The Department

The pace of change in the business world has never been greater. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, new thinking, technology and business models have shaken up the old and made possible ideas that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.The Innovation Department brings together expertise from across the Firm, allowing a new level of collaboration and a focus on meeting the needs of clients in diverse and dynamic sectors. Our legal knowledge is underpinned by the latest technology to create better insights, better levels of customer service and increased efficiency for our clients.

The practices within the Innovation Department include those that are well established, recognised as being at the top of their game by the legal industry, and those that we have created in recent years as clients have come to us with new problems to solve and value models to create.

We offer a relentless curiosity for our clients' businesses and sectors, and a passion for finding new ways to help them meet their goals. We have an innate understanding of what drives those creating new ideas, because that's what we are doing within our own business every day.

The Role

The Practice & Tech Administrator is a team focused role, based within a practice area in one of the Firm's fee-earning departments, where the role holder will also be a key point of contact for Tech matters within the team.

The Practice & Tech Administrator will work as part of the Legal Operations team to provide timely and high quality administrative/co-ordination support to a group of lawyers. This is a varied role, involving client contact, working as part of a friendly and high-performing team providing great service to our lawyers, and ultimately, the Firm's clients. In addition the Practice & Tech Administrator will be highly skilled in the Technology systems used in their teams, and will have a particular interest in new technology, and will work with the Technology and Strategy teams to test and design new systems, as well as working closely with the Academy Tech learning team to identify training needs within the team.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To build a good understanding of the practice's clients and work, how these align with the Department's business strategy and that of the Firm.
• Acting as a first point of contact on behalf of the fee-earners, fielding calls, emails, correspondence and meeting requests (both internally and from clients), responding on behalf of the fee-earner, if appropriate.
• Full calendar management for assigned lawyers, including scheduling calls/meetings (ensuring all supporting papers/information are available for each meeting), looking ahead and following-up as needed to ensure best use is made of fee-earners time).
• To support fee-earners in the smooth running of the client/matter lifecycle, following documented procedures, ensuring all required information/documentation is obtained, issued and correctly stored on the Firm's systems. This will involve pro-actively chasing fee-earners and their clients for any missing information as well as full management of client files etc.
• To develop a strong working knowledge of the Firm's billing systems, including processes, IT systems and specialist support available internally, to support the fee-earners in being able to prepare and issue timely and accurate bills to clients.
• Supporting fee-earners with monitoring and addressing unpaid bills, liaising with Credit Control as required.
• Full management of travel and expenses for assigned fee-earners, ensuring business travel is booked via the Firm's in-house provider. This will include both routine and more complex travel arrangements, ensuring that fee-earners are provided with full itineraries, supporting materials and that business expenses are captured, approved and processed for payment in line with policy.
• Ensuring all documents are maintained and filed in line with the Firm's electronic and hard copy filing protocols.
• Prepare, amend and proofread documents (e.g. letters, reports, attendance notes, memos, emails, pitch, presentations, articles etc. ensuring these are produced in the Firm's house style, and that they are retained and filed accurately.
• Assisting fee-earners keeping their LinkedIn and Mishcon profiles up to date.
• Organising business breakfasts, dinners or smaller events and ensuring that business expenses are captured, approved and processed for payment in line with policy. Researching company/client information and biographies.
• Assisting fee-earners logging referrals and contacts to Interaction.
• Supporting the fee-earning teams in using existing tools and technology (including giving access, providing admin support etc.)
• Contributing to requirements gathering for new technology and solutions, including testing and providing active feedback.
• Facilitating testing and engaging other members of the team in any pilots for new technology.
• Contributing to training and engagement planning for new technology and solutions, in collaboration with the Tech, Strategy and Academy Tech Learning teams.
• Supporting the rollout of new technology and solutions.
• Being actively involved in the MDR LAB programme as and when required.
• Ongoing involvement in technology product development, including identifying new use cases for existing technology. Working closely with the Academy tech learning team to identify training needs for Legal Operations training on Tech subject matter, and to act as a key point of contact between both teams as well seeking and providing feedback.
• If hired within the team, collaborating with Administrative Assistants to ensure that they provide support with filing and archiving, scanning, photocopying, updating contacts on Interaction and arranging couriers etc.
• Liaising with other internal departments (to obtain specialist input as needed, taking ownership of issues and following up where appropriate.
• When required stepping up to cover Practice Assistants or working flexibly across other Legal Operations teams as needed.

Skills/Experience

• Previous experience gained in an administrative role supporting a team in a similar professional services environment (ideally legal).
• Excellent IT skills across a broad range of MS Office and other business management applications, with a natural affinity for Tech and the ability to share knowledge with others in its use.
• Previous experience in a role that has involved some responsibility for testing or supporting the rollout of new technology and solutions would be highly desirable.
• Strong time management skills; will need to juggle a number of tasks at any given time, plan ahead, and have the ability to re-prioritise and adapt to changes in requirements.
• Previous experience managing calendars for multiple individuals, with the ability to apply judgement and common sense to ensure the best use of people's time is made, and that any potential diary clashes are pro-actively identified and addressed.
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to deliver work to a consistently high standard of precision (even under pressure) in an environment where accuracy is prized.
• A flexible approach to work: able to respond positively and willingly to changes to requirements, schedules, work required etc.
• Organised and methodical, and able to operate effectively within structured work processes, in particular, with compliance/quality control frameworks.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with a range of people and working styles.
• A strong team player, willing to take on work for additional fee-earners and/or help with other tasks as needed in order to meet the needs of the business.
• Able to communicate effectively, with warmth and professionalism, to clients and colleagues both orally and in writing, including drafting business emails/correspondence.
• High levels of discretion, with the ability to deal effectively with sensitive or confidential information.
• Previous experience using bespoke in-house systems (e.g. client contact databases, matter management systems, billing systems etc.) with the willingness and potential.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

About The Mishcon de Reya Group

The Mishcon de Reya Group is an independent, international professional services business with law at its heart, employing over 1450 people with over 650 lawyers. It includes the law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP and a collection of leading consultancy businesses that complement the firm's legal services.

Mishcon de Reya LLP is based in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore and Hong Kong (through its association with Karas So LLP). The firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply. Its work is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, spanning seven core practice areas: Corporate; Dispute Resolution; Employment; Impact; Innovation; Private; and Real Estate.

The Mishcon de Reya Group includes consultancy businesses MDR Discover, MDR Mayfair (in London, Singapore and Dubai), MDR ONE, MDRi (in Hong Kong) and MDRx. The Group also includes MDR Lab, which invests in the most promising early stage legaltech companies as well as the Mishcon Academy, its in-house place of learning and platform for thought leadership.

Earlier this year, the Group announced its first strategic acquisition in the alternative legal services market, flexible legal resourcing business Flex Legal. It also acquired a majority stake in Somos, a global group actions management business.

We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk about flexible working.

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