Nolene Du Plessis
Law
Erasmuskloof
Summary
Dedicated and passionate candidate with a strong understanding of family law and labor law, seeking to secure articles. Demonstrates the ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Proven track record of building trusting relationships with clients and learned colleagues while providing clear and universal legal advice. Highly organised and dependable, adept at handling multiple tasks, prioritizing efficiently, and meeting tight deadlines. Successfully manages multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Possesses an intense yearning and willingness to continuously learn and develop further expertise in the legal field.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Consultant
Suze Buitendag Attorneys
Pretoria
07.2018 - 08.2024
- Attending consultations with an attorney to provide advice and develop strategies for negotiations and/or court proceedings.
- Interpreting laws, rulings, and regulations to assist in advising clients.
- Upkeep of developments in relevant legislation and directives, ensuring that advice given is current and accurate at all times.
- Conducting legal research and conferring with colleagues with subject matter expertise.
- Improve client satisfaction with detailed and clear communication of legal processes and expectations.
- Drafting comprehensive legal documents in court proceedings, such as notices, pleadings, motions, urgent applications, as well as writs, subpoenas, briefs, contracts, wills, trusts, ante-nuptial agreements and letters for various clients.
- Review, edit and proofread legal documents for proper grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Calculating division of accrual systems.
- Sort and arrange annexures, prepare indexes and paginate court documents.
- Communicate with clients and collect information to prepare settlement agreements.
- Assisting attorneys in achieving favourable settlements through diligent review of discovery documents, proactive communication and negotiating with opposing counsel.
- Attend opposed and unopposed court proceedings and/or trials, represented the firm, together with counsel.
- Assist counsel with trial preparations and witness bundles for successful legal proceedings.
- Develop strong working relationships with opposing attorneys and counsels, fostering a collaborative environment for dispute resolution, facilitate knowledge sharing and expertise.
- Manage complex caseloads simultaneously and effectively.
- Improve client satisfaction by providing detailed and clear communication of legal processes and expectations. Furthermore, provide suitable updates on case progress and address concerns promptly.
- Participate in mediation sessions and roundtable discussions.
- Ensure compliance with court deadlines by diligently tracking filing requirements and maintaining an organised calendar system.
- Streamlining case file management systems.
- Timeously issue and file pleadings on the opposing party, CourtOnline/CaseLines as well as to attend the lower courts for physical filing on the court file.
- Enhance client satisfaction with efficient scheduling and coordination of consultations, mediations, and roundtable discussions.
- Managing general clerical needs such as streaming the intake process for new clients, opening and closing of files, scanning, printing and binding legal documents as well as developing efficient filing systems for legal documents resulting in reduced retrieval times and increased productivity.
- Arrange collections and delivery to and from sheriffs.
- Streamline internal processes within the firm for increased efficiency and improved service delivery standards.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements, leading to increased profitability and client retention.
- Managing accounts and billing procedures to maintain accurate records of client accounts and expedite payment and or debit processing by producing invoices as well as monthly statements of the business and trust account.
- Providing estimations for clients as well as ensuring fees on trust.
- Keeping the office efficient and organised by managing tasks such as supply restocking and general upkeep without oversight, following up on outstanding accounts and issuing of final demand letters.
- Maintain strict adherence to professional ethics guidelines, always upholding the integrity of the legal profession.
- Experience in High court, Regional court, Maintenance, Children's and Domestic Violence court proceedings.
Consultant
Isa Voster Attorneys
Pretoria
02.2023 - 08.2023
- Timeously issue and file pleadings on CourtOnline/CaseLines.
- Create cases on CourtOnline/CaseLines.
Consultant
SIG Labour
Pretoria
01.2023 - 05.2023
- Attended consultations with employers (clients) to provide advice and develop strategies for negotiations for CCMA and/or Barganing council proceedings.
- Conducting legal research and conferring with colleagues with subject matter expertise.
- Attended conciliation, pre-arbitration and arbitration hearings representing the employers organinsation at the CCMA and/or Barganing council.
- Attended disciplinary hearings in the capacity as the chairperson and/or as the complainant and drafted the relevant outcomes.
- Chaired appeal hearings and drafted outcomes.
- Chaired retrenchment consultations.
Service Coordinator
ABSA Barclays
Pretoria
10.2015 - 06.2018
- Administration of all IT equipment insurance claims in ABSA Barclays nationally.
- Assisting with book values and signing of quotes for damaged equipment.
- Logging and receiving of requests on Oasis.
- Assign requests to relevant departments requesting services.
- Coordinate requests for equipment that need to be procured and ensure “site readiness” for BAU implementation.
- Providing information on status of requests to clients and escalate delays if necessary.
- Liaise with colleagues and provide client services.
- Validation, error checking and capturing of technology service requests, responsible for monitoring and communicating same.
- Provide daily/weekly feedback to team leader on possible escalations via reporting on tracking of vendor delivery.
- Provide operational support and address user queries.
- Report on status of resolutions of requests daily to the line manager.
- Coordinating day-to-day activities, involvement between Absa internal stakeholders as well as between Absa and the vendor ensuring optimal compliance and efficiency
- Provide needed guidance on processes to be followed for business units, communicate process deficiencies to management
- Verifying completion of request, customer satisfaction and resolve request.
Account Manager Assistant
Paracon
01.2014 - 10.2015
- Drafting Contractor/Fixed Term Employee contracts and submission to the legal department.
- Drafting Consultancy/Third party letters/contracts and submission to the legal department.
- Confirmation of contracts.
- Ensure Client, Contractor/Fixed Term Employees, Consultancy and Third parties sign and return contracts.
- Dealing with consultancies and Third Party invoices/payments.
- Sending out reminder emails for the submission of timesheets.
- Capturing Contractor/Fixed Term Employee timesheets ,bonuses, back payments and innovation awards.
- Loading Contractor/Fixed Term Employee fee structuring.
- Loading Candidates onto HRS.
- Dealing with financial queries.
- General Contractor care.
- Submitting invoices to clients.
- Follow up on payments.
- Sending out remittances/IRP5.
- Loading CV’s of Contractor/Fixed Term Employees onto the portal.
- General administration/filing.
- Assisting Account Manager with arranging interviews.
Administrative / Estimator /Accountant Assistant
Superway Construction
03.2011 - 05.2013
- Preparing and completing of tenders.
- Writing of tender bills.
- Checking of tender bills on Excel in preparation for CCS.
- Arranging site meetings and documents.
- Arranging payment for tender documents.
- Arranging safety meetings.
- Safety secretary.
- Finding civil/building quotes.
- Labeling of Civil/Building prices.
- Sending out data sheets.
- Telephone duties.
- Tender results.
- Booking flights for directors.
- Arranging accommodation for directors.
- Assisting Estimators.
- Assisting Senior Accountant with certificates.
- Taking safety meeting minutes.
- Relief receptionist.
- Admin and backlogs for a project in the Eastern Cape.
- Issuing of Requisitions.
- Sending out purchase orders.
- General administration.
Sales and Marketing Representative
Managed Living
03.2010 - 02.2011
- Creating presentations.
- Meeting with clients.
- General administration.
- Telephone duties.
Education
Certificate - Practical Vocational Training
Law Society of South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa 04.2001 -
Certificate - Trial Advocacy
Legal Education Centre
Pretoria, South Africa 04.2001 -
Certificate - Law Programme
Doxit Secure Document Exchange
Pretoria, South Africa 04.2001 -
Degree - LLB
Unisa
Pretoria, South Africa 04.2001 -
Diploma - Office Management And Technology
Unisa
Johannesburg, South Africa 04.2001 -
Certificate - MS Projects 2010 Essentials
Bytes People Solutions
Johannesburg, South Africa 04.2001 -
Certificate - Project Administrator
PM Ideas
Johannesburg, South Africa 04.2001 -
Senior Certificate - (Grade 12)
Hoerskool Noordheuwel
Krugersdorp, South Africa 04.2001 -
Skills
Drafting of legal documents
Reviewing documents
Court preparation
Evaluating contracts
Negotiation
Trial experience
Family law
Alternative dispute resolution
Labour law
Problem-solving abilities
Multitasking and time management abilities
Reliability
Accounts and record keeping
Timeline
Consultant
Isa Voster Attorneys
02.2023 - 08.2023
Consultant
SIG Labour
01.2023 - 05.2023
Consultant
Suze Buitendag Attorneys
07.2018 - 08.2024
Service Coordinator
ABSA Barclays
10.2015 - 06.2018
Account Manager Assistant
Paracon
01.2014 - 10.2015
Administrative / Estimator /Accountant Assistant
Superway Construction
03.2011 - 05.2013
Sales and Marketing Representative
Managed Living
03.2010 - 02.2011
Certificate - Practical Vocational Training
Law Society of South Africa
04.2001 -
Certificate - Trial Advocacy
Legal Education Centre
04.2001 -
Certificate - Law Programme
Doxit Secure Document Exchange
04.2001 -
Degree - LLB
Unisa
04.2001 -
Diploma - Office Management And Technology
Unisa
04.2001 -
Certificate - MS Projects 2010 Essentials
Bytes People Solutions
04.2001 -
Certificate - Project Administrator
PM Ideas
04.2001 -
Senior Certificate - (Grade 12)
Hoerskool Noordheuwel
04.2001 -
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