Advisor II, Legal, CIB at Standard Bank Group

Job Purpose 

• To identify, manage and mitigate legal risks and implement adequate controls and mitigation over such risks including by drafting and / or ensuring the appropriateness, validity and enforceability of all legal documentation.
• To maintain an ongoing relationship with the business and provide accurate, reliable, timely and well-informed legal advice and support on transactional, regulatory and other CIB matters and involvement in the structuring and execution of transactions in line with applicable laws, market practice and the Bank’s practices, policies and procedures.

Key responsibilities

Legal counsel

Operate as a trusted adviser and proactively provide expert and strategic advice on the legal, regulatory and governance aspect of transactions to the CIB business unit, product committees, risk committees and other governance committees to ensure that CIB legal decisions translate to a strong bottom line within the applicable risk approvals.

Maintaining best practice

Achieve and maintain professional best practice. Ensure the CIB business in country has sufficient legal resources and expertise to provide the required legal transactional advice and services at an acceptable cost while managing legal risk within CIB’s legal risk approvals.

Legal problem solving

Work with CIB leadership to evaluate the legal impact of major decisions, within the defined delegation of authority, where applicable law, regulations, or facts of the case are unclear, controversial, or conflicting.

Risk management

• Act as an escalation point for legal and reputational risk management support, ensuring effective and efficient legal coverage. Proactively anticipate, estimate, identify, investigate and resolve complex and escalated risk to provide timely solutions that strategically eliminate or mitigate risks. Develop and lead the implementation of plans to mitigate such risks in the context of complex, significant matters that cut across legal and related areas.
• Advise on legal considerations for the outlined credit strategy for recovery of non-performing loans and provide legal input on proposed loss mitigation approaches to names on “close monitoring” or “watchlist”, as well as provide guidance to Credit and BS&R teams relating to legal aspects of enforcement.
• Provide guidance to Credit team relating to conditions to be included in AFFs/ sanctions so as to mitigate legal risks identified in the credit approval processes
• Provide input into the Bank’s risk management strategies, the practical application and operations thereof, in the context of CIB Legal;
• Conduct risk assurance prior to scheduled audits in line with the proposed audit approach and scope. Assist in resolving identified audit issues following completion of audits, within the advised period and where required, prescribe / implement appropriate measures to avoid recurrence of the identified audit issues

Legal transactions and negotiations support

Provide level transaction management support on all legal aspects of the full suite of CIB business activities and products. Participate in the negotiation of all CIB documentation and in the legal implementation of various transactions to ensure these are in compliance with the law and risk approvals and achieve the appropriate level of client centricity, including through developing digital and technology solutions seeking to maximise efficiency

Legal agreements and drafting

Draft / supervise the drafting of documentation that strike the appropriate balance between risk and product tolerances. Review and vet various agreements on behalf of CIB.   Identify and liaise with external attorneys to prepare necessary documentation

Quality assurance

Continuous quality advice and proper response times to maintain a professional standard, delivered by suitably qualified lawyers capable of meeting (on a timely basis) the needs of changing legal and regulatory requirements.

Legal research

Keep abreast of local and international case law / market/group developments as well as developments in laws and regulations that potentially affect the business. Research various aspects of the law and regulatory framework impacting on the legal viability of CIB transactions, products and services and continuously keep leadership across the business informed to facilitate informed decision making and compliance.

Legal initiatives

Assist and participate in the development and  implementation of CIB legal initiatives, processes, systems and projects (factoring in advancements in legal technology and digital solution) relating to compliance of high impact policies to set standards, maintain a culture of integrity and support the business to achieve strategic objectives with speed, quality, efficiency and ethical responsibility. Assist and participate in the development and  implementation of initiatives to achieve efficiency,  standardised documentation and approaches across CIB and increase the client experience.

Legal updates

Deliver updates on relevant legal, regulatory and governance matters to relevant internal stakeholders within both legal, Risk and the CIB business to ensure appropriate level of awareness of issues is maintained.

Learning/ training

• Conduct, arrange and/or facilitate timely training by in-house and external trainers to the CIB team. Training to cover legal issues including new developments in law, market practice or changes to the Bank’s policies and procedures and the impact thereof, requirements relating to credit documentation, understanding the importance of compliance with policies and procedures by reference to risk mitigation, etc;
• Train other CIB Legal Counsels and keep them apprised of developments in one’s area of specialisation or expertise thereby enhancing effective delivery of the CIB strategy by all CIB Legal Counsels
• Knowledge and expertise: continued enhancement of knowledge and expertise; attend relevant training (for the required number of hours and including specific trainings e.g. future ready skills development), and ensure self-development occurs on a continuous basis in order to properly address legal risks arising in transactional work and obtain adequate technical knowledge to understand the regulatory framework that applies to the Bank as well as the risks to which the Bank is exposed

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Type of Qualification: First Degree
• Field of Study: Legal

Experience Required
Macro Generic

• Legal
• At least 8+ years PQE & banking and finance

Additional Information

Behavioral Competencies:

• Articulating Information
• Checking Details
• Documenting Facts
• Establishing Rapport
• Examining Information
• Following Procedures
• Interacting with People
• Inviting Feedback
• Managing Tasks
• Meeting Timescales
• Team Working
• Upholding Standards

Technical Competencies:

• Contract Management
• Financial Industry Regulatory Framework
• Legal Advisory & Interpretation
• Legal Drafting
• Legal Knowledge
• Legal Research