Head of Legal - MEA at Robert Walters

About:

• A unique opportunity has arisen for an experienced legal professional (minimum ten years' PQE) to step into a newly created Head of Legal Middle East and Africa position, supporting the rapid expansion of a global sustainability advisory firm.
• This role is based in either Johannesburg or Cape Town, and offers you the chance to shape the legal landscape across diverse markets, working closely with senior leaders and stakeholders throughout the region.
• You will play a pivotal part in driving business growth, ensuring robust legal compliance, and facilitating complex M&A activities.
• The organisation is renowned for its commitment to environmental responsibility, collaborative culture, and supportive leadership, providing you with a platform to make a significant impact while enjoying flexible working opportunities and exposure to international best practices.
• Play a key role in guiding the legal strategy for a rapidly growing international business with a strong presence across the Middle East and Africa, directly influencing commercial success and regional expansion.
• Collaborate with high-calibre teams including finance, M&A, HR, and external counsel, fostering an inclusive environment where your expertise is valued and your input shapes critical decisions.
• Benefit from flexible working opportunities within a global network that prioritises professional development, knowledge sharing, and supportive leadership at every level.

What you'll do:

• As Head of Legal Middle East and Africa, you will be entrusted with broad responsibilities spanning commercial contract negotiation, corporate governance, M&A support, compliance management, intellectual property protection, and employment law advisory.
• Your day-to-day will involve close collaboration with regional directors, finance teams, HR professionals, M&A specialists, global tax experts, commercial teams, and external counsel.
• You will be instrumental in ensuring that all business activities are conducted within a robust legal framework while proactively identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Success in this role requires you to balance technical excellence with pragmatic solutions that enable business growth.
• Your ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal colleagues will be essential as you help drive strategic initiatives forward.
• This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in an international environment where no two days are alike—your contributions will directly influence both operational efficiency and long-term success.
• Negotiate and draft client agreements, purchasing contracts, confidentiality agreements, engagement letters, and data protection documents to support commercial operations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Assist on bids and tenders by providing expert legal advice that ensures all submissions are compliant with relevant regulations and aligned with organisational objectives.
• Liaise with insurers to manage risk effectively while overseeing relationships with external lawyers regarding litigation matters as they arise in the region.
• Draft board and shareholder minutes, maintain statutory books, and facilitate changes to company directorships across Middle East and African entities.
• Ensure timely corporate filings are completed accurately while supporting group reorganisations, integrations, mergers, liquidations, and asset transfers.
• Conduct due diligence for Mergers and Acquisitions activities; review acquisition documents; provide guidance on earn-out structures; work closely with the Global M&A Director and external legal advisors.
• Monitor new legislation affecting operations in the region; advise internal stakeholders; update or create compliance policies; deliver training as required.
• Support navigation of B-BBEE issues in South Africa by collaborating with local experts to ensure ongoing regulatory alignment.
• Assist with trademark filings to protect intellectual property rights throughout the region.
• Provide support to Human Resources on employment law matters as needed.

What you bring:

• To excel as Head of Legal Middle East and Africa, you will bring substantial experience gained from both private practice at reputable law firms and ideally from time spent in-house within multinational organisations.
• Your background should include hands-on involvement in complex commercial negotiations as well as exposure to corporate governance requirements across different countries.
• A deep understanding of regulatory frameworks relevant to the Middle East and Africa is crucial.
• You will possess excellent interpersonal skills that allow you to build trust-based relationships internally and externally.
• Your attention to detail combined with an ability to see the bigger picture enables you to offer practical advice that supports business goals without compromising compliance.
• Adaptability is key—you must be comfortable navigating ambiguity while remaining responsive to changing priorities.
• If you have additional language capabilities beyond English or prior experience supporting HR teams on employment matte

Requirements:

• At least ten years of post-qualification experience (PQE) with exposure to cross-border transactions involving the Middle East and/or Africa.
• Demonstrated expertise in drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements within an international context.
• Proven experience working within commercial or corporate legal teams at mid-sized or larger law firms or in-house environments.
• A collaborative approach that fosters teamwork across departments while maintaining high standards of professionalism.
• Fluency in English is essential; additional language skills such as French are highly desirable for effective communication across diverse markets.
• A pragmatic mindset focused on delivering efficient solutions that balance risk management with business objectives.
• Experience managing external counsel relationships during litigation or transactional matters.
• Familiarity with corporate governance processes including board minute preparation, statutory book maintenance, director appointments/removals, and regulatory filings.
• Ability to keep abreast of evolving legislation impacting multiple jurisdictions while advising on policy updates or new policy creation.
• Previous involvement in supporting HR functions on employment law issues is advantageous.