Legal Support Secretary - Abu Dhabi

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

The role

The Middle East practice mainly comprises of Financial Markets, Corporate, Litigation and Real Estate Departments. The role of the Legal Support Secretary (LSS) is to provide a first-class professional support service to the Middle East Partner's/Lawyers in the Abu Dhabi office.

The Abu Dhabi Office Managing Partner (OMP) will be part of the successful candidates allocation.

Key responsibilities

The support provided will be as part of a team with shared responsibilities, and the LSS will be expected to refocus tasks and priorities periodically as required by the practice area. The LSS reports to the Office Manager whilst predominantly supporting the Abu Dhabi Managing Partner, as well as Associates in the wider GF team. The LSS is also expected, on a daily basis, to create a positive working relationship with the fee earner(s) and the team with whom they work. Below describes the core areas of the support service which an LSS provides.

Core services

• Calendar/Meeting Management - maintain and manage fee earner schedules and act as the key contact point for fee earners both internally and externally.

• Travel – organize complex travel bookings in liaison with the local travel agent together with any visa applications and transport bookings.

• Time & Expenses – oversee time entries and amendments for fee earners on a timely basis; timely submission of expense reports.

• Liaising with Reception for meeting and video conference set-up.

• Draft emails and letters, printing/copying/scanning, updates to client contacts in InterAction.

• Submit annual mandatory training summary for Dubai fee earners on CLPD portal.

• Client Support - support client activities and requirements in a proactive manner.

• Team Support - work collaboratively with other LSS team members to provide a responsive and professional support service to fee earners; covering for team members during absences with some occasional Reception cover.

• Onboarding – assist with onboarding of new fee earners through scheduling of onboarding sessions with various departments, office introductions, practice area introduction event, explanation of matter lifecycle processes, time recording, expenses and overview of LSS support.

Practice support services

Clearance, Risk and Compliance

• Handle client conflict checks and clearance with the conflicts team based in London.

• Coordinate matter set up in liaison with Partner/fee earner to ensure minimum mandatory information has been provided and liaising with HR regarding client secondment setup.

• Follow-up with Partners/fee earners in respect to compliance around engagement letters and MTM.

Matter Management

• Matter project administration, organize client & matter team meetings, regular document archiving drives, create matter folders, upload documents to matter site and create working parties lists.

• Monitor and recommend matters that would benefit from a project management resource or the use of certain Best Delivery tools to matter team.

• Notify Billing, Business Development and Best delivery when a Partner instructs a matter to be closed.

Matter Team Support

• Document Management/Production - manage document processing from beginning to end including edits, formatting, house styles and proofreading, liaising with the Document Production Unit in London if required.

• Assist the originals team with the original process (soft & hard copies) when necessary.

• Liaise with the print room staff regarding printing of bibles and bundles together with any other bulk printing requests.

• Liaise with clients on behalf of the matter team when necessary.

• Attend practice area meetings or client calls, taking notes and providing other administrative support.

Business Development

• Utilize PowerPoint skills to assist Business Development and Partners with creating and amending pitches.

• Coordinate updates to fee earner master CV's as per information received in Deal Updates.

• Monitor Live Pitch emails from Business Development and update all teams should there be any missing pitches/offers.

• Notify Business Development, Finance and Best Delivery of pitches that are won or lost if Business Development are not aware through their updates.

Finance

• Update and maintain all system information for fee earners' clients including working with the local billing team to generate monthly bills, running matter financial reports, amending billing narratives and invoice mark-ups.

• Add phases, tasks, rates and debtors to matter financial information.

Key working relationships

Along with all Secretarial Services staff, a key attribute of the LSS's success will be dependent on the positive and collaborative working relationships which they build with colleagues in the Practice Area. The key working relationships for the LSS will be:

• Fee earners to whom they provide first-line support and cover support

• Fee earners' clients

• Office Manager

• Local Finance, Business Development, Best Delivery and IT teams

• Local Offices Services team including other LSS and Reception

• London Document Production Unit
  
  

Your experience

• Minimum typing speed of 60+ wpm

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint

• Previous work experience in a professional services environment

• A-Level standard or equivalent

• Excellent Communication skills

• Self-Management and Organisation

• Problem solving, judgment and decision making

• Working with others as a part of a team and on your own initiative

• Client focus

• Networking and organisational awareness

Please note, this role is based in Abu Dhabi full-time.

Equal Opportunities

At Clifford Chance we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. Find out more here.