Department: Legal Support Location: Toronto Role: Team Leader, Legal Support Reporting to: Legal Support Manager,
Canada Status: this is an exempt position (not overtime
eligible); supervisory and hands-on as needed
The Team
To ensure the legal support team meet the demands of the firm and its
clients. This role will be responsible for the successful delivery of
a high-quality, client-focused legal support service for the Toronto
office's practice areas including commercial litigation, insurance
litigation, insurance defense and coverage disputes, professional
liability, product liability, etc. through the operational day-to-day
management of Legal Assistants (about 10), while continuing to offer
direct legal support as needed. They will work closely with all
members of the team and other Team Leaders focusing on understanding
the business and practice needs, working with the Legal Support
Manager and fee earners to deliver appropriately excellent client
focused support services. This role involves working onsite at
the office a minimum of 3 days per week.
Key Responsibilities
People Management
Manage individual performance of allocated support resources
including regular progress meetings and career conversations
Ensure the smooth induction of new starters and supporting the
Legal Support Manager in ensuring awareness and understanding
of HR, department and client specific policies, procedures,
and information
Act as a coach to develop the team to the highest standards
Identify appropriate training to support personal development
through feedback, performance management and continued
assessment of training needs
Ensuring care and wellbeing for the Legal Assistants
Management of Support Services
Manage legal support teams with a focus on service delivery and
excellence; coordinate and resolve issues relating to workflow
to ensure deadlines are met, resource availability, working
relationships, service delivery and HR matters
Manage resource allocation following absences, holidays etc. to
ensure service levels are maintained with a fair distribution
of workload and cover
Work closely with other Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers to
support wider group. Ensure full understanding of the groups aims
and objectives
Develop relationships and proactively manage services around
agreed SLAs, and ensure successful team management and
workflow allocations
Responsible for ensuring the prioritization of work appropriately,
balancing fee earning work and capacity, liaising with other Team
Leaders and Legal Support Managers on peaks and troughs of activity
Identify head count issues to Legal Support Managers and work to
create effective solutions and work-sharing
Participate in the recruitment and selection process for team members
Keep abreast of issues, anticipate changes in demand/regulatory
changes and effect timely interventions to address the changes,
working with Legal Support Managers to introduce these into the service
Proactively and flexibly work with the other Team Leaders to
improve the quality and efficiency of legal support services
provided to the business, ensuring consistency of approach
Participate in legal support team meetings
Maintain appropriate statistics to fit the requirements of SLA
report monitoring
Approval of time off, absences, overtime etc
Develop and manage the current services being provided as well as
considering future changes in line with technology changes and the
changing needs of our clients/the business, and liaise with other
Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers on suggested adjustments
Liaise with other Team Leaders and Legal Support Managers to
co-ordinate desk allocations, moves and changes in conjunction
with IT and Workplace Services.
Ensuring high standards of service are consistently maintained and developed.
Quality of Service
Drive the delivery of exceptional client service, quality and
consistency across team members and ensure processes are developed
positively, with best practice shared with other Team Leaders, Legal
Support Managers, and colleagues across the region
Ensure full compliance by the legal teams of our policies and
procedures (e.g. Compliance, ISO, Finance), engaging with
other offices/regions where appropriate
Actively support and be a champion for department/firm
initiatives, engaging with other offices/regions where appropriate
where appropriate and driving implementation of changes
Participate in department projects, adopting common project
methodologies from initiation to completion and ensuring
business requirements, objectives and anticipated benefits are
understood and achieved
Any other duties as required, commensurate with the level of the post
Essential Skills & Experience
Legal Assistant Diploma/Certificate from a Community College or
the equivalent
A minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience as a senior legal assistant
Prior managerial experience is preferred
Excellent communication skills with the ability to quickly
establish credible relationships at all levels
Impeccable English grammar and knowledge of the Ontario Rules of
Civil Procedure
Ability to balance conflicting priorities, be alert to potential
problems and challenge working practices; Proactive and collaborative
Confidential and discreet but able to redirect information when
appropriate to ensure areas of concern are resolved efficiently and effectively
Ability to work within and manage effective working processes
excellent service delivery
Ability to lead, motivate and develop people and act as a role model
Attention to detail and the highest quality standards
Resilient with the ability to manage or escalate difficult
situations effectively and stay calm under pressure
Good influencing skills
Customer service focused Technical Skills
Leadership traits and excellent communication skills
Demonstrable suitability to work in a management role and an
ability to communicate effectively at all levels
Ability to build and maintain excellent working relationships with
all staff levels
Advanced Microsoft Office skills
The Firm
Clyde & Co is a leading global law firm, specialising in the
sectors that underpin global trade and commercial activity, namely:
insurance, transport, construction, energy, trade and commodities. It
is globally integrated, offering a comprehensive range of contentious
and non-contentious legal services and commercially-minded legal
advice to businesses operating across the world. Clyde & Co is
committed to operating in a responsible way. This means progressing
towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the diversity
of its communities and clients, using its legal skills to support its
communities through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable
partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment. The
firm has 480 partners, 2400 lawyers, 3200 legal professionals and 5000
people overall in over 60 offices and associated offices worldwide.
Our Values
Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite
us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for our clients and
our firm. We:
Work as one We are a globally connected team of
talented people who act with a firm-first mentality to achieve success
Excel with clients We aim high and challenge
ourselves to deliver unique excellence for our clients, keeping them
at the centre of everything we do
Celebrate difference We help each other to be at
our best and believe our differences result in greater achievement
Act boldly We seek new opportunities, take action
and learn as we go, recognising that curiosity drives our
development and contributes to growth
This is the job description as constituted at present; however the
Firm reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the
changing needs of the business.
