Legal Executive Assistant

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

A LEA works alongside industry-leading lawyers to serve as a lawyer’s right hand and joins the practice as an integral member of the group.  A LEA plays a vital role in managing day-to-day activities by managing the flow of information while screening, organizing and prioritizing requests from both internal and external clients. Being a LEA at Ropes & Gray is a challenging and rewarding career ideal for a self-starter with high energy who can work independently and identify creative solutions to complex business problems.

Responsibilities

 Supports and demonstrates fluency in the Firm's Trusted Advisor and Proactive Assistance programs.

• Demonstrates a professional demeanor in appearance and behavior. Maintains strict confidentiality in all interactions. Possesses strong interpersonal skills. Demonstrates a solid ability to communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Possesses exceptional verbal and written communication skills adhering to proper business writing standards. Demonstrates a keen eye for detail in informal and formal communications.
• Maintains a positive and professional attitude at all times.
• Reliable and dependable business partner, colleague, and teammate.
• Works effectively with other departments, seeking solutions to business problems.
• Demonstrates an intellectual curiosity and continuous drive to improve service.
• Demonstrates an openness to constructive feedback and a flexibility to adjust behavior or performance as needed.
• Fosters open and frequent communication with teammates to ensure smooth and expeditious support to assigned lawyers.
• Cross-trains teammates and openly shares best practices, ensuring same first-class service.
• Provides superior client service with internal and external clients displaying a proactive, "can do" attitude when meeting individuals, answering telephone calls, and acting on behalf of the lawyers.
• Acts as the gatekeeper prioritizing conflicting needs. Handles matters confidentially, expeditiously, proactively and independently and follows through on tasks until successful completion. Suggests new processes/procedures to expedite projects and day-to-day workflow.
• Demonstrates intimate knowledge of assignments work habits and preferences. Anticipates needs and shepherds work forward with limited direction.
• Develops strong understanding of (assigned lawyer's) practice and clients. Maintains a professional relationship with other legal counsel, courts, agencies and professional organizations on behalf of the attorney keeping up-to-date client contacts in InterAction, as well as, detailed client/matter lists.
• Works closely with, and effectively manages, assigned lawyers' practice to keep him/her well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up appropriately. 
• Captures business development on a weekly basis. 
• Manages travel for attorneys.

 Billing Management

• Efficiently reconciles and processes expenses. Reviews inbox, diary entries, calendar and other items to classify business and personal expenses. Reviews Chrome River and American Express Card to allocate expense items. Obtains original receipts from lawyers in hand or other means, if available. Collaborates with internal or external resources to address all outstanding Chrome River or AMEX items within payment window, runninginquiries when necessary.
• Actively manages timekeepers' diaries. Creates draft entries based on knowledge of lawyer activity, review of inbox, diary entries or other knowledge. Edits and reviews entries to ensure conformity to best practices. Proactively manages lawyers to ensure entries meet submission deadlines. Obtains subject matter expert level knowledge of the billing process. Proactively communicates and collaborates with assigned billing coordinato