Senior Paralegal - FINRA Arbitration and Civil Litigation

Location: Remote Type: Full-time, long-term Hours: 50–55 hours per week, with complete overlap with U.S. business hours Reports to: Managing Attorney About the Firm: Patil Law, PC is a plaintiff-side securities litigation firm. We represent investors who have suffered losses due to broker misconduct, unsuitable recommendations, fraud, and failure to supervise. Roughly 80% of our matters are FINRA arbitrations; the remaining 20% are in state and federal court, with occasional matters before JAMS and AAA. We are a small, high-output team — three attorneys and this paralegal role. There is no bureaucracy, no layers of management, and nowhere for work to hide. The person in this seat is the operational backbone of every active case. Read This Part First: This is not a quiet document-review job. It is a high-volume, high-intensity role with constant context-switching across dozens of active matters, hard deadlines that do not move, and three attorneys who all need things from you at once. Two things matter more than anything else on your résumé: 1. Responsiveness. When an attorney sends you something during your shift, you acknowledge it quickly — even if the answer is "received, working on it, will have it to you by 3." Silence is the single fastest way to fail in this role. We need to know that a task sent is a task received. 2. Ownership. You take a task and you carry it to completion without being chased. If you hit a wall, you flag it immediately rather than letting it sit. If a deadline is at risk, we hear it from you first, not from the calendar. If something falls between two people's responsibilities, you pick it up. "I was waiting to hear back" is not a status update — following up until you hear back is the job. We are hiring for temperament as much as skill. The right person finds a busy, fast-moving, deadline-driven environment energizing rather than stressful. If you prefer a predictable queue of one task at a time, this role will make you miserable and we would rather you know that now. Schedule & Availability 50–55 hours per week. This is a demanding schedule and we are stating it plainly up front rather than discovering a mismatch in month two. Your working hours must overlap substantially with U.S. business hours. Depending on the final schedule we set together, this may mean an evening or overnight shift in Philippine time. Please confirm you are able and willing to work these hours before applying. Deadlines in arbitration and litigation are fixed. Occasional evening or weekend work is required when a filing deadline, hearing, or production is imminent. Reliable high-speed internet, a backup connection or contingency plan, and a quiet dedicated workspace are required. Core Responsibilities Deadline & Calendar Management -Calendar and track all deadlines across FINRA, state and federal court, JAMS, and AAA -Maintain attorney calendars for hearings, arbitration dates, and trial dates; coordinate across time zones -Monitor procedural requirements to ensure filings and submissions go out on time -Proactively set and issue reminders to attorneys for upcoming deadlines and assigned tasks Case Monitoring & File Management -Monitor every active FINRA case in the DR Portal for new filings; download and file into Dropbox promptly -Maintain organized client case files across Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, and Clio -Save all drafted and filed documents to client-specific folders with consistent naming and version control -Create and manage new client profiles across all platforms -Run new client conflict checks Client Communication & Discovery -Contact clients to request and collect discovery documents; answer routine, non-legal discovery questions -Follow up persistently with clients on outstanding items and open requests -Review, organize, and catalog discovery using spreadsheets to ensure compliance with the FINRA Discovery Guide -Identify missing items and coordinate follow-up until production sets are complete -Redact documents and apply Bates numbering for document production Drafting & Research -Draft discovery Responses and Objections -Draft pleadings and other case-related documents -Draft legal briefs for attorney review -Review and redline attorney-drafted documents for clarity, formatting, and consistency -Conduct case law research to support attorneys -Draft letters to file with FINRA, including routine correspondence and cover letters -Draft and circulate meeting memoranda for client and internal meetings -Prepare executive summaries and other case-support documents Filings & Service -File documents with FINRA, state and federal courts, and arbitration forums -Coordinate subpoena and process service: obtain quotes, select vendors, submit for service, and track status to completion -Coordinate court reporters and process servers for hearings and depositions Hearing, Deposition & Trial Support -Prepare deposition materials and provide attendance support -Coordinate expert witnesses, including scheduling and document preparation -Prepare hearing and arbitration binders -Prepare and organize trial and arbitration exhibits Phone & Vendor Coordination -Handle case-related calls with clients, FINRA, process servers, couriers, and vendors -Maintain professional, clear spoken English suitable for direct client contact Scheduling & Administration -Schedule client meetings, internal team meetings, and case conferences; confirm attorney availability and distribute materials in advance -Maintain regular proactive status communication with attorneys on case progress -Prioritize competing deadlines across a three-attorney caseload -Enter time in Clio and maintain accurate billing records -Submit expense receipts and invoices to the finance department Required Qualifications 3+ years of U.S. litigation paralegal experience, including independent drafting of discovery responses and objections Demonstrated experience managing litigation deadlines and calendars without supervision Excellent written English — you will draft documents that go to opposing counsel, arbitrators, and clients Clear, professional spoken English for client and vendor calls Strong working proficiency with Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat (redaction and Bates numbering), and cloud file systems Meticulous attention to detail and disciplined file organization Ability to work independently across a large time-zone gap with minimal hand-holding Preferred Qualifications Direct experience with FINRA arbitration and the FINRA DR Portal Familiarity with the FINRA Discovery Guide Experience with Clio, Dropbox, and Microsoft Teams Securities, financial services, or investor-loss litigation background Paralegal certificate or Philippine law degree What Success Looks Like at 90 Days You are monitoring every active matter and no filing reaches an attorney's attention because they happened to notice it themselves Nothing on the calendar surprises anyone Attorneys send you a task and stop thinking about it Your first-draft R&Os require editing, not rewriting Clients respond to you because you have built a relationship with them Confidentiality & Security You will handle highly sensitive client financial information, including brokerage statements, account numbers, tax documents, and personal identifying information. All work must be performed on approved systems and in compliance with the firm's confidentiality and data security requirements. A confidentiality agreement is a condition of engagement. All legal work is performed under the supervision of a licensed U.S. attorney. This role does not involve giving legal advice to clients. How to Apply -Apply via Upwork. Applications missing any item will not be reviewed. -----Your résumé -----A short cover note (under 300 words) answering: (a) Describe a time you were juggling multiple competing litigation deadlines. (b) What did you do, and what happened? -----A writing sample you drafted yourself — ideally discovery responses and objections, a motion, or a letter to a court or arbitration forum. Redact all client-identifying information. -----Confirmation of your availability to work US business hours and a 50–55 hour week -----Your monthly rate expectation in USD Shortlisted candidates will complete a short paid drafting exercise before the final interview.