Senior Specialist Legal at Absa South Africa

Job Description

Management of Legal Risks 

• Ensure the bank’s legal is managed effectively in all situations in which legal disputes or regulatory issues arise, at all times safeguarding Absa’s reputation.
• Increase awareness of the Legal Key Risk Policies and report any breaches.
• Identify and articulate risks associated with proposed transactions, projects and activities that the business intends to undertake.
• Mitigate risks wherever possible.
• Attend necessary training sessions to ensure commerciality and continued legal professional development.
• Ensure regulatory & statutory compliance.
• Provide a clear record of relevant business transactions and legal advice given that effectively mitigates legal risk.
• Develop and sustain effective risk and control frameworks.

Negotiate, draft and review Agreements. 

• Assist in structuring, negotiating & drafting legal agreements and documentation relating to standard agreements, transactions, new products and 3rd party agreements
• A general working knowledge of Trade and Working Capital including a  specialised knowledge of Supply Chain Finance and Risk Participation Agreements
• Help to develop working structures and best practice guides for use within business
• Address all probable risks by seeing to it that they are sufficiently addressed in legal agreements drafted
• Consider, comment, negotiate and give advice on documents/ agreements for the business
• Give legal advice on transactions or deals to be done, or transactions that have been concluded
• Conduct legal due diligences on transactions
• Provide advice on legality, the lawfulness and enforceability of agreements and documents

Stakeholder Management 

• Determine needs of stakeholders by regular interaction with the stakeholders in order to discuss legal developments and matters with them
• Provide stakeholders with legal advice, support and legal solutions
• Provide specialist assistance to country legal teams in the Africa region
• Manage external counsel where required
• Distil and communicate and legal concepts in a simple, concise way that is easily understood by business stakeholders.
• Evaluate, manage and prioritise tasks in accordance with business need

Reporting 

• Compile lists of matters and registers of work or instructions received
• Provide reports as required to support the assessment of the legal risk control framework.
• Attend to ad hoc reports as requested by the Head.

Education and Experience Required

• B-degree in Law: LLB NQF Level 7
• Admitted attorney or Advocate
• Preferred: Post Graduate diploma or master’s degree in Banking, Corporate or Commercial Law
• Relevant experience (at least 5 years) as an in-house legal counsel in a financial institution, other corporate, in a reputable law firm or at the Bar.
• General knowledge of bank regulations required.