Executive Assistant

With 500+ professionals and 350+ business professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The Firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the Firm to provide a distinct and compelling value proposition.

Opportunity

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP has an exciting opportunity for an Executive Assistant to join our nationally recognized and growing professional services firm. We are seeking a highly experienced, organized, and proactive professional Executive Assistant to support our CEO/Managing Partner in this high-visibility role. As a trusted partner, you will ensure the seamless management of priorities, communications, scheduling, travel, and key firm initiatives while helping maximize the CEO/Managing Partner’s focus on the firm's most important strategic objectives.

The Executive Assistant will work closely with the CEO/Managing Partner, exercising exceptional judgment, discretion, and professionalism when interacting with clients as well as any member of the Firm, including all employees and stakeholders. The ideal candidate is more than an exceptional administrator—they are a resourceful problem solver who anticipates needs, drives efficiency, and creates leverage for executive leadership. They bring executive presence, sound judgment, and the ability to build credibility and trusted relationships while maintaining the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism.  They are also highly organized, calm under pressure, detail-oriented, collaborative, and flexible – comfortable supporting a senior executive whose schedule and priorities may shift as needed.

Responsibilities

Executive Calendar & Time Management

• Manage and protect a highly complex executive calendar, ensuring alignment with firm priorities and maximizing the CEO/Managing Partner's effectiveness.

• Anticipate competing demands, evaluate requests, proactively resolve scheduling conflicts, and ensure adequate preparation time for meetings, client engagements, and strategic initiatives.

• Serve as a gatekeeper for the CEO/Managing Partner's time, exercising sound judgment in prioritizing requests and commitments.

• Coordinate meetings across multiple stakeholders, offices, and time zones while balancing priorities effectively and independently.

• Prepare daily and weekly agenda materials, meeting briefs, and relevant background information.

• Proactively review upcoming calendar items to confirm meeting details, attendees, materials, locations, Zoom/video links, travel time, and other logistical needs.

• Ensure calendar changes are communicated clearly and timely to all appropriate parties.

Executive Support & Administration

• Arrange and manage complex travel itineraries, including flights, accommodations, transportation, and logistics.

• Prepare detailed travel itineraries and ensure smooth execution of all travel-related plans.

• Manage travel disruptions and last-minute changes with professionalism, responsiveness, and sound judgment.

• Coordinate with local office leadership and administrative teams regarding office visits, meals, meetings, and other logistics.

• Anticipate travel-related issues and adjust plans as needed with minimal disruption.

• Assist in coordinating all internal meetings, including board and leadership team meetings, partner meetings, committee meetings, firm retreats and strategic planning sessions.

• Coordinate executive participation in external meetings (including recruiting meetings), conferences, speaking engagements, and firm events.

• Confirm meeting logistics, including conference rooms, video links, catering, technology needs, attendee lists, and room readiness.

• Assist in preparing, collecting and circulating agendas, executive briefing materials, meeting summaries, and presentation decks.

• Track action items, deadlines, and commitments arising from meetings.

• Process expense reports and assist with budget tracking and administrative documentation.

• Maintain highly confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

• Organize and maintain executive files, reports, and records to ensure accessibility and efficiency.

• Identify opportunities to improve processes, increase efficiency, and enhance executive productivity.

Executive Communications & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the CEO/Managing Partner.

• Coordinate with business professional departments and other teams to ensure alignment and appropriate follow-through.

• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with clients, recruits, attorney, consulting, business and administrative professionals, including firm leadership, board members, and C-Suite.

• Draft, edit, and proofread executive correspondence, presentations, talking points, speeches, reports, and other communications.

• Communicate in the CEO/Managing Partner's voice while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, accuracy, and confidentiality.

• Ensure timely follow-up on communications, commitments, and action items.

• Exercise good judgment in determining what requires escalation, what can be handled independently, and what should be coordinated with others.

• Serve as an ambassador for the CEO/Managing Partner, representing the firm with professionalism and exceptional client service.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of executive support experience with at least 5 years directly supporting a C-suite executive, Managing Partner, CEO, President, or other senior business leader.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

• Demonstrated success managing complex executive calendars and travel arrangements in a fast-paced environment.

• Exceptional experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders, priorities, and time zones.

• Experience supporting board-level, partner-level, or executive leadership activities.

• Willingness and ability to travel to all Firm office locations as needed.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

• Exceptional business judgment and decision-making abilities.

• Strong executive presence and relationship management skills.

• Ability to anticipate needs and solve problems before they arise.

• Highly proactive, resourceful, and adaptable.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and remain composed under pressure.

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

• Proven ability to manage confidential and sensitive matters with discretion and professionalism.

• Ability to work independently while maintaining close alignment with executive priorities.

Technical Proficiency

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and Excel.

• Experience with expense management, document management, and collaboration tools.

• Comfort learning and leveraging new technologies, including AI-powered productivity tools.

The base annual pay range for this role is between $100,000-$125,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience and  location.  A full range of medical, financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position will also be offered.

EEO/AA EMPLOYER/Veterans/Disabled

Manatt is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, status as a transgender or transsexual individual, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age (over 40), genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, sexual orientation, political activity or affiliation, genetic or and any other protected classes or characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.

This employer will provide the Social Security Administration  (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security  (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

IMPORTANT: If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking  adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. 

Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or  to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the  choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. In order to determine whether Form I-9 documentation is valid,  this employer uses E-Verify’s photo screening tool to match the photograph appearing on some permanent resident and employment authorization cards with the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) photograph. If you believe that your employer has violated its responsibilities under this program or has discriminated against you during the verification process based upon your national origin or citizenship status, please call the Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515).