Job Description

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McCarthy Tetrault is a Canadian law firm that offers a full suite of legal and business solutions to clients in Canada and around the world. At McCarthy Tetrault, we offer challenging and rewarding career opportunities in our offices in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and Vancouver. We are delighted to have earned the distinction of one of for the thirteenth consecutive year in 2025. Our culture is built on professional excellence, collaboration, innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurialism. We embrace inclusion in all its forms and we provide the tools and opportunities to help our people develop to their full potential.
We are recruiting an Executive Legal Assistant to join our team in our Montreal office. The successful candidate must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting senior-level executives and will be primarily responsible for supporting a senior partner who is a member of the firm's senior leadership team and is involved in market strategy and international development. Please note that the candidate will also be required to support other partners within the firm concurrently. McCarthy Tetrault employees benefit from a hybrid work environment.
The employee in this role will be required to interact with clients and third parties who understand and communicate only in English. This position also requires the candidate to interact fluently with colleagues across our offices in Canada, where English is the predominant language. As we estimate that more than 80% of the work associated with this position must be performed in English, the language requirements for this role include a high level of reading comprehension and written English, as well as an intermediate to advanced level of oral communication.
As an Executive Legal Assistant, Senior Leadership Team, you will be:
General Support

• Proactively managing the calendar, email inbox, telephone communications and priorities of the senior partner and other partners;
• Planning, organizing and coordinating appointments, meetings (in-person and virtual), committees and business travel, including logistics (room bookings, catering, transportation) and preparation of required documentation;
• Screening, drafting and coordinating incoming and outgoing communications in a professional and confidential manner;
• Monitoring case files (client and internal), projects and timelines to ensure progress and timely delivery.

Documents and File Management

• Preparing, formatting and revising a variety of documents, reports, presentations and meeting kits in accordance with practice group standards, with support from the Resource Centre as needed;
• Proofreading documents and checking for appropriate formatting, spelling, grammar and clarity;
• Maintaining organization and centralization of key information (documents, agreements, communications, etc.);
• Working with Records Management to create, maintain and store client files as appropriate.

Financial and Administrative Functions

• Preparing and overseeing the processing of expense reports and contributing to the management of select administrative and financial workflow;
• Collaborating with Billing Assistants to ensure that client invoices under Partner responsibility are reviewed and processed monthly in accordance with the firm's billing timelines;
• Proactively monitoring outstanding client invoices and working with the collections team to follow up on late payments;
• Working with Finance to coordinate new client and matter openings (KYC), including submitting conflict check requests;
• Recommending improvements to optimize the efficiency of administrative processes.

Market/Business Development Activities

• Collaborating on logistics for client-related business development events, training sessions and special projects;
• Coordinating and organizing meetings, conferences and events held both onsite and offsite. Attending events as needed to ensure smooth execution and onsite coordination;
• Coordinating meetings and schedules for external boards and committees on which the senior partner serves and managing the flow and organization of related documentation;
• Drafting, revising and organizing a variety of documents related to practice management, business development and clients;
• Serving as a trusted point of contact for internal and external stakeholders (banks, legal counsel, vendors, etc.).

Other

• Maintaining and updating technical knowledge and skills by identifying and participating in training and learning opportunities;
• Attending training on new tools and taking responsibility for teaching partners one-on-one with in-person demos;
• Collaborating with other lawyers as needed (including pairing with another partner within the firm) and providing backup support to Legal Support Services team members when required;
• Supporting responsibilities that may require availability beyond regular business hours to manage and respond to time-sensitive requests (a firm-issued mobile phone is provided for this role);
• Managing Firm and client confidential information;
• Other duties as assigned by management.

As our ideal candidate, you will distinguish yourself by the following profile:

• Diploma of Vocational Studies in secretarial work, office administration or any other relevant combination of experience;
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in a similar role supporting senior management, ideally within a professional services environment;
• Excellent command of French and English, both spoken and written;
• Advanced proficiency with the Microsoft Office 365 suite;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, while collaborating effectively within a dynamic team environment with tact, respect and professionalism;
• High level of discretion and professionalism, with the ability to handle extremely sensitive information;
• Flexibility and ease in adapting to a fast paced, constantly evolving environment;
• Strong commitment to high-quality client service, with initiative, thoroughness and sound judgment;
• Willingness to occasionally work overtime, particularly given time-zone differences associated with international travel.

As a member of the McCarthy team, you will have access to:

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm and wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Competitive compensation, paid overtime and generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• A commitment to professional development and growth opportunities for our people at all levels, supported by a culture that fully embraces and encourages two-way feedback.
• Strong community involvement and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A collaborative, cohesive culture that connects lawyers and business teams through collective purpose.

How to Apply:
We encourage external candidates to apply online and internal applicants must apply directly through our internal careers portal on Espresso. We look forward to receiving your application.
We thank all applicants for their interest in McCarthy Tetrault; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status. McCarthy Tetrault is an equal opportunity employer that fosters an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment. Please notify us if you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.

Skills Required