Legal Advisor at RMB - Rand Merchant Bank

• In this role you will be required to drive legal implementation of Investment and Asset Management products, services, and structures, within the Ashburton Investment business and across the Retail, Commercial, and Corporate & Institutional customer segments of the FirstRand Group.  
• You will primarily be responsible for advising the Ashburton Investment and Asset Management Businesses on the legal aspects of applicable products and services and transactions, as well as continued research into various aspects of the laws, industry best practice and regulatory framework impacting on the legal viability of the transactions being considered. 
• This role is to provide legal advice on moderate to complex legal matters with a financial impact and to identify and manage the legal risk associated with such transactions.

Are you someone who can:

• Provide highly specialised legal advice or support in relation to, inter alia: 
• LMA transactions, Liability Driven Investments (LDI), Structured Notes, Funds and collective investment schemes, Securitisation structures, Asset Swap facilities. 
• The operational aspects pertaining to these product offerings, including opinions and guidance on the investment parameters applicable in such contexts. 
• Fund migrations and funds litigation services. 
• Advising on financial services legislation affecting funds, investment management companies and advisors, including distribution and marketing issues. 
• Ensure compliance with internal legal and other procedures and policies. 
• Negotiating and drafting final agreements, pertaining to the product offering, Investment Management Agreements, ISDA’s, custody agreements, administration agreements, prime brokerage agreements, co-investment agreements, securitisation agreements, Asset Swap Agreements and rebate agreements. 
• Listing investment funds and conducting due diligence.
• Technical analysis and application of legal and commercial principles to transactions/ products.
• Expert drafting and reviewing of applicable documentation and agreements. 
• Developing and maintaining relationships with internal stakeholders and providers of legal services (including, external legal counsels, and other key stakeholders). 
• Provide guidance and mentoring to junior legal advisers and direct reports.
• Stay up to date in all developments in the law in relation to his/her areas of legal practice.
• Comply with all professional and ethical standards relevant to in-house legal advisers.
• Monitor, analyse and evaluate the impact and legal implications of developments in the industry and related areas, including the activities of competitors, and pro-actively work with the Legal Centres of Expertise and recommend effective courses of action so that either a stance may be adopted, or potential threats may be averted.
• Monitoring compliance with legal and statutory requirements related to legal risks of the organisation.

You will be an ideal candidate if you:

• Have completed an LLB
• Admitted legal practitioner
• LLM in relevant specialist area of the law advantageous, corporate, or commercial law, banking and finance, international business law.  
• Have a minimum of 8 - 10 years' post-article experience in the relevant area of legal specialisation. 
• Have a minimum of 6 - 8 years working experience in a relevant Asset Management or Investment Management Legal environment. 
• Experience in the drafting, review (and at times negotiating) of LMA and LDI Investments.
• Experience in portfolio management and fund management business.