With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.
Job Summary
Legal Counsel CIB Regulatory
Our Absa Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB) Legal team has an exciting role for a Legal Counsel (Regulatory). As part of the CIB Regulatory Legal Team, you will be responsible for managing Key Legal Risk and to contribute to the development of the Legal Function. The role will primarily focus on providing legal support to the Head Legal Counsel - Regulatory, and advice to the business on legal issues emanating from a regulatory perspective and working with other functions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Regulatory Legal Team within the region and across the bank. You will be expected to provide accurate, expert and specialised legal advice on legal and regulatory matters and will be responsible for providing on the go pro-active legal advice, support and risk management.
This role is suited to a candidate with a B-degree in Law, Admitted attorney or Advocate as well as 5 years relevant experience as an in-house legal counsel in a financial institution, other corporate, in a reputable law firm or at the Bar.
Job Description
Management of Legal Risks
- Ensure the banks legal and regulatory position is managed effectively in all situations in which legal disputes or regulatory issues arise, at all times safeguarding Absas reputation.
- Increase awareness of the Legal Key Risk Policies and report any breaches.
- Identify and articulate risks associated with proposed transactions, projects and activities that the business intends to undertake.
- Mitigate risks wherever possible.
- Attend necessary training sessions to ensure commerciality and continued legal professional development.
- Ensure regulatory & statutory compliance.
- Provide a clear record of relevant business transactions and legal advice given that effectively mitigates legal risk.
- Develop and sustain effective risk and control frameworks.
- Assist in structuring, negotiating & drafting legal agreements and documentation relating to standard agreements, transactions, new products and 3rd party agreements
- Help to develop working structures and best practice guides for use within business
- Address all probable risks by seeing to it that they are sufficiently addressed in legal agreements drafted
- Consider, comment, negotiate and give advice on documents/ agreements for the business
- Give legal advice on transactions or deals to be done, or transactions that have been concluded
- Conduct legal due diligences on transactions
- Provide advice on legality, the lawfulness and enforceability of agreements and documents
- Determine needs of stakeholders by regular interaction with the stakeholders in order to discuss legal developments and matters with them
- Provide stakeholders with legal advice, support and legal solutions
- Provide specialist assistance to country legal teams in Barclays Africa region
- Manage external counsel where required
- Distil and communicate and legal concepts in a simple, concise way that is easily understood by business stakeholders.
- Evaluate, manage and prioritise tasks in accordance with business need
- Compile lists of matters and registers of work or instructions received
- Provide reports as required to support the assessment of the legal risk control framework.
- Attend to ad hoc reports as requested by the Head.
- B-degree in Law: LLB NQF Level 7
- Admitted attorney or Advocate
- Preferred: Post Graduate diploma or masters degree in Banking, Corporate or Commercial Law
- Relevant experience (at least 5 years) as an in-house legal counsel in a financial institution, other corporate, in a reputable law firm or at the Bar.
- General knowledge of bank regulations required.
Bachelor Honours Degree: Law (Required)
Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.
Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised
