Commercial Lawyer (4-6 PQE)

Cognia Law; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognia Law seeks a Commercial Attorney in Cape Town to lead end-to-end contract review and negotiation. You will manage risk, act on complex commercial matters, and guide junior lawyers while coordinating with multi-disciplinary delivery teams. Strong proficiency in legal tech and CLM systems is preferred.

The role emphasizes ownership of workflow, client relationships, and timely delivery in a fast-paced environment. SA-qualified lawyer with 4–6 years’ experience is ideal.

Qualifications

• LLB or BCom Law from SA tertiary institution.
• 4–6 years post-admission in commercial law with contract review/negotiation exposure.
• Experience leading small teams in delivery-focused environments is beneficial.
• Proven ability to review, draft and negotiate commercial agreements in time-sensitive settings.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft and negotiate commercial agreements end-to-end (NDA, MSAs, SOWs).
• Lead contract review and negotiation, beyond templated work.
• Mentor junior team members and guide task allocation to ensure quality output.
• Identify risks and propose practical mitigations in commercial deals.
• Utilize AI-enabled tools to improve speed and accuracy of contracting.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Risk assessment

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Adaptability to tools

Education

LLB or BCom Law

Tools

AI-enabled tools

CLM systems

Contract review software

Job description

Job Description

We’re looking for a Commercial Attorney with hands-on contract negotiation and review experience, and a strong understanding of how commercial risk plays out in practice. This role is suited to someone who is comfortable stepping straight into active projects, quickly grasping the client’s risk profile, taking ownership of contract review and negotiation end-to-end, and prioritising workflows across competing deadlines while contributing to the smooth delivery of work across the team.

You’ll work at the intersection of commercial contracting, legal operations, and technology-enabled delivery, supporting corporates and financial institutions on fast-moving matters. This includes using legal technology and AI-enabled tools to enhance the speed, accuracy, and consistency of contracting, while working collaboratively with wider delivery teams and managing stakeholders and client relationships.

This role will involve supporting and motivating junior team members, taking on team lead and project management responsibilities, balancing conflicting priorities, ensuring quality and consistency of output, and helping to build a collaborative team culture while keeping delivery on track in a fast-paced environment.

There is limited ramp-up time on projects, so this role requires proven experience, not just theoretical exposure.

If you enjoy doing the work - negotiating, spotting risk, shaping outcomes, and contributing to a strong, well-run delivery team and culture building while implementing, learning about and using legal tech to work smarter - this role is for you.

Company Profile

Cognia seamlessly extends corporates, banks and law firms’ legal capability to deliver sustainable outcomes. Our goal is to connect the legal sector, moving it from a siloed approach to integrated partnerships. We help in-house legal teams by bringing simplicity to complex matters and replacing broken procedures with efficient processes. Cognia is a Chambers-ranked law company which integrates how legal services are provided so our team, partners, clients and communities thrive together with people at the heart of what we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole self to work and focus on enabling them to realise their full potential. For more information, please visit www.cognialaw.com

Job Requirements

• LLB or BCom Law Degree (or equivalent) from a recognised South African tertiary institution.
• 4 – 6 years’ post-admission experience in commercial law, with demonstrable exposure to reviewing and negotiating contracts.
• Previous experience supporting or leading small teams in a delivery-focused environment is beneficial.
• Proven experience independently reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements in live, time-pressured environments.
• Exposure to financial services, financial documentation, or regulated commercial environments is advantageous.
• Practical experience using legal technology and AI-enabled contract review tools, or a strong ability to adapt to new tools quickly.
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, structured contract workflows, and playbook-driven negotiation.
• Previous experience in an ALSP, alternative delivery model, or project-based legal environment is beneficial.
• Strong analytical skills, sound commercial judgement, and the ability to manage high-volume, fast-moving contract work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise workflows, balance conflicting deadlines, manage stakeholder expectations, and maintain strong client relationships in a fast-moving delivery environment.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to motivate others, support team cohesion, and contribute positively to team culture.
• Clear and confident communicator, comfortable working with multidisciplinary delivery teams and stakeholders.
• A proactive, delivery-focused lawyer who is comfortable stepping straight into active matters and contributing from day one.

Job Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include the following:

• Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating commercial agreements end-to-end, including NDA’s, MSAs, SOWs, vendor and supplier agreements, licensing agreements, and bespoke commercial agreements.
• Taking primary responsibility for contract review and negotiation, rather than purely populating or administering templates.
• Supporting team delivery on projects by guiding and motivating junior team members, assisting with task allocation, contributing to quality control and consistency of output, and helping to maintain a positive and collaborative team culture.
• Supporting financial documentation-adjacent work or broader financial services-focused contracting, where applicable.
• Identifying legal, regulatory, and commercial risks and proposing practical, commercially aware mitigation strategies.
• Using AI-enabled contract review and legal tech tools to enhance accuracy, speed, and consistency of the contracting environment.
• Contributing to contract playbooks, precedents, and workflow improvements within a CLM or structured contracting environment.
• Assisting with contract remediation, repapering, or regulatory-driven review projects where required.
• Producing clear, concise contract summaries and issue lists for legal and business stakeholders.
• Collaborating closely with legal delivery teams, project managers, internal stakeholders, and clients in a fast-paced project environment, while managing stakeholder expectations and building strong client relationships.
• Taking ownership of ad-hoc team lead and project management responsibilities, including workflow planning, task coordination, progress tracking, escalation management, and supporting delivery against agreed timelines.

Cognia Law is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals feel valued, respected, and able to contribute meaningfully. We believe that diversity of thought, background, and experience strengthens our teams and enhances the quality of service we provide to our clients. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates and are dedicated to ensuring fair and equitable consideration, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We strive to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, grow, and be their authentic selves at work. In accordance with our Employment Equity goals, preference may be given to candidates from designated group.