Paralegal/Legal Assistant

A. Duda & Sons, Inc., a privately-owned, diversified land company, engaged in agribusiness and real estate activities, based in Oviedo, Florida, is seeking a Paralegal/Legal Assistant for its Corporate Legal Department. This position supports DUDA’s Corporate Legal Department team and regularly interacts with business units along with external business partners, and outside counsel. This role requires extensive knowledge and experience with complex legal drafting and contract preparation and review. The Paralegal is responsible for performing a variety of professional support services and administrative duties necessary to organize and manage projects within the Corporate Legal Department.    Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Draft, revise, and produce legal documentation for attorney review, including contracts, agreements, amendments, policies, operating procedures, and correspondence.  Create and edit documents, including red-lining changes and appropriately formatting and proofreading for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Refine and maintain standardized template corporate agreements. Assist with implementing document management procedures and best practices to optimize efficiency and accuracy, including recommending process improvements, with a goal of ensuring accurate and prompt retrieval, version control, and request status. Organize and maintain electronic document management system (repository and database), including tracking critical datapoints, checking documents for completeness and adherence to department guidelines, and periodically running compliance audits/reports. Create requests for electronic signature of documents and monitoring status of requests. transmit and monitor internal and external correspondence, especially managing receipts and replies. Support and coordinate multiple administrative tasks (answer/direct phone calls, file legal documents/correspondence, emails, memos, meetings/conference calls, schedules, and deliverables) as directed and independently as needed. Conduct legal research and collects relevant facts, information and documentation.   Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Must have strong research, organization and drafting skills. Ability to produce timely, high-quality work with a strong attention to detail. Excellent writing, interpersonal, and oral communication skills Highly organized with ability to work efficiently both independently and as a part of a larger team. Flexibility/adaptability to prioritize and manage a heavy volume, multiple wide-ranging matters, conflicting deadlines, and new areas of expertise, as business needs change. Enthusiasm and the intellectual curiosity to learn about a diverse and evolving business with a variety of operating units. Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Adobe Acrobat.  Legal matter management/contract management software experience a plus. Strong work ethic, integrity, honesty and trust, and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality are also imperative to this role.   Education & Experience: The successful candidate will have a degree in paralegal studies or related field; or Paralegal Certificate from an accredited program; or any equivalent combination of experience, education and/or training with at least five (5) years of proven working experience in corporate, transaction or commercial legal matters practiced as a legal assistant, paralegal or legal secretary; and be extremely skilled at drafting a wide range of contracts and agreements.   No agencies please.