Senior Legal Advisor

Primary Purpose of the Job

To join the legal team as a part of a support service to a REIT company and assist with timely, professional, and credible and ongoing legal advice to all areas of the business by ensuring the minimisation of risk and the enhancement of organisational and managerial effectiveness with regard to all areas of the business. This will include, inter alia, the drafting and reviewing of all documents and agreements, overseeing junior members of the team to ensure that their work output and the quality of their work is up to standard and correct in law. Performing the necessary performance review undertakings and always reporting to the Chief Legal Officer (“CLO”); remaining up to date with all case law and developments in the law and providing any opinions for the legal department and the team, which will include notifying and presenting to the business any changes to law and legal principles that have an effect on any particular business unit. The operation of the legal department is to service all business units and mimic, in a corporate environment, the functioning a legal practice.

Key Performance Areas (KPA's)

• Extensive in-house drafting of commercial agreements relevant to all business units
• Managing and assisting with the property acquisitions and disposals process including liaising with stakeholders, drafting and monitoring to successful conclusion
• Management of litigious matters and, where necessary instructing and managing external preferred legal counsel and consultants
• Preparing a budget in conjunction with the finance team and managing the budget
• Interaction with Manco
• Managing and supervising a team of legal advisors, junior legal advisors, learners and assistants
• Performing legal and/or factual research and investigations as required
• Analysing specific legal problems relevant to the business and assisting in the development of responsive solutions, strategies, opinions, policies, and procedures
• Ensuring that all instructions, legal documents, and other contractual documents which the legal department is instructed to consider are effectively drafted, reviewed, interpreted, and vetted and providing proactive and correct legal assistance and advice on the aforegoing as per all legislative and common law requirements
• Assessing, assisting and advising effectively and liaising with all required stakeholders where relevant to minimize and control risks to the company and ensuring that the systems, controls and processes are appropriate
• Ensuring the company is in compliance with the relevant legislation
• Managing and overseeing junior team members including allocation of work, mentorship, supervision and ensuring that the quality and legal principles are not compromised
• Attending to all legal requirements of the business expeditiously
• At all times complying with the processes; protocols and procedures of the business and the legal department
• Implementing innovative processes and policies with a view to best serving the business
• Interacting and Networking
  

Job Specific Requirements

Job Knowledge:

• Litigation (including dispute resolution) knowledge – 2 to 3 years
• Commercial drafting (all areas and disciplines)
• Up to date with all applicable legislation including but not limited to legislation having a direct effect/being specific to the property industry
• extensive and practical knowledge of the Companies Act- 3 to 4 years
• Property transfer experience – 2 to 3 years
• Research & interpretation methodology - 1 year
• Debt collection
  

Job Related Skills:

• Commercial drafting
• Property knowledge
• Knowledge of the litigation process and ability to apply in the corporate environment
• Analytical skills
• Written and oral communication skills
• Sound decision making in consultation with the business and the legal team
• Learning and researching
• Planning & organising
• Management
• Negotiation
• Interpersonal skills
• MS Office skills
• Adapting and responding to change

Job Experience:

• Combination of private practice and in house experience
• At least 5 years post-admission experience in practice
• 3 – 5 years’ experience in an advisory position in the corporate or commercial
• Industry related experience – Minimum 1 Year