Legal Administrative Assistant

Legal Administrative Assistant

Toronto, ON, CA

Aug 16, 2024

Dentons is designed to be different. Our firm leads the way in a rapidly changing legal marketplace. We challenge the status quo and deliver consistent results as well as uncompromising quality and value to our clients.

Our global presence is renowned as a firm with over 21,000 individuals in more than 200 offices serving clients across 80+ countries.

Dentons Canada is committed to its people and communities. We are consistently recognized as an employer of choice having received numerous awards including being selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2024);

Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2024), and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2024).

This role is an opportunity for you to join the world’s largest law firm, a firm that offers opportunities to build your career while growing your skills and deepening your expertise.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Legal Assistant will support lawyers and a Senior Manager within the Privacy Group , as well as support and manage the practice of the National Practice Group Lead (NPGL) for Privacy and Cybersecurity .

The Legal Assistant must demonstrate strong technical skills and knowledge to accurately and efficiently manage the production demands of the practice and also possess proven abilities to proactively support the management of the practice, including client relationship management.

The position will require a polished, confident and reliable assistant who is able to manage multiple priorities. You are highly organized, proactive, and have a client first approach to work.

You are professional and possess a high degree of business maturity and are an active partner in developing and managing the practice.

Generally, the hours of work are from 9 am to 5 pm., however, due to the nature of the role some pre-authorized overtime and flexibility in core hours may be required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Correspondence / Document management :

• Accurately prepare and edit correspondence, reports, minutes and presentations and other documents as required
• Updating and maintaining client / matter lists and current client contact records electronically to meet Dentons’ requirements

File management, timekeeping and billing :

• Entering and maintaining lawyer’s dockets and coordinating with the Accounting Department, when necessary; preparing detailed billings, and assisting in the management of WIP and AR reports
• File opening and closing, and general management of files
• Preparing and updating cheque requisitions and expense reports
• Maintaining and organizing files, both electronic and hard copy as required

Practice management generally :

• Provide support for meetings, including driving agendas, transcribing meeting minutes, executing action steps, and coordinating meeting requirements
• Assess the urgency and importance of situations and take the appropriate action
• Act as a resource to both internal and external contacts
• Develop relationships with all internal stakeholders and act as a liaison between lawyer / clients and colleagues to facilitate work and accomplish objectives in a collaborative effort
• Dealing with and responding to client inquiries expeditiously and conducting follow up; keeping the lawyers apprised of interactions in their absence
• Competently utilize the Firm’s technology and tools
• Processing incoming and outgoing mail, including timely filing and management of email, and managing bring forward

NPGL practice management :

Manage the NPGL calendar by scheduling appointments, changing meetings as required, planning and anticipating the NPGLs needs.

Maintain a system to track items requiring follow-up and follow-through

• Develop a full working knowledge of the firm's structure, the NPGL’s line of business, key personnel and organizational policies and procedures.
• Support Group budget management activities i.e. prepare and submit expense reports, prepare spreadsheets
• Manage the calendar, calls, mail, e-mails, meetings and domestic and international travel for the NPGL and coordinate events originating from that position
• Support the NPGL in holding others accountable to timelines and commitments by ensuring follow up as required
• Juggle multiple competing tasks and demands keeping focused on priorities and deadlines and assisting NPGL to do the same
• Maintain a list of active files, their current statuses, and plans for their progression or any pending tasks and hold regular stand-up meeting with the NPGL to advance the files
• Support the NPGL with delegation of files and development of a plan for distribution of work to team members

General administrative :

Duties such as scheduling appointments and meetings, photocopying materials, booking meeting rooms, making travel arrangements, etc.

working with other related Departments / services internally to provide documents and other materials on time to meet client needs

• Ensuring strict adherence to confidentiality; accountability in relation to both internal and external clients to achieve outputs and goals for the Department and the Firm
• Other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS

• Legal Assistant diploma or college certificate in office or business administration or equivalent
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a legal assistant or as an assistant supporting leadership with experience ideally acquired in a professional services environment
• Ability to produce a high quality and quantity of work, occasionally under tight timelines
• Able to meet deadlines, work well under pressure and take initiative using sound judgment
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and technically savvy
• Knowledge of accounting / time entry systems (Intapp Time) and document management systems (Elite and iManage)
• Excellent organizational and follow up skills; ability to exercise sound judgment in setting priorities
• Professional client and telephone manner and a proven track record of working with confidential information
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
• Must have excellent problem solving skills, and the ability to work with little instruction
• Responsive and proactive
• Demonstrated commitment to privacy and ethical conduct

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

At Dentons we are committed to offering equitable and competitive pay, we achieve this by aligning internal salary ranges for specific roles to similar positions in the external market.

In the normal course, our practice is to hire, transfer and promote employees within the entry part of our range, adjusting as needed based on the prior experience, skills and competencies required for the role along with any market differentials.

Recognizing our exceptional talent means providing a comprehensive total rewards package beyond a competitive salary. We have curated our employee benefits portfolio to offer inclusive and comprehensive wellbeing and developmental programs for our people.

With extended benefits and mental health plans, paid time off, savings plans, fitness subsidy, parental leave top up and more, our benefits are flexible, aligned to our core values and supports the various needs of our people.

Additionally, our personal and professional development programs include people networks, mentorships, and leadership series programming to help people grow their career.

Note : Availability of the benefits and perks may be subject to your location and employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements.

Dentons reserves the right to alter these programs and offerings in whole or in part at any time without advance notice.

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Dentons Canada, inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) are not just ancillary values, they are foundational to our business.

We believe that ID&E is essential to the shared success of our team and our clients. Our forward-thinking and inclusive culture supports the professional development of all our people, enhances the leading services we offer to our clients, and informs our commitment to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.

As a testament to our commitment to ID&E, we have been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employer’s for 12 consecutive years (2011-2022), as well as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2022) for the fifth time.

Dentons Canada is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome your application. All employment decisions, including hiring, will be made without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, colour, creed, disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender assigned at birth, gender identity, marital status, place of origin, race, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable human rights legislation.

We are committed to providing you with an inclusive, barrier-free and accessible workplace to support your success. Should you require accommodation during the recruitment process, for example as a result of a disability, please contact us at .