Legal Advisor : Client Agreements (Vryburg)

Secondments; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading banking institution based in Johannesburg is seeking a qualified Legal Advisor to ensure legal compliance and manage client agreements. The role involves drafting and reviewing contracts, providing legal advice, and ensuring adherence to regulations. Ideal candidates should possess a 4 year LLB Degree, be admitted attorneys with 3-5 years of post-admission experience, and have a strong understanding of financial legislation. This position emphasizes proactive relationship management and contributions to policy development.

Qualifications

• Must have at least 3-5 years of post-admission experience.
• Admitted attorney or advocate, with relevant qualifications.
• In-depth knowledge of financial legislation.

Responsibilities

• Ensure legal compliance and manage client agreements.
• Draft and review legal agreements and contracts.
• Provide legal advice and business solutions.

Skills

Legislation

Legal opinions

Report writing

Drafting

Legal reviews and due diligence

Research

Education

4 year LLB Degree or equivalent

Admitted attorney having served articles of clerkship

3-5 years post admission experience

Job description

Job Purpose

The Legal Advisor will ensure legal compliance as well as manage the external resources and the draft and review of client agreements and contracts and other relevant legal matters.

Key Performance Areas

• Review/checking of the conditions precedent to ensure compliance and sign off of same.
• Business support and general legal advice.
• Custodian of legal agreements and responsible for developing and reviewing them from time to time to ensure legal compliance.
• Drafting of legal agreements and SLAs.
• Assessment of impact of any new legislation and providing training to legal and affected business units from time to time.
• Providing legal advice and opinions to divisions and within the regionalisation model.
• Legal research and legal reviews and due diligence investigations.
• Advising and providing tailor‑made business solutions to problems.
• Generally ensure best possible legal solution to legal problems.
• Monitoring and compliance with Company Act and other applicable legislation.
• Monitor legislation that may affect the bank and recommend solutions.
• Proactive awareness of new legislation and advising the bank accordingly.
• Assessment of impact of any new legislation and making recommendations in this regard.
• Resource management: management of assigned attorneys, giving instructions, and subsequent communication.
• Manage delivery of outsourced work and monitor performance.
• Review and development of policies and procedures.
• Identify loopholes and make recommendations on policies and processes for improved service delivery.
• Monitoring and compliance to the policies and procedures and making recommendations in case of non‑compliance.
• Assist in delegation of powers (DOP) development and review.
• Drafting agreements and general legal assistance to the bank as a whole including ensuring product compliance and alignment with the bank’s policies.
• Manage stakeholder relationship – proactive building of internal relationships with all business units.
• Understanding operational business needs and providing business solutions in area of expertise.
• Proactively building relationships with attorneys/advocates/bank clients; good working relationship with team.

Drafting Process

Receive requests for drafting of contracts; assess and discuss requirements with the client and draft initial contracts; review inputs and amend according to comments received; prepare execution versions of the contract, together with control sheets, acquire internal signatories and submit for external signatures; retain electronic copies of contracts and control sheets.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 4 year LLB Degree or equivalent.
• Admitted attorney having served articles of clerkship or admitted advocate, having served pupillage.
• 3‑5 years post admission experience.

Critical Competencies

• Legislation.
• Legal opinions.
• Report writing.
• Compilation of policies and procedures.
• Legal reviews and due diligence.
• Research.
• Drafting.
• Additional requirements – in depth knowledge of the Companies Act, National Credit Act, Consumer Protection Act, Company Act, and other legislation related to financial institutions and employee relations.