contractors, owner occupiers and financial institutions.

Our main focus is in the resolution of disputes, but we also have a breadth of experience in the drafting of contracts and the due diligence associated with the funding of commercial developments.

To work as part of a secretarial team to provide professional, pro-active, high level secretarial support to an allocated fee earner, or group of fee earners and to the wider fee earning team.

You will provide administration support within the Construction department to include billing and debt collection; other key accountabilities include: 

• Work closely with the team secretaries / administrators to provide support;
• Ability to communicate with a wide variety of different people from privately owned businesses to private equity and venture capital organisations;
• Ability to respond and update clients regularly, taking internal and external telephone enquiries politely and professionally;
• Show initiative when responding to queries and actively try to seek solutions to problems;
• Assist in maintaining compliant and accurate file management and office systems;
• Carry out photocopying and scanning in accordance with the firm’s paper-lite and clear desk policies;
• Ensure that all electronic filing is up to date and maintained at regular intervals;
• Proof read all work, checking for spelling and grammar;
• Provide support to other secretaries within the team and provide cover as and when necessary;
• Understands a variety of software packages such as Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel, to produce correspondence, documents and ensure relevant documentation is produced to a high standard to meet clients’ and fee earners’ expectations and deadlines;
• To format and present documents in Birketts LLP house style;
• Clarify instructions from fee earners should they be unclear or if deadlines are not made explicit.

You will have the ability to contribute at an operational level, with excellent communication skills and can demonstrate general skills in:

• Strong administration experience;
• Positive, enthusiastic and professional approach;
• Strong attention to detail, high level organisational skills and reliable;
• Self-motivated with an ability to use own initiative with a desire to learn.

We are committed to recruiting individuals on merits of suitability for each role, on the basis of qualifications and experience. All applications are treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation, race, disability, religious beliefs and any other protected characteristic, ensuring that there are equal opportunities at all stages of the recruitment process.

Benefits

One of the best things about joining Birketts is our rewards package. At Birketts we’re appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. You can expect to receive:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare - BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share / Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance   - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Season Ticket Loan
• Gym Flex membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy
• Agile Working Policy.

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile and part time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.