Job Summary

We’re looking for a proactive, detail-focused Legal Administrative Assistant to support our Business Practice Group in Portland, Maine. In this role, you'll be an essential part of our legal team—keeping things organized, ensuring deadlines are met, and helping our attorneys and clients stay on track. You’ll work closely with great people and handle a variety of tasks that keep our deals and daily work moving smoothly.

Responsibilities

• Proofread and polish documents to make sure they’re error-free and ready to go

• Help manage timelines and keep track of important transactional documents

• Finalize and send documents to clients, attorneys, and internal teams

• Prepare closing binders and help wrap up deals

• Answer and route calls, and lend a hand when attorneys are unavailable

• Handle mail—scanning, sorting, distributing, and filing throughout the day

• Edit and draft correspondence and legal documents

• Arrange meetings and coordinate schedules for attorneys and clients

• Assist with planning travel, seminars, and events

• Keep track of attorneys’ continuing education requirements

• Maintain calendars and remind attorneys about upcoming commitments

• Review and finalize client billing

• Help with conflict checks for new clients

• Organize and manage both paper and electronic files

• Handle other admin tasks like expense reports and matter reports

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 3+ years of administrative experience (law firm experience is a plus)

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• A positive, can-do attitude and team-oriented mindset

• Excellent communication and people skills

• Solid problem-solving abilities and the foresight to anticipate needs

• Strong technical skills—Microsoft Word (intermediate to advanced), Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and general database experience

• Discretion and professionalism

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to Maria Gaetani at mgaetani@pierceatwood.com.

Job Summary

The Billing Specialist is responsible for performing various billing and accounting duties according to standard firm procedures. This full-time position is based in our Portland, ME or Portsmouth, NH office depending on candidate’s preference.

Responsibilities

• Assist attorneys and legal assistants with monthly billing reports (BIMs).
• Transfer time/costs and rerun new BIMs and bills; review, verify, and edit time/cost for matters assigned, while working with attorneys and legal assistants to ensure accuracy.
• Utilize the system of controls developed by the accounting team to ensure the work product is error free.
• Process bills and post in accounting system.
• Work with e-billing team to ensure invoices are successfully posted to e-billing site; monitor approvals/rejections. 
• Maintain a detailed log of billing activity and billing status each month.
• Process new matter workflows in accounting system, including invoice formats and client information.
• Update and maintain client and matter data for assigned attorneys in accounting system.
• Provide ad-hoc billing and accounting reports as needed.
• Respond to internal/external billing and accounts receivable inquiries.
• Train new legal assistants in the e-billing process and use of billing software; provide refresher training to existing employees as needed.
• Other client/matter and administrative finance duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Ideal candidate will have thorough knowledge of billing processes in a professional services organization, along with general knowledge of accounting and accounts receivable procedures.
• Great attention to detail and accuracy in preparing and entering financial information.
• Experience with legal billing/accounting software package (e.g., LMS, SurePoint, Aderant).
• Exceptional customer service skills; ability to respond to requests from internal/external customers in a prompt, professional manner.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, professional environment with ever-changing deadlines and priorities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word).
• Ability to maintain confidentiality concerning financial, client, and employee information.
• Minimum of 3+ years of relevant work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to Maria Gaetani, mgaetani@pierceatwood.com

Position Summary
This role supports the members of the Litigation Practice Group and coordinates all aspects of litigation matters from initial intake through final disposition. This position is based in the Portland, Maine office.     

Responsibilities

• Assist with presentations at trials, depositions, hearings, and other court proceedings.
• Attend client meetings and phone calls and prepare summaries
• Draft, proofread, and edit documents for grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors. Ability to create a Table of Contents and/or Table of Authorities as needed.
• Manage schedules, including maintaining calendar of meetings and business trips, gathering and preparing necessary materials in advance of commitments, and otherwise coordinating schedule obligations. 
• Receive, screen, and route incoming telephone calls, conference calls, and messages to attorneys, clients, and staff promptly.
• Sort, scan, and distribute incoming and outgoing mail promptly upon receipt. Open, review, and calendar pleadings and materials as directed.
• Coordinate conferences, meetings, appointments, and depositions for attorneys and clients including conference room scheduling, meals, beverages, preparing materials, and greeting clients.
• Prepare bills monthly and distribute to other attorneys for review as needed. Edit and finalize bills to ensure accuracy.
• Set up, organize, and maintain firm files in electronic and/or paper form.
• Perform a variety of administrative functions, including submitting conflict checks, processing new matter reports, drafting engagement letters, calendaring deadlines on firm’s electronic database, preparing attorney expense reimbursements, tracking attorney CLE credits and bar registrations, etc.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional work experience.
• 2+ years of administrative assistant work experience preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism and interpersonal skills, including, maintaining positive contact with clients, attorneys, and coworkers.
• Strong technical aptitude. Intermediate Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe, Teams, and PowerPoint skills required, with advanced skills preferred.
• Strong multitasking skills. Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints.
• Ability to perform online research (for the background of a case, parties involved, individuals’ addresses, etc.).

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume to Maria Gaetani at mgaetani@pierceatwood.com.