Legal Counsel at British American Tobacco (BAT)

To proactively manage all legal matters pertaining to Marketing, Brand activities, New Categories and to successfully implement & execute functional strategy & objectives

• Monitor and interpret the legislative environment to ensure that proactive legal advice and support is provided to the business on legislation concerning tobacco products and New Categories in the respective end markets  
• Manage BAT’s litigation portfolio, Trade activities, Anti-Illicit Trade (AIT), Intellectual Property across East Africa Markets
• Delivery of an effective litigation strategy for managing and reporting all ongoing and potential litigations
• Proactive management of litigation risks & regularly monitoring key developments in the litigation arena, identifying issues that would directly impact BAT’s operations
• Support the business’ anti-illicit trade (AIT) plans and activities by reviewing them for compliance with the relevant local laws and BAT policies as well as supporting any proactive review of existing or proposed laws.
• Render timely legal advice to the business on Competition Law compliance, Intellectual Property law (including trademark protection and management), Excise and regulatory engagements.
• Support the management of BAT’s Intellectual Property portfolio in the respective end markets ensuring timely registration or renewal of trademarks and assisting with the management of any related disputes or litigations.

Job Description

• Drive and communicate an effective governance and corporate reporting framework to senior management and external regulatory bodies as appropriate
• Champion and ensure adequate measures are in place for adherence to the BAT Group Standards of Business Conduct, applicable policies and internal controls/systems, and direct internal SoBC investigations appropriately.
• Advise on and be actively involved in any proposed changes to the corporate structure and governance practices for any BAT East Africa Market [EAM] entities.
• Develop and monitor the Business’ compliance with the Capital Markets Act, Companies Act 2015, Occupational Health and Safety laws, Data Protection laws, Competition laws and other applicable statutes
• Develop and drive the maintenance of control systems and appropriate company policies to proactively deal with risks, violations of legal, governance guidelines and internal policies and evaluate the efficiency of internal controls for continuous improvement.
• Provide support and advice on governance aspects, compliance and relevant internal controls to the Boards of Trustees of various BAT retirement benefit schemes in EAM.
• Ensure adequate implementation and compliance with the agreed records management programme and policies across EAM and develop cost-effective best practice solutions in line with records management resources.
• Keep abreast of arising regulatory developments as well as evolving best practices in corporate governance practices and corporate compliance measures.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• A recognized legal qualification through a reputable academic institution and competence in providing legal advice to internal stakeholders.  Qualification as a Company Secretary, Financial Auditor or Governance Auditor is an added advantage
• Minimum of 6-8 years’ of experience in both external & inhouse legal practise handling either a] commercial litigation b] arbitration c] regulatory d] compliance & good goernance practises e] Marketing & Trade activities as well as emerging trends and issues.
• Strong negotiation, written and verbal skills.
• Ability to apply strong strategic, analytical skills and good judgment.
• Appropriate level of maturity to provide credibility at senior levels externally and internally
• Excellent knowledge of reporting procedures and corporate record keeping
• Ability to critically analyse and provide direction on compliance and governance issues.