Legal Assistant, Real Estate

Dentons is designed to be different. Our firm leads the way in a rapidly changing legal marketplace. We challenge the status quo and deliver consistent results as well as uncompromising quality and value to our clients. Our global presence is renowned as a firm with over 21,000 individuals in more than 200 offices serving clients across 80+ countries.  

Dentons Canada is committed to its people and communities. We are consistently recognized as an employer of choice having received numerous awards including being selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2024); Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2024); Alberta Top 80 Employers (2024), and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2023).

This role is an opportunity for you to join the world’s largest law firm, a firm that offers opportunities to build your career while growing your skills and deepening your expertise.

PLEASE NOTE: This opportunity is an 18 month fixed term contract. 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Legal Assistant role within our Real Estate department requires a unique blend of skills and experience. You must demonstrate strong technical skills and knowledge to accurately and efficiently manage the production demands of the Real Estate practice and also possess proven abilities to proactively support the management of the practice, including client relationship management. The position will require a polished, confident and reliable assistant who is able to manage multiple priorities. 

Generally, the hours of work are from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., however due to the nature of this role, flexibility is possible. Pre-authorized overtime may be required.
 
 
RESPONSIBILITIES
 

• Practice management, including proactively managing lawyers’ workflow and billings.
• Dealing with various commercial real estate transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, financing and joint venture structures.
• Drafting/preparing documents for real estate transactions and condominium development matters.
• Preparing Real Estate registration documents.
• Dealing with and responding to client inquiries and conducting follow up as required.
• Assist with opening, maintaining and putting away files, in conjunction with administrative assistants in the group.
• Processing incoming and outgoing mail, including maintenance of email accounts and managing bring forwards.
• Scheduling appointments and meetings, photocopying materials, booking meeting rooms, making travel arrangements, etc.
• Maintaining and organizing files with a robust follow up system.
• Preparing cheque requisitions and expense reports.
• Updating and maintaining client/matter lists.
• Demonstrating a team attitude with an accountability and confidentiality to both internal and external clients to achieve goals of the Firm.
• Other duties as assigned.

  
REQUIREMENTS
 

• Post-secondary education in business or related discipline. Legal Administration and/or Law Clerk Diploma preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years work experience in a legal environment ideally with exposure to commercial real estate transactions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Excellent technical proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Minimum 50 wpm typing speed.
• Knowledge of accounting/docketing systems and document management systems (Elite and iManage).
• Seasoned organizational/follow up skills; attention to detail, proofreading and accuracy are required.
• Professional client and telephone manner and a proven track record of working with confidential information.
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Must have seasoned problem solving skills, the ability to work with little instruction or supervision and be highly motivated.
• Able to meet deadlines, work well under pressure and take initiative using sound judgment.
• Professionalism demonstrated with colleagues, clients both in person and conversing by phone.
• Strong grammatical skills, including punctuation and proofreading, attention to detail and accuracy are required.
• Able to work under pressure to meet deadlines, remain calm with a sense of urgency while maintaining a positive team driven work ethic and ability to approach colleagues and lawyers to solicit work.
   

At Dentons we are committed to offering equitable and competitive pay, we achieve this by aligning internal salary ranges for specific roles to similar positions in the external market. In the normal course, our practice is to hire, transfer and promote employees within the entry part of our range, adjusting as needed based on the prior experience, skills and competencies required for the role along with any market differentials. 
 
Recognizing our exceptional talent means providing a comprehensive total rewards package beyond a competitive salary. We have curated our employee benefits portfolio to offer inclusive and comprehensive wellbeing and developmental programs for our people. With extended benefits and mental health plans, paid time off, savings plans, fitness subsidy, parental leave top up and more, our benefits are flexible, aligned to our core values and supports the various needs of our people. Additionally, our personal and professional development programs include people networks, mentorships, and leadership series programming to help people grow their career. 

Note: Availability of the benefits and perks may be subject to your location and employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements. Dentons reserves the right to alter these programs and offerings in whole or in part at any time without advance notice.
 

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Dentons Canada, inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) are not just ancillary values, they are foundational to our business. We believe that ID&E is essential to the shared success of our team and our clients. Our forward-thinking and inclusive culture supports the professional development of all our people, enhances the leading services we offer to our clients, and informs our commitment to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work. As a testament to our commitment to ID&E, we have been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employer’s for 12 consecutive years (2011-2022), as well as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2022) for the fifth time.

Dentons Canada is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome your application. All employment decisions, including hiring, will be made without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, colour, creed, disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender assigned at birth, gender identity, marital status, place of origin, race, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable human rights legislation.

We are committed to providing you with an inclusive, barrier-free and accessible workplace to support your success. Should you require accommodation during the recruitment process, for example as a result of a disability, please contact us at careers.canada@dentons.com.