Legal Counsel - Africa at National Basketball Association (NBA)

An exciting opportunity exists to join the NBA & BAL as Legal Counsel in Africa. Based in either Johannesburg, South Africa or Dakar, Senegal, the Associate Legal Counsel will provide legal, compliance and general corporate support for the NBA in Africa and the BAL globally. The Legal Counsel will work together with the NBA's Legal department in the London and NY offices, serving as a local resource for the NBA Africa and BAL business and league operations teams.

Major Responsibilities

• Drafting, review and negotiation of contracts across all business lines, in particular basketball operations, events, marketing partnerships, merchandising, and contracts for various service providers
• Managing due diligence process for business partners and service providers
• Driving general corporate and administrative legal matters for the BAL and NBA Africa
• Support the BAL and NBA Africa in developing strategic initiatives and provide legal counsel on various regulatory issues and operational matters
• Provide timely and actionable legal counsel for the BAL and NBA Africa senior leadership and wider teams
• Implement Legal best-practices, controls and policies
• Perform as a member of the BAL and NBA Africa senior leadership team

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Strong analytical, legal writing, business communication, and organizational skills
• Experience with contract drafting and negotiation, with an exceptional level of attention to detail
• Experience in legal due diligence and legal research
• In addition to English, fluency in French, Arabic or Portuguese is preferred
• Knowledge of FCPA, UK Bribery Act, OFAC, and African compliance-related regulations is preferred
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, as well as excellent problem solving and collaborative skills

Experience Needed

• Minimum 5 years' PQE or post-admission experience gained at a top tier multinational law firm or a multi-national company, or similar experience, in Africa, US, UK or Europe
• Multinational legal working experience is required, and some legal working experience in the US, UK or France is preferred
• Commercial or corporate law background, with transactional expertise

Education

• Law degree from a top tier university in Africa, US, UK, or France
• Admitted as an attorney in South Africa, Senegal, or a relevant African country, admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales, and/or admitted to the NY bar (or other US jurisdiction)