Legal Associate at MAL Consultancy

• Our Client is a Boutique International Tax, Legal and Accounting Advisory Firm specializing in supporting ambitious investments into and within Africa. They offer the full breadth of legal advisory – with a prudent, commercial and practical approach. This covers real estate and finance, tax advisory and tax litigation, private client advisory, energy, commercial law, corporate M&A and global mobility. Uniquely, their advisory business is supported by proprietary in-house technology that allows their experienced staff to deliver exceptional services. Our client has had tremendous uptake of their services as a pivotal brand and trusted partner over the years, and are hereby seeking to recruit exceptional talent for the position of a Legal Associate.

JOB SUMMARY

• The Legal Associate will play a strategic role in providing conveyancing, corporate and commercial legal support to the Firm’s Clients. The legal Associate will report to the Partners and will be responsible for all legal aspects related to business operations and transactions, providing legal advice and assistance to businesses of all sizes, ensuring they operate within the bounds of the law while achieving their commercial objectives. S/he will provide conveyancing services, primarily focusing on residential and commercial real estate transactions. The legal Associate will also support Firm Clients with the creation, management, operation, and dissolution of corporations and other business entities and will deal with a wide range of legal issues that arise in the context of corporate activities. S/he will be commercial minded and will have corporate and transactional legal experience, with strong verbal and written communication skills and excellent research and drafting competence. S/he will have a good work ethic, with the ability to develop and implement legal strategies, exercise initiative and take responsibility, with the capacity to work and deliver in a fast-paced commercial environment.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties and responsibilities will include but not be limited to;

Conveyancing

• Conduct legal research and analysis on commercial and conveyancing matters.
• Prepare and review legal documents, such as contracts, agreements, leases, and conveyancing papers.
• Collaborate with partners and senior associates to develop legal strategies and solutions.
• Communicate with clients, government agencies, and stakeholders to gather necessary information.
• Providing legal advisory to the Clients on enquires relating to the regulatory framework and any emerging changes in their transactions.
• Supporting Banks in the securitization process by safeguarding their interests by carrying out due diligence and perfecting the process.
• Assisting Clients investing in the real estate sector by carrying out due diligence on the properties and subsequent registration of the processes.
• Business development and brand visibility for the department.
• Attend meetings, negotiations, and court proceedings as required.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date case files, documents, and databases.
• Stay informed about changes in legislation, regulations, and case law relevant to the field.
• Manage client relationships and provide high-quality customer service.
• Support business development initiatives, including proposals and client pitches.
• Stay updated on industry trends and developments in commercial and conveyancing law.

Commercial Law

• Contracts: Draft, review and negotiate contracts such as sales agreements, distribution agreements, licensing agreements, and service contracts
• Business Organizations: Advise clients on the formation and dissolution of business entities such as corporations, partnerships, and LLCs, including drafting of articles of incorporation, bylaws, partnership agreements, and operating agreements
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Assist in mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring transactions and conduct due diligence, draft transaction documents, and advise on regulatory compliance
• Intellectual Property: Advise clients on intellectual property matters such as trademarks, copyrights, and patents and draft licensing agreements and handle any infringement disputes as and when they arise
• Commercial Transactions: Handle various commercial transactions for clients, including financing arrangements, secured transactions, and commercial leases
• Employment Law: Advise clients on employment contracts, workplace policies, and compliance with employment laws and regulations.

Corporate Law

• Formation of Corporations: Advise the Partners on the formation and structuring of corporations, including drafting articles of incorporation, bylaws, and shareholder agreements, including choosing the appropriate type of corporation (e.g., C corporation, S corporation) based on client business's needs and goals
• Corporate Governance: Provide guidance on corporate governance matters, such as the rights and responsibilities of directors, officers, and shareholders, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and best practices
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Assist in mergers, acquisitions, and other forms of corporate restructuring and conduct due diligence, negotiate and draft transaction documents (such as merger agreements and asset purchase agreements), and navigate regulatory approvals
• Securities Law: Advise clients and Partners on compliance with securities regulations, including the issuance of stocks and bonds, disclosure requirements, and reporting obligations to regulatory authorities
• Corporate Finance: Provide advice on financing transactions, such as private equity investments, venture capital financing, and debt financing and draft financing agreements and ensure compliance with financial regulations
• Corporate Compliance and Ethics: Ensure that clients comply with applicable laws and regulations, including corporate governance standards, employment laws, environmental regulations, and anti-corruption laws
• Intellectual Property: Advise on intellectual property matters relevant to clients, such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets and draft licensing agreements and handle intellectual property disputes
• Corporate Dissolution and Insolvency: Handle all the legal aspects of corporate dissolution, bankruptcy proceedings, and insolvency matters for clients.

Client Management

• Attend consultations with clients
• Develop and implement adequate SLA’s with the Partners and/or clients (where relevant) and ensure deadlines are met and client expectations are managed by reporting progress as required
• Consistently deliver high quality work in keeping with the standards set by the firm
• Establish strong relationships with existing clients and deliver against set expectations while anticipating their immediate and future needs.

Team Development

• Actively participate in the integration and induction of juniors into practice areas by being available to answer queries or provide guidance on team practices and processes
• Ensuring the positive moral of juniors by being collegial and demonstrating ability to work well, demonstrate teamwork and act as a “buddy”
• Drive internal teams’ capacity to handle client needs by providing internal sensitization on basic legal frameworks and laws relevant to their execution of day to day work requirements.

Business Development & Support

• Write articles for internal and external publication under the guidance of the Partner
• Participate in business development through proposal writing, expression of interests, cross selling and upselling business services as applicable
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking best legal practices and participating in professional societies aligned to the business and functional competencies for this role
• Maintain metrics and analyse data to assess performance and implement improvements across the various parameters of assigned duties
• Maintain an efficient diary management system ensuring timely address of matters and effective reporting to clients and Partners
• Comply with laws, regulations and any other legal and regulatory requirements
• Provide regular reporting on the performance of your role daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually and as may be required
• Provide leadership and guidance to internal and client teams assigned, ensuring that they understand what their delivery targets are, and how to go about achieving that
• Research and provide legal opinions and advice on a wide range of legal issues
• Conduct legal due diligence investigations and preparing due diligence reports and identify inherent legal and commercial risks
• Manage work streams and various teams (including lawyers within and outside of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Area) on transactions and facilitate closing and implementation procedures.

Financial Management

• Work closely with the partners to determine relevant budgets for daily operations of the legal function
• Actively track approved budgets and meet monthly budget targets as set by the Partners
• Ensuring billing narrations are detailed and appropriate with respect to client billing and invoicing
• Comply with all billing requirements and timelines.

Any other duties as assigned in alignment to the legal practice.

EDUCATION SKILLS & COMPETENCIES DESIRED

• An Undergraduate Degree in Law (LLB) from a recognized institution of learning
• A Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law(KSL)
• A registered and practicing Attorney of Law
• Member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
• A Post Graduate Diploma in Law, Organization Administration or Commercial focus will be an added advantage
• At least three - five (3 – 5) years’ work experience in a law firm with a focus on conveyancing, commercial and corporate law
• Strong knowledge and experience working with and interpreting legal frameworks
• Attention to detail with strong legal research, drafting and writing skills
• Ability to administer and execute instructions, from receipt to conclusion, with minimal professional supervision
• Strong organizational skills, meticulous and high attention to detail
• Ability to prioritize and co-ordinate work to meet deadlines in a highly pressurized environment
• Ability to work well in both a team and individually
• A client service orientation, being able to engage with clients who will interrogate your reasoning and require you to justify your legal arguments and commercial input
• Ability to take initiative and assume responsibility for monitoring the expeditious progress of transactions
• Experience translating KPIs to teams to get buy in and results
• Exceptional consultancy and negotiation skills and the ability to close deals either through new business development, cross or up selling
• Good technical skills and ability to understand and propose legal solutions by focusing on client requirements
• Ability to communicate information, whether technical or non-technical to various groups and stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.