Paralegal

THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly organised, proactive and meticulous paralegal to join our global Legal Department in London on a six-month fixed-term contract. Depending on business needs, there may be an opportunity to extend the contract or for a longer-term role to become available. 

The successful candidate will play a central role in supporting the governance and administration of Sotheby's Board of Directors and its large global portfolio of legal entities. The role works closely with our team’s Deputy General Counsel and other team members based in London and New York. The successful candidate will help ensure that Sotheby’s corporate records, governance processes and legal entities are maintained to the highest standards of accuracy. Auditors, banks, regulators and the Board rely on these records. 

The role offers broad exposure to corporate governance, company secretarial matters, entity management, treasury and financing activities, and strategic corporate projects. It will involve managing complex information, coordinating across jurisdictions and engaging with senior internal and external stakeholders.  

6-Month Fixed-Term Contract (Immediate Start) | Hybrid — London (3 days in-office: currently set as Monday–Wednesday)

Ability to hybrid work from home is subject to the employee having a suitable home working environment in which the confidentiality of Sotheby's information can be maintained. The role can be performed in office 5 days per week if needed or preferred.

RESPONSIBLITIES

Corporate Governance & Company Secretarial Support 

• Support the governance and administration of Sotheby’s global portfolio of subsidiaries and affiliated entities. 
• Coordinate board and committee meetings across multiple jurisdictions, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and board materials, and maintaining meeting records. 
• Draft and maintain board minutes, written resolutions, shareholder resolutions, powers of attorney and other governance documentation, and check them carefully against source documents before circulation. 
• Assist with director and officer appointments, resignations and related corporate changes. 
• Maintain statutory registers, corporate records and governance databases. 
• Prepare Companies House filings, and coordinate overseas corporate filings and regulatory submissions with local teams and external service providers, tracking each to completion. 
• Assist with governance-related projects, including legal entity rationalisations, restructurings and other corporate initiatives. 

Entity Management 

• Maintain accurate records relating to Sotheby’s global legal entity structure, including organisational charts, ownership information and governance records. 
• Respond to requests for corporate information and entity documentation from auditors, banks, regulators, tax advisers and internal stakeholders. 
• Support inbound shareholder KYC, beneficial ownership and other shareholder-related requests. 

Corporate Legal Team Support 

• Support treasury, financing, M&A and other projects undertaken by the Corporate Legal team. 
• Assist with due diligence exercises and information requests. 
• Manage document execution processes, including electronic and wet-ink signatures, signing packs and closing sets. 
• Maintain legal templates, governance precedents and trackers. 
• Assist with legal operations, including legal billing administration. 

IDEAL EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCIES

• Experience as a paralegal or company secretarial assistant, or within a compliance or corporate services team, at a law firm, corporate services provider or in-house legal department. 
• A demonstrable record of accuracy and attention to detail in preparing documents and maintaining records.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, in particular Word and Excel. 
• Experience supporting corporate governance, company secretarial or entity management activities. 
• Experience with UK Companies House filings and statutory registers. 
• Experience with entity management, board portal, document management and electronic signature platforms.