Legal Support Team Leader

The Team

Our business services and legal support functions are currently undergoing an exciting transformation with the establishment of the Global Business Services (GBS) in Glasgow. This hub will offer support to our offices worldwide, commencing with the Middle East. As a legal support co-ordinator, your role will involve managing a team of Legal Support Assistants (LSAs) and Administrative Assistants based in the GBS.

The Role

To co-ordinate the legal support teams in the GBS effectively, prioritise cost-effective, professional, and efficient services aligned with business and client SLAs. Ensuring that Legal Support Assistants manage workflow by leveraging Administrative Assistants and Document Production whilst maintaining ownership and accountability for tasks. Additionally, oversee team absences, ensure continuous service during leave periods, and foster positive morale. Regularly monitor performance, provide feedback, and proactively address training needs. Ultimately, strive for high-quality workflow management and organisational efficiency in the legal support services within the GBSH. As the Legal Support Coordinator, you will be responsible for a smaller allocation of fee-earners, handling legal support tasks. Your role involves promoting flexibility and efficient resource utilisation within the team, while also stepping in as needed to cover team responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Line manage the legal support team in Glasgow, providing guidance and support, promoting consistency and ensuring that all teams work as a cohesive entity with accountability for the performance of each team under their remit.
• Manage work allocations, capacity and utilisation of the legal support teams ensuring all deadlines are met within the team.
• Authorise leave for the team, ensuring adequate resources are maintained to cover the workload.
• Manage employee issues in a timely manner, involving the Legal Support Manager/HR immediately if it becomes necessary.
• Be confident in your communication when speaking with the partners and case handlers with regards to any concerns they may have.
• Proactively manage service delivery challenges, demonstrating decisive responses and prioritising appropriately.  
• Identify service improvements, liaising with key stakeholders to resolve issues and facilitate improvement in both quality and process.
• Develop a culture of consistent improvement by implementing and leading change management of culture, behaviour, approach, systems and processes in order to encourage team members to take ownership of changes and see them as a positive contribution to their work.
• Ensure risks and threats to the operation of the business are identified and addressed.
• Actively engage with senior stakeholders, influencing up as appropriate.
• Ensure buddy system is working and assist with integration of new secretaries into the team.
• Arranging legal support team meetings within the department and within the firm.
• Inputting to management projects on the legal support function.
• Attend group meetings where appropriate (practice group, partner, legal support, admin).
• Other related duties as from time to time maybe reasonably required.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Excellent communication and liaison skills.
• Excellent IT skills.
• Strong legal management background.
• Ability to prioritise and take responsibility for team workloads.
• Ability to see the wider picture and assess the impact of issues, decisions, and changes on the business to ensure an holistic and joined up approach.
• Client/customer focused approach with the ability to build and maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders and the ability to influence up with senior stakeholder management experience.
• A strong people manager with the ability to become a trusted leader to Legal Support Team teams.
• A decisive problem solver with the ability to manage challenging situations, conversations, and personalities whilst maintaining professionalism and effectiveness under pressure.
• Resilient, flexible and adaptable to change.

The Firm

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Our Commitment

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity. Learn more about our interview process.

A Note on Privacy

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice. This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it’s used for, how it’s obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject.

If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.

This is the job description as constituted at present; however, Clyde & Co reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the business.