Senior PA (IP Disputes) – 12 month FTC

Our IP Disputes team is seeking an experienced Senior PA. You'll provide high level support to a the Service Line Leader and team of Fee earners. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual seeking a new challenge in an exciting and busy environment.

This is 12 month fixed term position, with working hours of 9.30am-5.30pm, based at our London office, although we are happy to consider some home working for this position too.

The Team

The team advises on copyright and database rights holders and users, to manage, enforce, protect and exploit rights across a range of creative industries. The team has a specific focus on IP matters in the tech, media and comms, retail, automotive and life sciences sectors. We have specific expertise in digital copyright matters and have acted in several cases involving the communication and distribution rights in the digital sphere.

We act for a broad range of clients, from leading businesses to innovative start-ups, including cutting-edge games developers, price-comparison sites, newspaper publishers, retailers and internet service providers, helping them make the most of their copyright and database rights. We have particular experience in online content distribution, advising on new technologies and the liability and obligations of online intermediaries.

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 270 Partners and more than 900 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

What you'll do

PA responsibilities to support the Service Line Leader

• Play a key role in supporting the Service Line Leader for the IP disputes service line
• Arrange, manage and attend meetings throughout each month actively taking and circulating notes and following up on actions
• Support the Service Line Leader with all Business Development initiatives and marketing events; promote and be a champion for keeping our marketing database/VIP lists up-to-date; assist with the collation of information for directory submissions; assist with the preparation of presentation and pitch documents; track pitches; introductions/referrals
• Be responsible for registering team members at events and conferences.
• Deal with invoices and payments with our finance team, record expenditure on our BD budget spreadsheet
• Process expense reclaim forms, creating and adding InterAction reports to accompany them if necessary
• Develop strong working relationships with the team; anticipate, mitigate and resolve potential client relationship issues or concerns, often directly with client contacts
• Proactively take responsibility for the organisation of all travel arrangements and itineraries
• Draft short correspondence and communications; demonstrate excellent IT skills, with the ability to amend and format large and complex documents
• Identify opportunities, actively contribute and be involved with ad-hoc projects as given by the Service Line Leader and D&R Operations team.

PA responsibilities to support the team

• Provide proactive support in terms of mailbox/file management and all diary commitments for the team
• Arrange, manage and attend meetings throughout each month actively taking and circulating notes and following up on actions
• Assist with the file opening/client due diligence process where necessary; set up new matters, draft engagement letters
• Play an active role in managing and taking responsibility for the monthly billing process, to include completing proformas (deal with any time transfers, divide/combine time entries and apply correct charge-out rates if necessary); amend bill narratives; track specific billing arrangements; send invoices on behalf of each fee earner; prepare matter manager and client reports; deal with internal and external queries; work closely and attend meetings with each fee earner and our finance team
• Support the team with all Business Development initiatives and marketing events; promote and be a champion for keeping our marketing database/VIP lists up-to-date; assist with the collation of information for directory submissions; assist with the preparation of presentation and pitch documents; track pitches; introductions/referrals
• Be responsible for registering team members at events and conferences. Deal with invoices and payments with our finance team, record expenditure on our BD budget spreadsheet
• Process expense reclaim forms, creating and adding InterAction reports to accompany them if necessary
• Develop strong working relationships with our team of partners and lawyers; anticipate, mitigate and resolve potential client relationship issues or concerns, often directly with client contacts
• Proactively take responsibility for the organisation of all travel arrangements and itineraries
• Draft short correspondence and communications; demonstrate excellent IT skills, with the ability to amend and format large and complex documents
• Identify opportunities, actively contribute and be involved with ad-hoc projects as given by the team
• Work closely with the other PAs in the team, covering for absences, as and when required

In addition, this individual will:

• Role model flexibility and openness to change; be decisive, responsible and take ownership of tasks
• Work closely with the Disputes & Risk practice management team to improve team efficiencies, communications, management of work-in-progress and roll-out of IT applications and improved working practices
• Support and assist the Operations Manager and the Senior PA Resource Co-Ordinator in the development and effectiveness of PA and administrative working practices and efficiencies

We are looking for

We are looking for an individual with strong PA experience and a proactive work ethic. The position requires someone with drive and ambition, who is able to use their own initiative, have first class organisation skills and be an integral team player. Flexibility, diversity and proactive positivity are key attributes. You'll also be able to demonstrate:

• An enthusiastic and positive approach
• The ability to work under pressure with little supervision
• Excellent time and performance management
• The ability to pay close attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Confidentiality, discretion and diplomacy

Excellent IT skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

Our recruitment process

We welcome direct applications for our opportunities - if you would like any further information about this role or the firm, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact, in complete confidence, Tim Jenkins (Recruitment Advisor) on +44 117 917 3666 or email tim.jenkins@osborneclarke.com.

Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.

We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks - not to mention our great teams - are a part of making that a reality.

*Services in India are provided by a relationship firm]]>