Legal Support Practitioner, Head Office at Sun International

Main purpose of the job

The Legal Support Practitioner will be responsible for legal, contract, claims and compliance administrative support of the Senior Legal Advisor and team. Support is professional, confidential and may be complex in nature in order to ensure the seamless implementation and consistent delivery of services provided by the Senior Legal Advisor and team to all clients and stakeholders particularly in the areas of contracting, claims and compliance.

Education and experience:

• Grade 12, with studying towards a legal qualification
• Minimum 3 years’ experience as a paralegal within an in-house corporate legal environment or equivalent

Core and personal behavioral competencies:

• Assuring quality
• Maintaining focus
• Acting with energy and enthusiasm
• Managing risk, deadlines
• Managing customer and stakeholders
• Collaborating
• Plan, organise, prioritise, co-ordinate and manage multiple initiatives
• Analytical skills
• Problem-solving
• Emotional resilience
• Thorough knowledge of Contracting Management System
• Clerical administration
• Excellent English written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient computer literacy - MS Office
• Legal research
• Contracts requirements, preparation, facilitation, coordination, and signature processes
• Collecting information (sourcing; checking and / or documenting)
• Minute taking (including compiling of action item lists)
• Drafting of formal and informal correspondence and documents

Key Performance Areas

• Generally, and overall, be available and willing to assist across the functions of the Legal Team at large but specifically in the areas of Contracting, Compliance and Claims

Legal Contracts and Compliance Support

• Facilitate the collection of information for contracts on the contract management system from inception until signature.
• Prepare portfolio-specific contracts by reviewing (1) whether the correct template has been used, (2) if the commercial requirements are fulfilled and align to the internal control record, and (3) all annexures have been attached.
• Track and follow up on outstanding information for contracts, escalating any risks identified with Legal Advisor and Contracts Manager.
• Provide technical support to Contracts Manager, Legal Advisor and Internal Stakeholders regarding the use and functionality of the contract management system and facilitate onboarding of new users and vendors.
• Coordinate workflow development on the contract management system and conduct periodic tests of the workflow set-up to ensure continued efficient implementation and escalate issues/deviations to the Legal Advisor for analysis and/ or action.
• Schedule and attend meetings where required to track matter management and potential drafting of legal documents.
• Minute taking (including compiling of action item lists) as required by Legal Advisor.
• Conduct general document administration (correct formatting, language and naming conventions on all documents and all documents correctly filed and readily accessible on electronic filing system and preparation of reports).
• Preparation of internal control records.
• Draft correspondence under the review and supervision of the Legal Advisor in line with department and legal requirements. (Claims, Contracts and Compliance)
• Review content and formatting of contracts and other documents to ensure it meets department standards, procedures and context.
• Ongoing and timeous communication with internal and external stakeholders to address contract management system queries, status of contracts and legal matters.
• Gathers information regarding laws, regulations, decisions and similar materials and compile the associated legal memoranda for review.
• Continuously record risks and trends in respect of deviations by internal stakeholders from the Legal Department policies, standard operating procedures and related governance documents and escalate to the Legal Advisor for analysis and/ or action.
• Maintain an accurate record of the location and status of all documents, correspondence, reports, records, agreements and compile spreadsheets to reflect same.
• Prepare monthly reports on behalf of the contracts, compliance and claims department for further review including Litigation Lists, EXCO reports, Board Reports, etc.
• Assist Legal Team to facilitate all administration and system queries relating to legal contracts and claims and report on contract progress, making recommendations and providing solutions to mitigate risks and resolve outcomes.
• Support various legislated non-gaming projects such as POPI compliance across business operations
• Where possible troubleshoot and provide or support with the job coaching to stakeholders (including users and coaches) across the business around the optimal use of the contracts and claims system

Claims Support

• Support the claims process and updating of the system, ensuring that relevant data is complete and accurately recorded in the claims system
• Draft as instructed the ongoing communication and written correspondence between guests, Insurance Brokers and Units at all stages of the claims process. (E.G. Reply to subpoena, repudiations, rejections, ex-gratia offers, acknowledgements, request for info, and the like)
• Support and to the extent possible investigate and evaluate reported incidents and/or claims escalated to Legal/ flagged by insurers
• Assist with the compilation of on any incidents and claims and new and terminated contractual agreements during the month
• Assist with compiling an analysis of incidents and trends happening across the business to make decisions on how best to proceed with the handling of the claim, and provide input to policy or procedure changes that could mitigate these risks
• Read and assist with the review of insurers comments, answer queries and/or provide records relating to claims and/or incidents
• Assist with the appointment of loss adjustors for incidents and/or claims where necessary, ensuring they are provided with all necessary information to make a factual and accurate determination on the claim as directed by Legal Advisor, Contracts Manger or respective Claim Subject Matter Expert etc.
• Assist with the negotiation and facilitation of claims settlements within mandate with insurers, unit stakeholders and guests, and notify the unit of insurance excesses, ensuring payment thereof and forward proof to insurers as guided by Legal Advisor, Contracts Manger or respective Claim Subject Matter Expert etc.
• Keep records relating to each claim complete and up to date