At McCarthy Tétrault, we offer challenging and rewarding career opportunities and are delighted to have been selected for the eleventh consecutive year in 2023 as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. 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.

The employee in this position will be part of a team where they will be expected to work on documents in English or French for clients, lawyers or professionals who understand and communicate only in English or French. Since requests can be submitted in either English or French, it is necessary for the proper functioning of the operations to have bilingual staff available at all times to respond to requests. Bilingualism (French and English) is therefore a requirement for this position.

This position is based out of Montreal. McCarthy Tétrault employees benefit from a hybrid work environment.

As a Bilingual Administrative and Billing Assistant, Immigration, you will be:

Administration

• Prepare, modify, format, print, scan and revise correspondence, memos or any other document in accordance with the requirements established by the practice group.
• Perform various administrative tasks, including organizing physical files, preparing file transfer lists and file saving in the document management system, in accordance with the requirements established by the practice group.
• Update databases, including opening and closing files, new contacts and comments from lawyers.
• Take telephone mandates, including entering the required data, preparing the summary, performing various verifications, following up with the lawyer and opening the file.
• Review and forward incoming mail and faxes; Prepare and process mail and faxes to be sent arranging for special mail or courier services as required.
• As needed, coordinate activities with staff in the functional areas (Photocopy, Marketing, etc.).
• Provide ongoing support to team members; Work proactively, positively and productively as a team member.
• Maintain and update professional knowledge by identifying and seizing training opportunities.
• Perform other assigned tasks.

Support to lawyers

• Receiving, handling, screening and/or directing incoming calls as directed by lawyers; responding to routine inquiries and requests from clients; and taking messages as required.
• Coordinating lawyer travel arrangements, including preparing itineraries and travel expense reports.
• Updating contact names and addresses in the client database on a regular basis.
• Coordinating client meetings, including scheduling rooms and arranging for needed catering or audio-visual equipment.
• Providing backup support to other assistants when needed; working proactively as a positive and productive member of the team.
• Maintaining and updating job knowledge and technical skills by identifying and participating in education opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Billing

• In collaboration with the Billing and Administration Supervisor, coordinate the file opening process, including monitoring the required modifications, in accordance with the requirements established by the practice group.
• Coordinate the internal cheque requisition process (Canadian and US dollars) in Coupa, including the various communications with external suppliers.
• Under the supervision of the Billing and Administration Supervisor, review the narrative of pre-bills to ensure that files are billed in the client’s preferred language and identify changes that must be reviewed by the lawyer.
• Verify that the appropriate hourly rates are applied in accordance with the instructions provided by the responsible lawyer and/or the Billing and Administration Supervisor.
• Act as an intermediary with the lawyers with respect to the opening and the administration of client files.
• Coordinate the retainer agreement process, including the deposit of retainer fees in the trust account.

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

• Post-secondary training in secretarial or office administration.
• Experience working in a professional services environment.
• Extensive attention to detail, excellent organizational skills and proficiency in word processing, spelling, proofreading and editing.
• Great discretion and respect for confidentiality.
• Knowledge of immigration formalities and various government bodies will be considered an asset.
  Initiative in the execution of tasks.
• Bilingualism (French and English, spoken and written).

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.

We thank all applicants for their interest in McCarthy Tétrault; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status. McCarthy Tétrault 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.