Senior Legal Advisor

Sygnia Asset Management; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Sygnia Asset Management is seeking a Senior Legal Advisor to support the Head of Legal and senior colleagues across the business. The role involves drafting and vetting agreements for corporate, investment management, and regulatory matters in a fast-paced financial services environment.

The ideal candidate is an admitted attorney with 10+ years PQE and a strong grasp of FAIS, Financial Markets Act, and related regulations. Postgraduate planning qualifications are advantageous.

Qualifications

• Admitted attorney with at least 10 years PQE.
• Postgraduate diploma in financial planning is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior legal advisory support to Head of Legal and senior colleagues.
• Draft and vet internal and external agreements across business units.
• Interpret legislation relevant to financial services and advise on compliance.

Skills

PQE 10+ years

MS Office

Education

Admitted attorney

Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning

Job description

This position is for a Senior Legal Advisor within a listed company in the financial services industry (corporate, LISP, retirement funds, collective investment schemes, Linked Life license, asset management, retail and institutional investment products). This is an excellent opportunity for an individual who thrives in a pressured and growing environment.

DUTIES AND DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Senior legal advisory role supporting the Head of Legal, business and working with other Senior Legal Advisors.
• Exceptional drafting and vetting skills for all internal and external agreements across all business units and products (corporate, finance, investment management, outsourcing, mandates, proposal forms, investment policies, administration, securities lending, intermediary and IFA, investment consultant, supplier, resolutions and the like)
• Taxation in relation to the company’s products and services;
• Legal documentation management – sign off, filing, etc.
• Keeping up to date with relevant legislation and interpreting such legislation applicable to the business
• Dealing with legal queries from all business units (investment team, retail, institutional, IT, HR, finance and corporate), and providing appropriate advice and legal opinions
• Assisting with the legal drafting or amendment of all marketing collateral, application forms, website content, client letters, etc.
• General corporate commercial contracts such as IT agreements, software license agreements, etc.
• Training of staff on legal and product matters
• Interacting with the regulators, particularly the PA and the FSCA
• Managing litigation matters as required
• Knowledge of Companies Act, JSE Listing Requirements, related party transactions etc and legislation and regulation related to the company’s products and services
• Knowledge of prudential standards related to life companies

ROLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Admitted attorney with at least 10 years PQE
• Post graduate diploma in Financial Planning beneficial

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• A minimum of 8-10 years’ relevant experience in financial services (non-banking)
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
• Good working knowledge of financial industry as a whole and legislation relevant to the business e.g. including but not limited to FAIS, Financial Markets Act, Pension Funds Act, Insurance Act, CISCA, Income Tax Act, and FICA
• Experience working with and implementing AI in daily work

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• High level of attention to detail
• Good under pressure
• Deadline driven and self-starter
• Analytical skills and the ability to work in a methodical and organized manner
• Ability to multitask effectively
• Must be a team player, but also able to work independently
• Be able to take initiative/be proactive and exercise sound judgement and decision making