Paralegal

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with 48 offices in 28 countries worldwide.

Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimize your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE
Real estate is the world's largest asset class and our work for organizations active in the sector, whether they’re investors, developers, occupiers or lenders, gives us a deep understanding of the industry and the way it operates. We are at the heart of the global real estate sector offering cutting-edge and intelligent advice that complements the way our clients work.
Our client base reflects the diversity and vibrancy of our practice. We act for the leading private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, public and private companies, pension funds, investment banks and other financial institutions, wealthy private investors, hotel owners and operators, retailers, public sector bodies, developers and unit trusts from across the globe. As our clients’ business and investment strategies evolve our practice continues to adapt and grow, with increasing emphasis on transactions in the operational real estate space including senior living, PBSA, PRS, and the digital real estate sector, as well as across all the more traditional real estate asset classes. The Real Estate team is also at the forefront of innovating how legal services are delivered to our clients.

ROLE PURPOSE
The Real Estate Paralegal provides essential legal and operational support to the Real Estate team by assisting with both billable and non‑billable activities that ensure efficient transaction management and high‑quality client service. This role is responsible for preparing signature pages, compiling execution versions, reviewing service contracts, assembling online and physical closing sets, and other tasks as outlined below. In addition, the Real Estate Paralegal contributes to the team’s overall effectiveness through critical administrative and backend support, helping to maintain seamless workflows, organized documentation and timely completion of real estate matters.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Real Estate partners and associates
• Senior Manager, Paralegal and Legal Support Administration

JOB DESCRIPTION
CONTEXT
This role involves acting as a reliable point of contact as it relates to the Real Estate partners and associates. The paralegal support function is crucial to the day-to-day success of the business, and this individual will play an essential part in this model.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Assist attorneys on a vast array of projects and tasks, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Research: Conducting in-depth legal research on domestic and international topics.
• Writing: Compiling brief summaries on relevant topics or findings from legal research.
• Task Initiation: Coordinating with the Legal P.A. to open new client matter numbers and file management folders.
• Due Diligence: Reviewing documents and providing organizational assistance.
• Closings: Assisting with closings and the preparation of closing sets to be sent to the client and other parties.
• Vendor Collaboration: Interacting with service providers to submit filings and order documents.
• Meeting Engagement: Participating in weekly work-in-progress meetings to track leasing activity.
• Client Reporting: Preparing weekly and biweekly distribution summaries detailing leasing efforts.
• Document Retrieval: Requesting archived materials such as promissory notes and filings.
• Unbilled Deliverables: Managing client distributions via mail, Aspera, or DocuSign, depending on the delivery method.
• Invoice Management: Processing and tracking service provider invoices.
• Compliance Updates: Responding to life-of-loan updates from Lereta, the team’s flood certificate provider.
• Records Coordination: Organizing and transmitting documents to records for archiving and retrieval.
• Team Operations: Managing various organizational and administrative tasks and meetings (including the monthly cooler and bi-weekly meetings) that support the Real Estate Team’s workflow.
• Calendar & Meeting Management: Overseeing the Real Estate Team’s meeting calendar, ensuring agendas align with team priorities and that follow-ups are tracked and executed. Coordinating the Real Estate Team’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programming, including scheduling, logistics, and compliance monitoring.
• Notarization Services: Providing notarization for documents—routinely for the team, occasionally for clients, and as needed for internal requests.
• Audit Response Letters: Preparing U.S.-based audit response letters, ensuring timely communication with attorneys, clients, and auditors and proper documentation for annual audit processes.
• Marketing & Business Development Support: Assisting the Marketing and Business Development team by responding to deal-related inquiries and supporting client event coordination. Maintaining the Real Estate Deal Tracking List, including preparation of deal summaries.

TEAM
This position reports directly to the Real Estate partners and associates and Senior Manager, Paralegal and Legal Support Administration, and works closely with other members of staff, including, but not limited to, the broader paralegal team.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Four-year bachelor's degree with strong academic background.
• Highly motivated self-starter.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to analyze information and solve problems.
• Ability to produce high-quality work product under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Ability to accurately follow instructions and prioritize work appropriately.
• Ability to interact professionally with clients and employees at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, as part of a team.
• Ability to take ownership of tasks and think creatively.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in a professional manner.
• Flexibility to work outside standard business hours.
• Flexibility to travel as needed.
• Awareness of current events and global affairs.
• Interest in pursuing a legal career.
• Resume, Cover Letter, and Unofficial Transcript required as part of application.

Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability

A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including Veterans and Disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual’s relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at US-HRTransactions@aoshearman.com or call +1 212 610 6300 and ask for HR Transactions.

This role is open to our New York office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $60,000-$62,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and other job-related factors permitted by law. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes a discretionary bonus, paid leave, life, health, accident, and disability insurance; and a 401(k) plan.

Practice Professional

Hybrid (combination of office & remote working)

Paralegal

Full time

A&O Shearman

Permanent