Senior Legal Advisor: Investments (3 Year Fixed Term Contract) at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Key Performance Areas: 

Legal Advisory Functions: 

• Collaborate with core project teams to support Investment Officers in structuring diverse investment projects, with a strong focus on project finance and equity transactions.
• Conduct thorough legal due diligence investigations on investment projects.
• Perform advanced research on a broad range of legal issues related to various investment initiatives and commercial transactions.
• Advise and contribute to the drafting and review of appraisal reports, ensuring sound legal inputs.
• Serve and participate in various credit committees of the DBSA, offering legal guidance.
• Prepare, review, and negotiate comprehensive term sheets for investment projects, with a focus on project finance transactions.
• Lead negotiations with clients, co-funders, and stakeholders to ensure favourable legal outcomes.
• Draft, vet, and review complex legal documents and agreements, ensuring clarity and compliance.
• Provide substantial legal advice, support, and opinions to various corporate support units within the DBSA.
• Monitor and maintain compliance with relevant legislation, policies, and regulations in all legal matters.
• Work closely with the compliance team to ensure robust regulatory frameworks are in place.
• Keep abreast with legal developments and update colleagues and management on relevant changes.
• Identify matters requiring specialist legal input and instruct and liaise with appropriate external counsel.
• Collaborate with external attorneys prepare comprehensive briefs and manage transactions with external counterparts.
• Manage all aspects of corporate litigation, ensuring the organisation's legal interests are protected throughout the process.
• Manage the legal budget for the appointment of an external legal service provider and ensure work is done costeffectively.
• Support the execution and implementation of investment projects from a legal and security perspective.
• Provide general legal support to the operational and corporate units of the DBSA, ensuring alignment with legal requirements.

Minimum Requirements:

• A Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) or Legal postgraduate qualification.
• Admitted Attorney/Advocate of the High Court of South Africa.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in Project/Corporate/Structured Finance transactions.
• A minimum of 5 years post admission experience in a commercial/finance/banking or corporate law environment gained at a commercial banking, specialist law firm/ corporate or similar institution.

Desirable Requirements:

• Private-public partnership experience.
• Municipal finance experience
• Public Enterprises Regulatory Framework
• Postgraduate qualification in Business, Development Finance or Banking