Legal Secretary (6 Month Contract)

The Firm

HFW is a sector focused global law firm. We have over 500 lawyers working across Australia, Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Americas. We take a progressive approach to our roles in commercial business – thinking creatively and pragmatically to support our clients. We are dynamic, entrepreneurial and leaders in our specialist areas.
As one of the first international firms to establish an office in Australia in 2006, our Melbourne office opened with a foundation team of 13. Today we have 3 offices, with Sydney and Perth opening in 2009 and 2011 respectively, and our Australian team has grown to over 140.
Our specialist lawyers are sector focused and offer a comprehensive range of legal services to our clients in Aerospace, Commodities, Construction, Energy & Resources, Insurance & Reinsurance and Shipping.

The role

In this interesting and varied intermediate level role you will work at Partner level across commodities and shipping matters, supporting the teams by tapping in to all aspects of your secretarial, admin and legal knowledge. As a high performing and enthusiastic Legal Secretary, your responsibilities will include:

• Diary management including meeting room bookings, restaurant bookings, arranging client appointments and phone conferences
• Title, lease and ASIC searches using InfoTrack
• Matter management including opening new matters, drafting CCLs and fee estimates
• Expense reconciliation
• Assisting with event management for seminars
• Booking domestic and international travel via our agent, liaising with 3rd parties, applying for Visas and co-ordinating trips with other offices
• Complex document management including amendments to documents, using track changes and multiple document comparisons
• Liaison with clients, matter parties and consultants as well as internal and external stakeholders;
• Monthly billing, liaising with Finance team, running debtor lists and debtor chase ups
• Casual staff rostering and co-ordination

About you

The ideal candidate will:

• Have a great can-do attitude and a genuine interest in supporting fee earners
• Have at least 3+ years experience working as a legal secretary, assistant or PA
• Be willing to go above and beyond what is expected to deliver outstanding fee earner support
• Be efficient and demonstrate excellent time management
• Know how to prioritise, be organised and efficient
• Desire for longevity in legal support roles
• Have excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Understand that providing outstanding client service is paramount