About Us

Beacon LLP is a sophisticated boutique estate, tax, and business succession planning law firm. Our well-integrated team shares a depth of expertise and standard-setting best practices developed over a decade of working together. One of our founding partners is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Planning (“ACTEC”) and each of our current attorneys is a CPA or has a tax or estate planning L.L.M. Our attorneys share a common philosophy towards the practice, with our primary goal being to provide quality legal advice and service to our clients while maintaining a joyful workplace where we can enjoy our time spent with clients, friends of the firm, and our Beacon team. We believe that we offer the “best of both worlds” with a sophisticated clientele that is on a par with larger firms, and the work-life balance of practicing as a small, boutique firm.

Job Summary

The Legal Assistant provides timely and reliable support to attorneys with respect to work product, administrative tasks, and client relations, enhancing attorneys’ efficiency and effectiveness in delivering excellent services to clients. This role assists attorneys with tax and estate planning, trust administration, and entity formation and succession planning by preparing documents, compiling information, and managing correspondence and communications. This role requires general administrative experience, intermediate knowledge of computer systems, and the ability to multitask and prioritize workloads with several attorneys while maintaining confidentiality and good judgment.

Roles and Responsibilities

Assist with tax and estate planning matters – prepare letters and funding memos; record deeds, file assessor forms, process death beneficiary designation forms for retirement accounts and life insurance policies, and obtain tax ID numbers for entities or trusts; assist in preparation and filing of gift tax returns; possibly prepare estate planning and transaction documents (e.g., trusts, Wills, powers of attorney documents, deeds and their related forms, death beneficiary designations, certifications of trust, assignments, gift or sale related documents, and applications for tax ID numbers for entities or trusts).
Assist with trust administration matters – prepare letters and notices to beneficiaries; lodge Wills with courts; obtain tax ID numbers from the IRS; assist in preparation and filing of estate tax returns; possibly prepare trust administration documents (e.g., asset allocation spreadsheets and agreements, assignments, real property documents (including deeds, affidavits of death, death of real property owner forms, and claims for parent-child exclusions), entity and other asset transfer documents).
Assist with entity formation and business succession planning matters – prepare letters and notices; file documents with the appropriate government agencies; possibly prepare entity formation, conversion, and compliance documents.Merge, draft, cross-reference, edit and proofread documents (e.g., to finalize them for sending out as drafts, for home execution, or for bringing into a signing conference) – letters, summaries, illustrations, and estate planning documents.
Notarize and witness documents – attend signing conferences in the office (and out of the office, though this is rarer) as a possible witness and as a notary public.
File organization and maintenance – maintain and organize client electronic files (we currently use Worldox for electronic document management); prepare estate planning binders or online data rooms for clients and their advisors; assist in file inventory procedures and help to locate files or specific documents as needed from time to time; assist in scanning paper files from storage and saving them properly as electronic files.
Run conflict checks, prepare engagement agreements and conflict disclosures, and generally assist in the process of getting new client engagements formalized (including inputting questionnaire responses into computer systems and scanning and organizing client provided documents into our computer systems).
Communicate with clients, advisors, and vendors by making telephone calls, preparing and sending out e-mail and letter correspondence, mailing and faxing documents, and attending meetings/signing conferences.
Assist in managing the calendar and status of client/advisor calls, video conferences, and in-person meetings.
Input important dates/deadlines into firm’s calendar as instructed by attorneys.
Look into proper filing/processing requirements (may include online research or calling government agencies, courts, attorney services, or financial institutions), summarize and report findings.
Assist with administrative tasks related to professional activities – seminar enrollments, including payments, and e-mail communications.
Assist with office operations and logistics or reception duties as needed, which could include handling food and beverage reservations, setting up conference calls or meetings, making travel arrangements, etc. Coordinate lunch breaks and hours so that an assistant is always available for reception, phone calls, and deliveries.

Job Qualifications

Preference for at least 3-5 years of experience as a legal assistant, secretary, or paralegal in estate planning (or a similar field) law firm and active notary commission (or willingness to become a notary to assist with client signings).
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
Strong ability to organize workload, set priorities, meet frequent deadlines, and work independently and effectively under pressure/constant interruptions. Proven ability to manage a large volume of detailed work.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Centerbase (or other calendar systems, contact databases, and accounting and billing software), Citrix ShareFile, RightSignature (or other electronic signature software), HotDocs (or other document generation software), and Worldox (or other document management software).
General administrative experience with document drafting, production, and organization, calendar management, handling calls, meeting room arrangements, and travel planning.
Ability to use standard office equipment (telephone, copier, scanner, facsimile, mailing machine, postage calculator, etc.).
Ability to carefully handle details of confidential and critical nature.
Professional maturity and team player. Ability to function efficiently and productively as a team member with all the interpersonal skills required to build and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues and clients.
Ability to multitask, prioritize workloads with changing priorities.
Excellent editing, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
Detailed and deadline oriented.
Ability to exercise good judgment for problem solving; analytical skills and ability to anticipate problems, recommend solutions and implement action.
Proactive and service-oriented with a client-centric mindset.
Flexible and ready to pitch in for other roles as needed (such as reception or executive assistant duties).

Job Details

Reports to: All Attorneys (i.e., associates, senior associates, and partners)

Location: Pasadena, CA

Classification: Hourly, non-exempt

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life/LTD/AD&D, 401k, vacation, sick

Beacon LLP

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