City : Toronto

Category : Legal

Industry : Legal

Employer : Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Working at the largest firm in Canada has its benefits. BLG has acted for some of the country's largest companies on headline-making deals, and has argued precedent-setting cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Offering a breadth of diverse, high-profile clients and internationally-recognized cases, BLG attracts the country's best students and legal professionals.

RIGHT FROM THE START, with the strength of our team, and the BLG brand behind you, you will be able to make your mark on many high-profile cases.

The OTTAWA office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), a leading, innovative and client-focused law firm in Canada, is seeking a  Administrative Assistant, Intellectual Property (1 year contract). Purpose of the Role The Administrative Assistant will perform all administrative and file management tasks requested by Trademark Law Clerks, Agents, Practice Assistants (PAs) and other support functions. This includes file opening, copying, filing, archive management, scanning and completing general administrative duties as required. The Administrative Assistant is accountable for establishing and maintaining an ongoing service based relationship with the team. Key Responsibilities The key responsibilities of this role are: Administration and File Management Undertake large and small copying requests, scanning, binding and finishing copied work (working with the Business Centre as applicable) Receive and process file management requests Create new files on the system Work with the practice management system to log and record documents Undertake all file management and file housekeeping procedures to ensure filing constantly up to date Understand, identify and process all principle documents within files Undertake all file closing procedures Process archive retrieval requests Maintain all filing and work areas in a tidy and orderly manner Assist with KYC and conflict checking procedures in accordance with the firm’s procedures Assist with various billing tasks Conduct searches Running direct client status reports Keep a record of time spent on various administrative tasks for internal purposes Assist fellow Administrative Assistants locally and nationally with workload needs and coverage Customer Service Deal with any Trademark Law Clerk, Trademark Agent and Practice Assistant (PA) enquiries in a prompt and efficient manner Communicate and liaise with Trademark Law Clerks, Trademark Agents and PAs on file management issues Consistently and appropriately update the team on progress where appropriate Work with team to offer assistance wherever possible 2 Key Competencies Post-Secondary Law Clerk, Paralegal or Legal Administration diploma A minimum of 1 year administrative experience in an office environment ideally with exposure to, knowledge of and/or an interest in Intellectual Property law Superior written communication skills in English with excellent attention to detail Advanced technical skills, specifically in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook) and be committed to furthering their knowledge to remain up-to-date on current technology and best practices Ability to take initiative Flexible and enthusiastic self-starter Strong organization and multi-tasking skills Excellent interpersonal skills Strong teamwork skills Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines Sound knowledge of support services A desire to continuously improve skills A strong focus on ensuring the highest levels of client service standards are delivered and maintained How to Apply We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. At BLG only those BLG members who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by Health Canada will be permitted to attend a BLG office or event. “Fully vaccinated” means having received the full series (usually 2 doses) of a vaccine approved by Health Canada, with more than 14 days having passed since the second dose was administered. “Attending a BLG office” includes attending social or business gatherings organized by the Firm, with limits on the number of attendees in accordance with public health guidelines. With respect to client meetings, only fully vaccinated members of the Firm can meet in person with clients (others can attend virtually), unless prior authorization has been obtained from BLG and the client. For any BLG member who is not fully vaccinated, and if the Firm requires your attendance in the office to perform your role, you must take a rapid antigen test conducted within the 24 hours prior to your coming to the office, and you must show proof of a negative test result. A new test is required for each day you are physically in the office. Accommodations will be made for valid medical and religious reasons. Everyone at BLG is required to carry out the duties of their role while upholding the important principles of our respectful workplace policies, and treating everyone with respect, regardless of position. At BLG, valuing diversity and inclusion is key to a respectful workplace. BLG is committed to building and fostering a workplace that is reflective of our communities, where all firm members feel included, valued, and heard. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates but acknowledge the systemic and structural barriers that have, historically, marginalized and barred certain groups from accessing employment opportunities. As part of our commitment to removing barriers to employment, we strongly encourage applications from members of these historically marginalized groups including, but not limited to, Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities and women. Accommodations are available, upon request, in all aspects of the recruitment process. * Please note that relatives of current BLG employees and partners are not eligible for consideration.