Alison Penney
QUEENSTOWN
Summary
As a Legal Secretary/Paralegal with over 30 years of experience in the legal industry, I have provided support to a diverse range of legal professionals including Conveyancers, Solicitors, Senior Associates, Special Counsel and Equity Partners across multiple areas of law.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Assistant/Paralegal
MinterEllison Lawyers
08.2016 - Current
- Comprehensive administrative support to a Special Counsel, in the secured recoveries space, and two Conveyancers in the Banking & Finance Team including receiving client instructions, reviewing information provided and managing file opening
- Draft and review documents ensuring they align with current Court Rules and Legislation
- Draft and review correspondence to clients and other external stakeholders ensuring all communications are precise, professionally presented and all necessary legal requirements are met
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to provide clear instructions, address queries and consider information, ensuring that all matters progress in accordance with client instructions
- Monitor multiple inboxes to ensure queries are addressed and client instructions are recorded and acknowledged
- Manage multiple calendars and schedule appointments with internal and external stakeholders
- Document control (including updating of precedents)
- Use initiative to pre-empt needs of Managers and the wider team
- Follow-up internal and external stakeholders to ensure matters progress
- Take accurate and detailed messages, ensuring all relevant information is captured and communicated accurately and concisely
- Manage and coordinate the assembly of all relevant documents required for legal proceedings
- Conduct searches and interpret results for legal and administrative use
- Process and oversee registrations for conferences and seminars, including collecting and verifying attendee information and payment details
- Submit and monitor invoices for payment, following established workflows and approval processes, addressing any issues that may arise
- Generate client-specific invoices based on relevant service agreement terms, ensuring all charges are accurate and aligned with client agreements, internal records and uploading invoices to client portals
- Manage documentation to support financial audits and reporting
- Credit card reconciliation
- Electronic and physical file maintenance, including archiving, in compliance with legal and organisational retention policies
- Provide training to facilitate learning and skill development for junior staff
Personal Assistant
Fenwick Elliott Grace
05.2012 - 07.2016
- Comprehensive administrative support, including drafting and editing documents, integrating feedback from multiple stakeholders, using track-changes, ensuring accuracy and consistency
- Manage and coordinate the assembly of all relevant documents required for legal proceedings
- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, providing instructions, addressing queries and considering information to ensure matters progress in accordance with client instructions
- Enter and update timesheet data for fee earners, ensuring all billable and non-billable hours are correctly logged and categorised
- Physical file maintenance, including archiving, in compliance with legal and organisational retention policies
- Process and oversee registrations for conferences and seminars, including collecting and verifying attendee information and payment details
- Take accurate and detailed messages, ensuring all relevant information is captured and communicated
- Coordinate and maintain organised diaries
- Monitor multiple inboxes to ensure prompt responses to incoming emails
Legal Secretary
Kelly & Co. Lawyers
07.1990 - 05.2012
- Comprehensive administrative support, including receiving client instructions, arranging file opening, dictation typing, drafting and editing correspondence and documents
- Compile and organise briefs for presentation to Counsel, ensuring accuracy and completeness
- Compile documents for execution and ensure their subsequent safekeeping in accordance with the organisation's storage policy
- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, providing instructions, addressing queries and considering information to ensure matters progress in accordance with client instructions
- Perform comprehensive searches and interpret information in order to facilitate the creation of specific property transaction documents including documents governed by Legislation
- Enter and update timesheet data for fee earners, ensuring all billable and non-billable hours are correctly logged and categorised
- Manage and maintain both physical and electronic files, ensuring proper organisation, accessibility and archiving of documents
- Provide training to facilitate learning and skill development for junior staff
- Coordinate and maintain organised diaries
- Manage multiple calendars and schedule appointments with internal and external stakeholders
- Take accurate and detailed messages, ensuring all relevant information is captured and communicated promptly
Education
Paralegal Certificate -
Adelaide TAFE
01.1997
Skills
- Expertise in Word, Outlook, and Excel
- Proficient in Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Advanced 3E Expertise
- Experience with SAP Business Network
- Proficient in iManage Work 10, FileSite and NetDocuments and FileNet
- Bighand digital transcription
- Client portals including Lawcadia and LegalStream
Keysoftwareexperience
- Microsoft Office suite (Word, Outlook & Excel)
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- PDF Docs
- Accounting
- Elite 3E
- Concur
- SAP Business Network (Ariba)
- Document Management
- IManage Work 10
- FileSite
- NetDocuments
- FileNet
- Digital Transcription System
- Bighand
- Client Portals
- Lawcadia
- LegalStream
Career Overview
As a Legal Secretary/Executive Assistant/Paralegal with over 30 years of experience in the legal industry, I have provided support to a diverse range of legal professionals including Conveyancers, Solicitors, Senior Associates, Special Counsel and Equity Partners across multiple areas of law.
Timeline
Executive Assistant/Paralegal
MinterEllison Lawyers
08.2016 - Current
Personal Assistant
Fenwick Elliott Grace
05.2012 - 07.2016
Legal Secretary
Kelly & Co. Lawyers
07.1990 - 05.2012
Paralegal Certificate -
Adelaide TAFE
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