Executive Assistant - Rail & Real Estate

This role is for a proactive and highly competent Executive Assistant (EA) who will operate successfully in a pressurised and fast-paced environment. The ability to collaborate with fee earners and clients, provide professional and client-focused support, and build effective relationships, are key to the success of this role.

Responsibilities will include undertaking complex tasks and projects, providing transactional support, and playing a critical role in managing all routine and daily administrative tasks. A flexible and adaptable attitude is essential - as is the ability to take ownership, drive processes and support change within the business.

Main Responsibilities

Administrative

• Proactively manage, control and fully understand fee earner diary using discretion and business knowledge to prioritise commitments. This will include extensive arrangements of appointments, conferences and meetings across different time zones and offices, using different processes and IT infrastructure (videoconferencing, tele-conferencing, client office software etc.).


• Develop and maintain a robust file management system for all electronic and hard copy correspondence, and documents, ensuring adherence to naming conventions policy.


• Liaising regularly with fee earners to identify work commitments, prioritising workloads accordingly.


• Prepare for all meetings, including preparation of all pre-reading documentation (if appropriate), follow up and coordinate all meeting actions, ensure they are properly recorded and dealt with, including any necessary follow-up communications.


• Travel arrangements including liaison with travel company, arranging visas, booking travel and accommodation, arranging currency, preparing itineraries, ensuring compliance with the firm's Travel Policy at all times


• Coordinate and assist with global visitors.


• Arrange photocopying, printing, scanning, organising post and couriers, etc


• Ensuring partner PDPRs are up to date


Client relationship management

• Build strong and effective relationships with, and develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of, internal and external clients and their teams


• Support lawyers in marketing activities including research and obtaining client information and data, as well as involvement in preparation of pitches and presentations


• Support the internal business development team by undertaking an event secretary role, managing the e-alert process, assisting with legal directory administration and delegating tasks appropriately


• Proactively maintain and update the client relationship management system, ensuring any follow-ups are actioned


• Attend and contribute to team meetings as required, detail and progress action points as appropriate


Financial


• Ensure all new client/matter onboarding processes are completed accurately, following up as appropriate and adhering to risk and compliance requirements at all times


• Coordinate and action the production of accurate compliance documents (including drafting engagement letters, critical information and collection proforma, etc.)


• Attend and actively participate in WIP and credit control meetings, undertaking and driving actions as agreed


• Produce and review WIP reports, identifying matters for billing, write-offs, debtors and client credits


• Manage partners' billing processes: agreeing billing dates, gathering disbursements, initiating prebills, complete billing checklist (to include: time transfers, write-offs, applying discounts, returns to WIP, producing drafts and updating Expert as appropriate). Submitting prebills for approval


• Preparing covering emails/letters, and ensure completed invoices are despatched in a timely manner and uploaded into delivered bills


• Using Aderant to assist fee earners with financial queries, producing reports if required


• Ensuring disbursements and all client payments are processed accurately, having completed all relevant pre-checks


• Undertake client audits and prepare draft documentation


• Ensure expenses, receipts and contact reports are completed, uploaded and filed appropriately


Communication


• Act as gatekeeper for fee earners, taking appropriate messages and ensuring they are passed on/followed up appropriately


• Using own initiative to manage post and email accounts: screening, prioritising and dealing with incoming emails and post in fee earners absence; develop and maintain systems to promote efficiency


• Draft high-quality correspondence, engagement letters, documents, agendas, presentations and spreadsheets or other (non-legal) correspondence on behalf of fee earners, actioning responses if appropriate


Document and File Management


• Proactively delegating document production and dictation transcription to appropriate resource, providing appropriate timeframes for work and checking returned work if required


• Actively filing documents appropriately within iManage, ensuring compliance with the Stephenson Harwood naming conventions policy


• Following the Records Management policy and procedure, undertaking regular records management of files and papers for fee earners, ensuring all documents are recorded electronically and recording original documents in the Records Management system prior to off-site storage


• Undertake regular file reviews, closing finished matters when appropriate


Additional Responsibilities

• Proactively identify areas of responsibility and tasks to take ownership of the same


• Drive processes through to delivery via appropriate workflows (i.e. partners, business service teams, etc.)


• Support additional stakeholders and colleagues as and when required


• Identify and facilitate knowledge sharing within peer group and wider team


• Mentoring and coaching junior members of the team


• Identifying areas for continuous improvement and implementing solutions


• Maintain strong knowledge of own practice, key matters, business issues and 'hot topics; so that appropriate priority is given to queries and requests.


Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.


• Excellent academic background


• Advanced Microsoft Office skills


• Commercial and financial acumen


• A thorough understanding of working in a professional, service driven environment and stakeholder/client/business confidentiality


• Confident and professional manner with the ability to build strong relationship with fee earners and clients


• Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact at all levels


• Collaborative and supportive of the business and its initiatives


• Adaptable and open to change showing a willingness and confidence to make suggestions for change where appropriate


• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail


• Ability to remain proactive and flexible at all times


• Reliable, hardworking, work to tight deadlines and have the ability to remain calm when under pressure


• Anticipate and identify potential problems and provide innovative solutions


• A strong team player
  
  With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions, and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.


Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values:

Individuality - We encourage creativity and develop talent

Commitment - To be the best and deliver the highest standard

Teamwork - We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking - We say what we mean and do what we say

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.

This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character - the attributes we want to see from all of our people. It also reflects the importance of remaining independent - a clear sign that we are confident in our own future. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.