Senior Paralegal

Shakespeare Martineau is a Top 55 law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.

As enterprising and original thinkers, we’re driven to create exceptional experiences for our clients and our people. We handle personal and business-critical issues and game-changing deals across many dynamic sectors. It’s stimulating and rewarding.

We’re hardworking and deeply ambitious about creating opportunities for our employees; to move forward and achieve our ambition together. We provide an environment in which you’re supported to reach your potential.

Our people have a blend of excellent technical and business skills with the talent to do things differently.

Here you’ll find top quality work, cutting edge training, high profile clients, and supportive colleagues. We think it could be time you joined us.

Our multi-disciplinary Real Estate group is highly regarded by our clients and within the sector. It comprises not only lawyers but also town and country planners. We’ve brought experts into our services in planning, development, investment, landlord and tenant matters, social housing, construction and litigation with a particular emphasis on energy, housing, education, finance and investment funds.

Our Property Finance team has extensive experience in advising banks, building societies and other funders including property investors and developers. We are one of the largest teams in the West Midlands with a team of around 30 people experienced in Islamic finance issues alone. We advise our clients on a variety of matters including development finance, facility letters, guarantees, investment finance, loan book management, LPA receivership, priority/subordination deeds, security documents and short-term lending.

The role:

We are looking for a Senior Paralegal to join our Birmingham based Property Finance team, part of the firm’s Real Estate group.

You will work with the team to provide a quality service to clients and colleagues of the Real Estate Finance team, specialising in Islamic Finance.

Your key duties will be:

• providing assistance to a large team of experienced lawyers on a broad range of property finance work, as well as supporting on banking aspects of the transactions, including document production 
• handling a caseload of large and often complex deals alongside straightforward matters
• running cases efficiently and cost effectively and within strict service level agreements as required by the client
• dealing with clients and third parties in a professional manner, maintaining close and regular contact as required
• maintaining good file management, including electronic and paper storage, archiving and filing
• acting as a role model and supervising more junior staff within the team when required
• dealing with general correspondence and administrative work efficiently
• handling telephone enquiries where appropriate
• producing forms and documentation
• completing registrations at Companies House and Land Registry, and dealing with any requisitions
• drafting documents, including reports on title
• providing assistance in the team’s regular billing procedures
• attending and participating in internal meetings with the team to discuss ‘best practice’ procedures
• completing SDLT returns and ensuring payment deadlines are met
• adhering to strict deadlines at all times

Skills and experience you will have:

• a minimum of 18 months’ previous experience within a Real Estate team is essential, ideally in a paralegal role
• previous experience in Real Estate Finance matters, both in property and banking
• previous experience of using a case management system
• strong IT skills and fast, accurate typing ability

Key competencies you will need:

• a desire to exceed client expectations
• good attention to detail and accuracy
• the ability to work well in a team and develop good working relationships with colleagues and others
• good communication and negotiation skills, with the confidence to liaise openly and clearly with colleagues and clients
• excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, accustomed to using your own initiative

About you – you will be:

• highly enthusiastic, willing to go the extra mile, with a positive, “can do” attitude
• proactive, keen to learn and interested in driving your own career progression
• a team player, supportive and respectful to colleagues across the firm

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.