Legal Solutions Manager – Freshfields, Manchester
Apply here by 31 March 2021
Freshfields Overview
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a major international law firm, providing business law advice of the highest quality. We want to be the law firm that clients turn to for legal advice where it most matters, wherever in the world that may be. The Firm has over 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world, providing a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments.
Our people make our firm – we are a people business and want to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all can flourish. We see diversity as a strength which creates fresh perspectives and generates new ideas. We enjoy our work and are determined to do an outstanding job. We deliver best when working in teams. Our culture is a product of the combined mindsets and behaviours of our people which is through the Being Freshfields principles, outlined below:
- we show respect to everyone
- we are there for one another
- we are open with each other
- we are positive role models
We think and work globally – we don’t just say we are one firm; we act like one firm right across the world. We work wherever our clients need us. This is how we define ourselves, not by reference to where we have offices. Cross-border work isn’t just what we do, it is what we excel at. We understand what it really takes to work across different legal systems and commercial environments and to bridge language and cultural gaps.
We aim to add value in everything we do – we are passionate about helping our clients succeed. We use our experience and creativity to help clients make judgements and achieve their goals. In everything we do, we seek to make a real difference to the communities in which we operate.
The Freshfields Global Centre provides both business and legal services to the firm. Our services are delivered in a way which supports the global nature of our firm and our clients, enables our fee earners to deliver exceptional service to our clients and to do that in a way which is efficient and effective.
Freshfields is committed to promoting equality and diversity and to developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds make important and positive contributions to our business and how we service our clients.
Freshfields Hub provides transactional support to the global firm, using established processes and procedures to ensure consistent and high-quality work.
Role summary
The Legal Solutions Manager is responsible for the management of new matters received into the Hub and the quality of work delivered by the Legal Solutions Specialists (LSS). They will be responsible for delivering work using project management principles and workflow tools to ensure work is delivered to our fee earners expectations. They will also perform people management duties within allocated teams. In addition will also be required to provide input to the development and continuous improvement of the processes and documentation used by the Hub.
Key responsibilities and deliverables
Overseeing and managing the workload of their team
- Gaining clarification of work instructions when necessary.
- Assuring the quality and consistency of the work delivered by their team by ensuring guidance documentation is used, quality control checking is in place and personally reviewing work before it is returned to the fee earner.
- Ensuring fee earner expectations are managed and facilitating a smooth flow of work between their team and fee earners to ensure seamless end to end delivery.
- Coordinating the smooth handover of work from their team to another team of Legal Solution Specialists if required by working hours constraints or work volume.
Continuous Improvement:
- Pro-actively gathering feedback from fee earners to contribute to the continuous improvement of the work delivered and tackling underperformance noted in feedback.
- Ensuring new firm wide or department specific improvement initiatives or guidelines are implemented by their team.
- Attending regular meetings with other Legal Solution Managers and the Senior Legal Solution Managers to ensure a high quality, consistent service across all teams.
- Responsible for the promotion of agreed changes to established processes by their team.
- Contributing to the continuous improvement of the overall service provided by the Hub by refining and updating relevant policies and procedures and standardising/documenting working procedures as required.
People Management and Development:
- Line management responsibilities for their team of Legal Solution Specialists, including annual appraisals, interim reviews and performance management.
- Responsible for assisting with the training, marking of new recruits and the continuous development of their team.
- Initial point of contact for any issues arising concerning Legal Solutions Specialists in their team, resolving these when possible and escalating them when necessary.
Key requirements
Essential:
- Candidates have completed the LPC or BPTC or be overseas qualified, or equivalent.
- Previous paralegal experience (particularly in the areas of finance and/or corporate law).
Technical requirements
Essential:
- Experience of working with, and preferably managing, paralegals and/or trainees.
- Strong computer skills and experience in using MS Office tools (in particular Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet Explorer).
Preferred:
- Experience of leading teams in an environment with a focus on Continuous Improvement.
- Experience of using a legal document management system.
- Experience of using document review tools and systems and any legal tech.
- Experience of using a workflow/case management tool.
Competencies
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to listen, clarify and share information easily.
- The ability to build strong working relationships and to be able to persuade and influence a range of people at all levels.
- Identifies and communicates opportunities to improve the way that work is done.
- A diplomatic and adaptable team working style and works collaboratively with colleagues.
- Strong commercial awareness.
- Dedicated to meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
- Flexibility in approach and an ability to manage through change.
- Resilient and able to remain calm and positive under pressure and when dealing with ambiguity.
- Is delivery focussed and drives forward quality of service.
- Actively manages personal learning and development and that of others.
- Decisive and mature in judgement.
- A commitment to the highest level of integrity.
- Focuses on finding the right solutions and problem solving.
- Able to delegate and deliver work through others.
- Excellent resource allocation and planning ability.
- Demonstrates an empathetic approach when dealing with others.
- Ability to coach individual team members and create a high performing team.
- An understanding of working across cultural boundaries.
Inclusion
Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing. Please note that, in line with the requirements of the UK Border Agency, non-EEA candidates may not be appointed to a post if a suitably qualified, experienced and skilled EEA candidate can fill the position.
Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.
Apply here by 31 March 2021
