Group Legal Advisor

Join a forward-thinking leader in the financial services sector, where your legal expertise will shape strategic decision-making and protect a dynamic Group portfolio. As a Group Legal Advisor, you will play a crucial role in providing sound legal guidance, driving effective contract and intellectual property management, and supporting regulatory compliance across the business. If you are a detail-driven legal professional with strong commercial drafting experience and a passion for business-aligned legal solutions, we'd love to welcome you to our team.

To provide general legal advice and opinions to meet business requirements, draft and vet commercial agreements and contracts, and maintain the group's IP portfolio by liaising with the appointed specialist IP law firm regarding trademark registration and IP protection.

INTERNAL PROCESS:       

• Drafting of commercial agreements, contracts, NDAs with specialist knowledge of Intellectual Property, Indemnity provisions, Service Level Agreement drafting, data privacy and artificial intelligence clause drafting, adequately managing legal and contractual risks
• Legal risk management and drafting of relevant policies and governance committee reports 
• Provide strategic guidance on Intellectual Property (IP)  portfolio management 
• Manage and contribute to the effectiveness of the Group IP Portfolio and handle a variety of IP-related legal matters
• Support business units in liaison with specialist IP law firms to provide a full range of patent, trademarks, copyright and design support functions, including filing preparations and prosecution, opinions, drafting and negotiating licenses, development and research collaboration agreements 
• Keep a repository for all legal agreements in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, specifically dealing with record management, record keeping and data processes
• Monitor the relevance of legal documentation to ensure consistency across the business to mitigate against risks and comply with legal standards
• Evaluate the merit of potentially litigious disputes and consult with the relevant stakeholders to protect the interests of the business area
• Draft legal summaries of relevant case law and financial services regulatory instruments
• Provide annual and quarterly statutory reporting submissions to the South African Reserve Bank for the group (Foreign Direct Investments).
• Liaise with authorised dealers and attend to general queries in relation to the Exchange Control Regulations
• Compile legal reports for group-wide legal projects

CLIENT PROCESS:     

• Build and maintain effective business relationships with relevant stakeholders to manage service delivery in line with business expectations and requirements
• Participate and contribute to a culture that builds rewarding relationships, facilitates feedback, and provides exceptional client service
• Ensure high client service levels and the fair treatment of clients within the area of responsibility

PEOPLE PROCESS:     

• Continuously develop expertise in terms of industry and subject matter knowledge, applying it effectively to deliver specialised contributions and stay ahead in the field
• Positively influence and manage change, offering specialist support where required to facilitate smooth transitions and drive organisational growth
• Contribute to continuous innovation by developing, sharing, and implementing new ideas, actively involving colleagues and staff to enhance the organisation's practices
• Participate and contribute to a culture of work-centric thinking, productivity, service delivery, and quality management, promoting a positive work environment and efficient operations
• Take ownership of driving personal career development, proactively seeking growth opportunities, and advancing professional skills

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS   

• LLB
• Admitted Attorney or Advocate
• LLM (added advantage) 

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE   

• 3 years post-admission, litigation management and commercial agreements drafting experience as a legal advisor in the insurance and financial services industry  

KNOWLEDGE     

• Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of the law of contract 
• Prolific drafting skills of commercial agreements 
• Working knowledge of litigation management and legal processes
• Interpretation of statutes and subordinate legislation applicable to the financial services industry
• Contract Management
• Dispute Resolution
• Financial Industry Regulatory Framework
• Legal Advisory and Interpretation
• Legal Drafting
• Legal Research

• Communication skills
• Persuasion and negotiation skills
• To be able to objectively consider different perspectives and viewpoints and arrive at an informed decision or resolution
• To assist businesses in arriving at a decision, weighing up the needs of the business and regulatory imperatives
• Articulating Information
• Attention to detail 
• Documenting Facts
• Establishing Rapport
• Examining Information