Executive Head: Legal Affairs at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role purpose:

• Provide legal advice and support and managing legal matters for Vodacom Group, Vodacom South Africa and other operating entities and holding companies across Vodacom’s markets,  with a particular focus on -
• Mergers & Acquisitions and joint ventures (covering all aspects, including drafting, reviewing and negotiating transaction agreements, supervising due diligences, attending to merger filings and fulfilment of conditions precedent etc.);
• debt and capital markets funding;
• intra-group reorganisations, shareholder issues, corporate activity and general corporate & commercial matters;
• commercial agreements;
• banking and finance and treasury related transactions (including facility agreements and preference share transactions);
• competition law and other regulatory aspects; and
• litigation affecting the Group or arising in relation to the above.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Provide legal advice and input on ‘high impact’ corporate transactions (mergers and acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, intra group re-organisations, B-BBEE transactions etc.), high value and complex commercial agreements , banking and finance and treasury related transactions (including facility agreements and preference share transactions) and on any litigation affecting the Group or arising in relation  the above    
• Involvement at the outset to define legal needs and inputs to any major transactional activity.
• Prepare mandates/engagement letters and appoint and brief outsourced external legal teams, to the extent necessary.
• Play a key role in deal negotiation and structuring in line with project goals and budget.
• Draft, review and negotiate agreements and documents.
• Manage and control any project-specific outsourced legal work.
• Liaise with business line leaders, legal heads of International Operating Companies, Vodafone legal team, other stakeholders, etc., as dictated by deal requirements.
• Ensure that all legal agreements required by Vodacom are in place and approved under the delegation of authority process
• All legal matters are reported and managed in accordance with company governance requirements and processes, delegation of authority, and Group Code of Conduct
• Keep business stakeholders updated and briefed on key projects and risk management
• Provide legal advice and counsel on related corporate activity including minority or 3rd party shareholder transactions, shareholder issues and banking and finance and treasury related transactions and general corporate and commercial work    
• Prepare mandates, N.D.A.’s, engagement letters, etc.
• Play a lead role in negotiating and structuring deals/transactions.
• Drafting and reviewing agreements and legal documents covering group legal issues including minority or 3rd party shareholder transactions, shareholder or business partner disputes, disposals, banking and finance and treasury related transactions etc.

Litigation    

• Where litigation becomes unavoidable or preferable in relation to the above:
• Act on behalf of the company in litigation proceedings and instruct and manage external lawyers (where necessary).
• Liaise with business line leaders and other stakeholders and report on litigation status.

Competition Law matters    

• Provide specialist counsel in Competition Law and other regulatory matters as they arise.
• Assist with competition law and other regulatory compliance activities.
• The role requires an experienced individual with broad in-depth knowledge of corporate and commercial legal agreements, contracts and litigation including specialist experience in mergers and acquisitions, shareholder transactions, banking and finance and treasury activities and competition law

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• B.A./B.Com. & LL.B and admitted as an Attorney / Advocate or equivalent
• 10 years commercial legal experience preferably within a Legal Firm (can include articles) 
• Experience in handling mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, intra-group reorganisations, commercial agreements and stakeholder related transactions essential 
• Competition law experience and banking and finance and treasury transactions experience desirable 

Technical / Professional Expertise

• Commercial drafting experience
• Litigation experience
• Experience in dealing with mergers and acquisitions and banking and finance (including investment/treasury related) transactions
• Experience in applying competition law
• Experience in working on international transactions
• Experience in working in shareholder related transactions

Competency / Performance Drivers:

• Drafting skills
• Negotiating and interpersonal skills
• Analytical thinking skills and attention to detail
• Interpersonal and influencing skills
• Project management skills