Administrative Staff & Paralegals

To apply for a staff or paralegal position at Barack Ferrazzano, please submit your resume in Word format to (unless otherwise stated): careers@bfkn.com

Open Positions

Real Estate Paralegal

Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP is looking for a paralegal with a significant amount of commercial real estate experience in a law firm setting to join our 45-person real estate team.

The Real Estate Group at Barack Ferrazzano has been a cornerstone of the Firm since its founding in 1984. We have earned the reputation as one of the premier real estate practices in the country, having been recently recognized by Chambers and Partners as among the top tier of real estate practice groups. This individual will work with our Real Estate Group on a variety of commercial real estate projects including acquisitions, dispositions, development, lending and leasing projects. We offer a very competitive salary, excellent benefits package and a great work environment.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Lead the title and survey process for real estate transactions, including reviewing title commitments and surveys, drafting and responding to title and survey objection letters, and working directly with title underwriters to clear title and obtain title policies.
• Perform legal due diligence for commercial real estate transactions, including reviewing zoning and environmental reports, property tax records and other documents.
• Manage transaction closings, including timelines and checklists and coordinate with internal and external parties to ensure the timely completion of all closing items.
• Prepare closing binders of all final transaction documents.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or a paralegal certificate.
• A significant amount of law firm experience in a sophisticated commercial real estate practice.
• Detail oriented with excellent organizational skills.
• Strong oral and writing capabilities.
• Ability to work independently and in team settings.
• Must be able to work collaboratively with supervising attorneys and other team members.
• Must be proactive and highly organized.
• Must be flexible.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with clients.

Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Legal Assistant/Secretary

Performs a variety of secretarial duties for immediate supervisor(s) to whom assigned according to established policies and procedures. Maintains positive contact with clients, attorneys and staff and observes confidentiality of client matters. Some overtime may be required. Advanced skills in most software packages required.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Operates a computer, word processing software, copier, scanner, and fax equipment.
• Prepares correspondence, memoranda and other legal documents from written and oral drafts. Drafts standard correspondence, and other documents.
• Screens telephone calls and records messages.
• Process incoming mail; ensures that outgoing mail is timely delivered. If necessary, routes mail to specific delivery service and follows up on timely delivery.
• Establishes and maintains calendar and deadline reminder systems; utilizes master calendar system.
• Opens new client/matter requests, requests conflict of interest checks amongst existing records and clients and maintains all client and general files. Drafts engagement and audit letters. Conducts periodic review for possible storage of older files; prepares files to be closed.
• Organizes closing documents to be scanned on USB, saved to system, and sent to client.
• Makes appointments, reservations and/or travel arrangements for immediate supervisor(s).
• Processes reimbursement claims for supervisor(s).
• Enters billable time prior to each month’s end; processes bills; proofs billing sheets; reviews and edits bills; transmits final invoices to respective clients.
• Works closely with administrative support staff (word processing, office services, receptionists, etc.); proofs documents returned from word processing or others; ensures that immediate supervisor time sheets are provided to appropriate person in a timely manner.
• Performs overflow assistance as time permits and as requested by other attorneys/paralegals and/or the Human Resources Department.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• A minimum of three or more years of on the job experience as a legal secretary with transactional experience in a law firm preferred in order to gain an understanding of law office policies and procedures and produce accurate legal documents and related functions with minimal supervision.
• At a level normally acquired through completion of high school or equivalent, the ability to read and write using proper punctuation, grammar, and spelling in order to proof and perform editing of routine law office correspondence and legal documents. Perform and verify non-complex arithmetic calculations on forms and documents; maintain records and filing systems in a highly organized and efficient manner.
• Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints.
• Work requires a high level of attention to detail with the ability to complete work accurately and in a timely manner.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to effectively communicate with and to follow instructions from a diverse group of clients, attorneys and staff in person, by e-mail, telephone and video-call to provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact.
• Work occasionally requires a high level of critical thinking and mental effort while producing a high volume of information and performing other essential duties.
• Work occasionally requires more than 35 hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position; occasionally requires overtime as needed based on supervisors’ workloads.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word required and experience with the following functions/features are required: cross-referencing; generating table of contents and other indexes; mail merge; Styles; tables (creating and manipulating); multi-level paragraph numbering; document compare, including saving redlines into iManage and sending redlines via email.
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel required, including creating and formatting spreadsheets, sorting data, simple formulas, mail merges and printing.
• Basic knowledge of Outlook and Teams required, including using email, scheduling and calendar invites, creating distribution lists, and saving emails into iManage.
• Basic knowledge of PowerPoint desired including creating, editing and printing presentations.
• Experience with Aderant Software (time and billing software) desired.
• Experience with iManage a plus.
• Experience with Nuance PDF Converter or other document conversion software a plus.
• Adherence to all firm policies and procedures.
• Predictable and consistent attendance required.
• Up-to-date COVID vaccination required.

Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Office Services Clerk

Office Services Clerk performs tasks to support the day-to-day operations of the Office Services group. Workload includes copy, print, mail and courier package preparation. Provide input to Office Services Manager to achieve and improve cost and process efficiencies.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Operate all equipment and software used in Office Services Group.
• Sort and deliver mail.
• Assist with special mailings, overnight, domestic and international.
• Work with little supervision to prioritize workloads to effectively deliver services.
• Enter necessary work orders to maintain functionality of all office equipment.
• Place orders to maintain necessary stocks of basic as needed to support the functions of the Office Services group.
• May back up food services group with various duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Working knowledge to run light production copy equipment, Fiery software, basic bindery, mail meter & related software, online preparation of UPS/Fedex packages.
• 3 years of office services experience in legal or corporate environment preferred.
• HS Diploma or equivalent required.
• Strong oral and written communication.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills to build positive relationships at all levels.
• Ability to analyze and provide problem solutions.
• Ability to prioritize workload and multitask to meet deadlines.
• Typing skills necessary to use computer based word processing software.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel software.
• Background check required.
• Consistent and predictable attendance.
• Up-to-date COVID vaccination required.

Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP is an equal employment opportunity employer.