Senior Legal Executive Assistant

Job Summary

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

Based in Houston, the Senior Legal Executive Assistant will support a senior transactional partner, practice group leader, and office head.  The partner has a busy practice, holds leadership positions within the law firm, and engages in a substantial amount of business development activities.  The Assistant will support the partner in each of these roles with equal importance and involvement, requiring a well-rounded set of skills. This Assistant will work closely with other personnel and departments in the local office and across the firm. The Assistant will also interact with clients and professionals outside the firm, serving as a representative of the partner.

The firm’s Senior Legal Executive Assistants are responsible for working with their assigned partner to provide the highest level of legal and administrative support and practice coordination.  The role of the Senior Legal Executive Assistant is more strategic than transactional – meaning that they have demonstrated experience in anticipating needs, seeing around corners, and ultimately adding commercial value to the assigned partner’s practice. The Assistant must take initiative and ownership, working both independently and collaboratively.

The Senior Legal Executive Assistant reports to the Legal Administrative Services Manager. The Assistant takes daily direction from the assigned partner and the Director of Administration.

**This position requires a five-day, in-office work schedule, with additional offsite work on weekdays and weekends as business needs require.

Responsibilities include:

• Providing one-on-one executive legal support to your assigned partner.
• Collaborating closely with assigned partner to effectively manage and “quarterback” the day-to-day coordination of the partner’s practice and leadership responsibilities.
• Actively managing the partner’s email inbox, responding to emails on the partner’s behalf, strategic business travel planning including recommending meetings with clients/contacts for the trip, directly assisting with business development activities and research, proactively facilitating with deadlines, billings and client matter management.
• Liaising regularly with other firm departments to ensure the smooth operation of the partner’s business.
• Ability to work with other firm Executive Assistants and Legal Assistants, as needed on projects and for back-up support.
• Managing a broad range of complex administrative duties, such as scheduling meetings, preparing reports and meeting materials, furnishing information, responding to substantive correspondence, assisting with technical support, processing expense reports, and handling emails and telephone calls.
• Managing client onboarding, billing, and relationship management activities. Requires the ability to communicate directly with clients in-person, via telephone and by email.  Assist with client entertainment and development activities both in advance, onsite, and with follow up.
• Organizing complex domestic/international travel arrangements, with detailed itineraries both personal and professional. Coordinating flights, hotel accommodations, car service, visas, dining reservations, etc.
• Billing and invoicing and engagement letters with clients.
• Assisting with high-end client entertainment.

Qualifications

• Exhibit high degree of initiative and critical-thinking skills in exercising independent judgment and making decisions in managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, detail-oriented work environment.
• Self-starter with demonstrated instances of taking initiative.
• Creative thinker who is resourceful and anticipatory of the needs of their assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to handle and then move beyond the transactional (calendar management, expenses, travel) to focus on strategic business development.
• High level of integrity, good judgment, and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Continual attention to detail in composing, typing, and proofing materials, establishing priorities and meeting deadlines. Proactively determine, manage and enforce deadlines for partner’s practice and leadership roles.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Ability to prioritize and appreciate the demands of the partner’s day or practice and take steps to address those demands.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and people skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders and clients.
• Extremely organized and disciplined.
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant work experience preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant experience supporting partners in leadership roles or c-suite executives in financial and/or professional services required, preferably in a large law firm environment.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to quickly learn and utilize industry specific computer applications.
• Experience with client experience and service activities.

 

Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.

Compensation & Benefits:

The annual compensation range for this position is $125-140K.  The salary offered within this range will depend upon qualifications and other operational considerations.

Benefits offered for this position include health care; retirement benefits; paid days off, including sick time, and vacation time; parental leave; basic life insurance; Flexible Spending Accounts; as well as discretionary, performance-based bonuses.

Location:

Houston

EEO Statement

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all partners, employees and applicants and, in accordance with the applicable federal and state laws, does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, religion, matriculation or political affiliation, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, age, marital status or partnership status, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, personal appearance, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, arrest or conviction record, or on any other basis prohibited by law.