Legal Advisor at Excellerate JHI

About the role

• As the Legal Advisor for a designated Portfolio, you will be responsible for coordinating all legal matters pertaining to property management. Your role will involve providing comprehensive legal advisory services both internally and to the designated Landlord, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

What you will bring

• An LLB degree and admission as an Attorney, with over 5 years of robust experience in landlord and tenant litigation.
• In-depth understanding of the litigation process in South Africa, including Magistrate and High Courts, alongside specialized knowledge in the Law of Landlord and Tenant.
• Strong insight into managing and monitoring legal risks, with proven experience in business rescue, liquidations, and commercial property evictions.
• Exceptional legal drafting skills for commercial contracts, including Service Level Agreements, ensuring clarity and compliance.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook, to efficiently manage documentation and reporting.
• Excellent time management and administrative abilities, with a strong focus on accuracy and productivity in all tasks.
• Ability to foster and maintain strong professional relationships, contributing to effective teamwork and collaboration.
• Demonstrated strengths in communication, analytical thinking, and problem-solving, with the capacity to thrive under pressure.
• A commitment to delivering high-quality service, ensuring customer satisfaction and alignment with business objectives.

What you will be doing

Legal Coordination

• Investigate viability of summonsing tenants pre-handover.
• Resolve disputes and explore settlement options before pursuing legal action.
• Coordinate new instructions for attorneys on top-up summons, holding over, or damages claims.

Settlement Proposals:

• Verify tenant legalities before accepting settlement proposals (e.g., bank guarantees, signed leases, AODs).
• Monitor AOD payments and ensure they exceed monthly rental.
• Ensure all disputes are resolved and proposals align with landlord acceptance.

Agreements / Drafting

Special Conditions to Lease Agreements, Lease Cancellations, Lease Addenda, Cession Agreements, Acknowledgement of Debts, Service Level Agreements, etc

Defended Actions Management:

• Ensure attorneys have necessary documentation for court disclosure.
• Facilitate discussions between attorneys and landlords regarding strategy.

Legal Meetings and Management:

• Schedule and conduct monthly meetings with attorneys to discuss strategy and updates on legal matters.

Closing Legal Matters:

• Ensure all accounts and legal fees are settled before closing matters.
• Update systems and inform relevant stakeholders upon closure.

Reporting and Compliance:

• Prepare detailed reports in line with landlord policies, including bad debt provisions and legal costs.
• Ensure compliance with write-off policies and timely audits.

Ad Hoc Legal Services:

• Provide legal advice on agreements and issues as needed.
• Draft legal documents, including SLAs, AODs, and lease agreements.

Business Rescue and Liquidation Support:

• Prepare and submit claims, attend creditor meetings, and provide legal advice on risks and claims.