Office Manager/Executive Assistant
Resume:
Cornelia Todd Harrison
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
********************@*****.***
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Regional Office Administrator
Responsibilities include: manage 5 regional offices for Philadelphia based mid-size regional law firm, including all Operations, Facilities, Financial, IT, and HR matters for offices in Berwyn, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, Linwood, NJ, West Chester, PA and Wilmington, DE. Direct supervisor of 18 staff in all regional offices, including conducting annual performance appraisals and determining merit compensation increases in line with market and in-house compensation; perform all staff counseling and discipline; perform all recruiting and hiring for all regional offices, utilizing Craig's List and other creative advertising methods for no cost recruiting due to budget constraints; opened new office in Linwood, NJ in May, 2008 including construction and outfitting of new office space, acclimated 3 new attorneys to firm and hiring staff for new office; participated and assisted Executive Director with negotiations in lease renewals for Cherry Hill and Berwyn office; assisted Executive Director with substantial construction renovation project of Philadelphia office with tenant improvement monies for which MMWR received LEED silver accreditation; directed and executed cost savings for all regional offices, including staff pre-retirement packages, lay offs, pay cuts and work hour reductions, while maintaining complete staff coverage for each office; implemented additional expense savings for each office including reviewing and changing vendors/orders for office, kitchen, library; member of Firm's Space Planning Committee; and participate in Firm's Diversity Committee.
2/2002 – 9/2007
Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Personnel Administrator
Responsibilities included: lead and manage seven member personnel department for the headquarters office of approximately 400 employees of a large national law firm; manage personnel functions of staff recruitment, retention, employee relations, investigations, disciplinary actions, terminations; maintain, review and revise policies and procedures manuals; provide national oversight for personnel related issues; maintain and prepare budget for secretarial staff, HR functions and related accounts; direct and update staff evaluation process; determine annual staff increases; direct all secretarial shares assignments and maintain secretarial ratios; oversee all staff programs – special events, Staff Liaison Team, Philadelphia Reads, United Way, and blood drives; and participate in Bridges, a non-profit student co-op program.
3/1999 – 2/2002
Dechert LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Director of Personnel (6/2001 – 2/2002)
Responsibilities included: lead and manage four member personnel department for the headquarters office of approximately 800 employees of large international law firm; supervise and advise on issues relating to employee recruiting and placement; direct performance appraisal process for Philadelphia support staff; conduct all employee counseling, investigations; disciplinary actions, terminations; conduct new hire orientation program; plan and implement training programs for support staff; participate in firm’s regional management and advise on firm wide policies/procedures/governance; oversee planning of special staff events to promote staff morale; and serve on the Advisory Board of Bridges, a non-profit student co-op program.
Senior Personnel Coordinator (3/1999 – 6/2001)
Responsibilities included: recruitment and hiring of all non-legal support staff for headquarters office; conduct annual staff evaluations and recommend annual increase; assist with employee counseling, investigations, disciplinary actions and terminations; assist with new hire orientation; assist with review/revision of staff policy manual; and assist with coordination of secretarial staff assignments and work load issues.
10/1997 – 3/1999
White and Williams LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Paralegal, emphasis on defense medical malpractice.
Responsibilities included: trial preparation/attendance; document organization/preparation; deposition/discovery/medical record summaries; on-line legal and medical research; witness location/subpoena; extensive communications with clients/courts/co- and opposing counsel; and supervision of compliance of client insurance company’s billing protocol/guidelines, as well as review/edit/write off of all client invoices before submission for payment.
10/1996 – 8/1997
Health Service Group, Cary, North Carolina
Office Assistant (part time)
5/1994 – 3/1995
Children’s Discovery Center, Cary, North Carolina
Daycare Teacher
7/1993 – 4/1994
Leonard T. Jernigan, Jr., Esq., Raleigh, North Carolina
Office Manager/Plaintiff Paralegal
12/1992 – 7/1993
Beskind, Rudolf & Maher, P.A., Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Plaintiff Paralegal
3/1987 – 9/1992
Moore & Van Allen, Durham, North Carolina
Defense Litigation Paralegal
EDUCATION
University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
Bachelor of Arts, English
1986
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Association of Legal Administrators
National Association of Professional Women
REFERENCES
Available upon request
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