Lesaka Enterprise - Legal Advisor

A vacancy exists for a legal advisor to join the Enterprise Division of the Lesaka Group.
Location: Cape Town, Platterkloof (non negotiable)

Key responsibilities

The key responsibility of this role is to attend to all legal requirements which stem from the Enterprise Division of the Lesaka Group, under instruction from the management team of the division and the group general counsel. The person will work with the existing legal advisor in the Enterprise Division and with the broader legal team across the Lesaka group.

The overview brief is to (i) advice on regulatory requirements applicable to the business (both as stand-alone advice and in reviewing and commenting on agreements and arrangements to be concluded by the business) and engage with regulators as and when appropriate; (ii) draft and/or review and/or comment on and/or negotiate various agreements and other documents relevant to the conduct of the business (e.g. arrangements with suppliers, financiers, employees, etc. and customer terms & conditions); (iii) interpret and advise on existing contractual arrangements; (iv) provide legal support in the context of acquisitions to be undertaken by the group (i.e. M&A work – due diligence work; transaction document drafting & negotiation; management of conditions; implementation).

The legal requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiation of various bespoke and/or standard commercial agreements and legal documents to protect the organisation’s interests and mitigate risks
• identification and assessment of legal risks for the various product offerings, processes and functions and develop risk mitigation strategies, where appropriate
• legal research, preparation of memorandums, and/or provision of advice on legal matters to the senior management and executive team to support decision-making and mitigate legal risks relative to its product offering, processes and functions. This includes staying abreast of developments in the regulatory framework applicable to the different businesses and proactively identifying any concerns and/or risk in conducting the business.
• management and overseeing litigation and legal disputes, including instructing and engaging external counsel, where necessary.
• administration and other legal related support to the Lesaka Group.

Qualifications and Experience:

• The candidate must have a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from an accredited university within South Africa.
• The candidate must have at least 8 years post-articles experience at a top-tier South African law firm, alternatively proven in-house experience preferably within the national payment industry and/or financial services industry.
• It would be advantageous if the candidate has knowledge of, and experience advising on, the relevant legislation applicable to the businesses within the Lesaka Group (e.g. the Companies Act, National Payment Systems Act, relevant SARB directives, PASA frameworks, Financial Intelligence Centre Act, National Credit Act, Protection of Personal Information Act, Consumer Protection Act). Similarly,
• Demonstrated experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements.

Competencies:

• Ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Problem-solving and solution driven mindset.
• Commercial approach, rather than technical legalese.
• Excellent contractual drafting, analysis, and review skills.
• High level of professionalism and strong interpersonal skills.
• Eagerness to learn and develop skillset and knowledge base.
• Thorough and impeccable attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Adaptable and flexible in order to manage the evolving legal and business landscapes.
• Strong administration and organisation skills.
• The ability to work under pressure while maintaining high standards and excellent quality of work.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Team player, but ability to operate independently.
• Take initiative and display a work ethic that demonstrates going over and above what is expected.