CMS is looking for a Legal PA to support our Corporate team, you will be based in our London office.
About the role
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, commercially minded PA who wants to become a trusted partner to a senior and highly successful Partner within our Corporate practice. Candidates with a committed can-do attitude will have ample opportunity to develop a deep understanding of his practice, client base and wider business priorities, building strong relationships with clients in your own right.
This is a dynamic role requiring real ownership and with high visibility among senior stakeholders, requiring excellent organisational skills, proactive communication and the confidence to use your judgement and take the initiative. You will become a key point of contact for clients when the Partner is travelling or unavailable.
The Partner divides his time between two countries and travels extensively in response to client demands. This offers a degree of flexibility around hybrid working patterns, with the role generally aligned to his schedule and location. There will occasionally be a need to respond outside normal working hours, particularly where something time-critical arises across different time zones, so flexibility and good judgement are important.
Key Responsibilities include:
• Comprehensive diary management, including anticipating scheduling needs, coordinating commitments, and acting as an effective gatekeeper, across multiple time zones.
• Coordinating international travel, ensuring efficient and cost effective arrangements. Sourcing and booking hotels, transport, restaurants, and other services.
• Proactive email management, including daily monitoring, prioritisation, summarising key actions, and ensuring timely follow up.
• Managing time recording by ensuring fee earners’ time entries and narratives are completed accurately on a daily basis.
• Drafting high quality correspondence and accurate documentation as required.
• Maintaining an up to date record of Partner travel for tax and compliance purposes.
• Managing key business development materials, including updating practice documents and coordinating Legal 500/Chambers submissions.
• Taking ownership of the coordination and production of high-quality client pitches and presentations, working proactively with the Partner and wider team to ensure materials are tailored, compelling and delivered to deadline.
• Working with our events team to plan and manage occasional client-suite events, ensuring seamless execution, professional client interaction, and minimal fee earner involvement.
• Overseeing document management, including file opening, archiving, and maintaining accurate electronic and paper based records.
• Managing the client onboarding process, including KYC documentation, billing set up, debt management, and preparation of engagement letters across CMS UK and international offices.
• End to end billing management, liaising with Credit Control, Revenue Control and billing teams to ensure timely preparation and dispatch of billing proformas.
• Work closely with Credit Control to monitor and manage debt ledgers, taking responsibility for the billing and debt recovery process for all Partner clients across the firm.
• Collaborate with the Finance/Accounts team to ensure office expense payments are processed accurately and on time each month.
• Typing and document production and working from marked up handwritten changes.
• Managing and prioritising own workload, demonstrating initiative and a proactive approach to tasks and deadlines.
• Maintaining action lists and ensuring consistent delivery of outstanding items, including as regards business development matters.
• Conducting thorough proofreading and quality checks to ensure accuracy of all work produced.
• Building strong working relationships with colleagues across teams and offices.
• Developing effective relationships with clients, anticipating needs, and providing a high standard of service.
• Developing familiarity with legal terminology relevant to the practice area.
• Understanding and reflecting the firm’s culture, values, and strategic goals in day to day responsibilities.
• Providing support across practice groups when capacity allows or when required.
• Delegating appropriate administrative tasks to team administrators and monitoring completion where necessary.
• Becoming proficient with CMS CMNO systems and office equipment.
About you
Experience required:
• Extensive PA/executive support experience at Partner or senior leadership level, within a law firm (preferred) or professional services environment.
• Strong financial administration skills, including fee earning support, billing management, financial reporting and debt recovery coordination.
• Proven experience managing complex and demanding diaries, with the ability to anticipate needs and manage competing priorities.
• Experience coordinating international travel and working confidently across multiple time zones and, with appropriate online tools, in different languages.
• Confidence liaising with senior stakeholders, clients and international colleagues, demonstrating cultural awareness and professionalism.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to work proactively and independently.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail, including proofreading, document production and quality control.
• Familiarity with billing systems, document management systems and practice management tools (experience with CMS systems advantageous but not essential).
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast paced environment, handling confidential information with discretion.
• A can-do mindset, enabling performance across a wider range of business and personal needs than maybe typical for a PA.
• Strong relationship building skills, both internally and externally and willingness to work closely as a team
• Personable to interact with, a good sense of humour and a sense of fun.
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What’s in it for you?
We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:
Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
Flexible, hybrid working policy
Generous bonus scheme
Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
Holiday exchange scheme
Private medical insurance
Enhanced parental leave
Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.
Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.
