Transaction Handler (entry/trainee level)

The practice

Capsticks is independently rated by the Legal 500 and Chambers directory as the leading provider of legal services to the health and social care sector and in the field of professional discipline.  In June 2013 the firm also acquired a highly rated social housing practice, creating a firm with over 230 fee earners across four offices in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Southampton. The firm acts for over 200 clients, including all forms of NHS provider and commissioner organisations, the Department of Health, the NHSLA, regulatory bodies, charities, independent healthcare providers, housing associations, medical malpractice insurers and defence organisations.

The real estate department comprises over 50 fee earners and carries out major real estate development and construction work for its healthcare, social care and social housing clients from the voluntary, public and private sectors. The affordable housing team in Southampton is growing and currently consists of a supervising partner, two qualified lawyers and six transaction handlers/paralegals.

Further details on the partners in the department and the type of work carried out can be found on our website at www.capsticks.com.

The role

The main roles and responsibilities will be to provide fee earning support and assistance to the team in all aspects of their workload.  This will include:

• Assisting with fee-earning work under supervision. In particular:

• Progressing affordable housing and open market plot sales from issue of contract pack to post completion. This will include:

• • drafting the relevant form of affordable housing contract, lease collation and preparing the contract pack including evidence of title;
  • approval of shared ownership and shared equity mortgage offers;
  • responding to routine enquiries raised by buyers solicitors and client;
  • progressing sale to exchange and completion matters including liaison with solicitors and advising clients;
  • preparing completion statements and bills; and
  • dealing with post completion notices and formalities.

• Acting as the primary interface with clients and all third parties managing their expectations, liaising and keeping them informed as to the progress of the transaction.
• Being responsible for the preparation of regular client reports.
• Dealing wherever appropriate professionally and articulately with client enquiries and communications demonstrating at all times a sound understanding and knowledge of the nature of the clients business and the relevant affordable housing sales product.
• Providing administrative assistance, as appropriate, including:
• administering filing which will include daily filing and the opening, closing, storage and retrieval of client files in accordance with the detailed procedures contained in the Practice Manual;
• preparing mail and closures for dispatch;
• attending clients both in person and on the telephone and providing such support in a professional and friendly manner in keeping with the Firm's standards for client care;
• undertaking any specific training when required to do so and having a responsibility towards self-development;
• ensuring the confidentiality of all the Firm's and client's documentation and information;
• undertaking any other suitable work for the Firm as and when requested;
• dealing with enclosures, scanning and uploading of documents to the extranet site; and
• undertaking any other suitable work for the Firm as and when requested.

Candidate specification

Transaction Handlers are expected to use a high degree of self-management and initiative and have a responsive and proactive approach to the work.

Candidates should ideally have:

• educated to A level or degree standard;

knowledge and understanding of affordable housing products, regulation and procedures, particularly in relation to shared ownership and equity (not essential);

• proven experience of handling his/her own caseload;
• good written skills;
• good communication skills;
• good administration skills; and
• good IT skills.

Candidates will however be expected to demonstrate at interview that they:

• are well organised;
• have good attention to detail;
• are proactive; and
• are self-motivated.

Candidates should be available to start immediately, or as soon as possible, and if you are interested in applying for this position please apply via the vacancies section on our website at www.capsticks.com. The deadline for applications is 10am on Monday 1 September 2014 and please note that we are only able to respond to candidates we call for interview.

Candidates should be aware:

• as part of the interview process there will be a written test, details of which will be provided to those candidates the firm calls for interview; and
• the firm is only able to respond to candidates we call for interview.

Capsticks is an equal opportunities employer

Capsticks is committed to providing equal opportunities for all and to encouraging diversity through recruitment.  Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and decisions to progress will be made with reference to entirely objective criteria only.