Legal Associate at Ninety One

Job Overview

The Ninety One Legal team is a global team within Ninety One (“Ninety One”), with qualified lawyers in South Africa, the UK and the USA.  The SA Legal team has a diverse and broad remit, covering legal work generated across the African continent.  The team also works closely with colleagues in London and New York on different matters.

All the lawyers play key roles as valued business advisers in managing regulatory and legal risk while facilitating Ninety One’s global commercial activities.

This role is an opportunity to be an in-house lawyer in an experienced legal team within the investment management industry.  The role is heavily focused on drafting, negotiating and processing contracts (particularly client-facing contracts).  It also offers an ability to develop a wide variety of legal skills through working with experienced lawyers that have deep specialist knowledge in a variety of areas.

The role will also provide exposure to other areas of Ninety One’s business as a result of the fact that the global legal team provides support to Ninety One’s entire business.

The candidate should have a good legal background, with working knowledge and experience in drafting and negotiating contracts.  

Support and training will be provided by experienced lawyers within the team.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include the following types of work at different times:

Drafting, negotiating and coordinating input from the business in respect of client-facing legal documentation (most of which is template based) such as:

• Institutional client agreements (e.g. investment management agreements, investment policies, addenda, client letters)
• Investment platform-related documentation (e.g. broker agreements, SLAs, model portfolio agreements)
• Collective investment scheme-related documentation (e.g. broker agreements, forms, letters)
• Keeping template agreements up to date
• Keeping track of the status and progress of client-facing documentation

Reviewing and negotiating peripheral legal documentation such as:

• NDAs
• Events contracts
• Workplace and facilities contracts
• Dealing with questions from the business and clients in relation to contracts
• Regular interaction with client-facing (sales) teams

Candidate Requirements

Technical Knowledge and Experience:

• LLB or related tertiary qualification is required.
• Ideally suited to qualified lawyer with minimum 3 years post qualification experience in the financial services or legal industry.
• Solid legal background, with working knowledge and experience in drafting and negotiating contracts is a requirement.
• Exposure to legal duties and functions is essential.
• Exposure to investment management industry is useful.
• Working knowledge of financial services legislation is beneficial.

System Skills:

• Microsoft office

Personal Attributes:

• Organised, timely and structured working methods.
• Self-motivated individual, analytical, pro-active, solution minded.
• High attention to detail with a business centric approach to providing legal advice internally.
• Ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
• Proven ability to multi-task and cope with the needs of a fast moving business
• Must show confidence to be able to quickly build up and maintain effective working relationships
• Must have strong capacity for developing knowledge and skills
• Excellent communication skills required – written and oral

Risk and Compliance Responsibilities

• Adhering to the Code of Ethics and related policies, including personal account dealing, gifts, market abuse, etc.
• Ensuring Compliance training, declarations and relevant forms are completed on a timely basis
• Ensuring that firm and client data and property, including IT data, are properly protected
• Reporting any possible and actual breaches, errors, complaints or conduct issues.
• Reporting any suspicion that a client, investor, or employee may be involved in money laundering, fraud or other crime such as market abuse