Legal Officer at Caritas MFB

JOB PURPOSE

1. To plan and carry out specific audit exercises on Bank’s operations in an efficient, economical, and effective manner in conjunction with the Audit Manager to ensure that bank’s operations are carried out as per the laid down bank policies and procedures, regulatory guidelines and within another legal framework. Responsible for security documentation and contract management.
2. Responsible for record keeping, custody and control of access to securities, contracts, leases, and legal & conveyancing files to ensure minimum loss of documents.
3. Responsible for case management including the issuing of demand letters; receiving and responding to demand letters; filing of suits, court applications, defences, affidavits; finding and preparing documents and witnesses; and general case & vendor management to minimize Bank’s legal risk.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Issuing instructions to lawyers about perfection of securities, following up on the same with the lawyers and customers, and ensuring that they are perfected in a timely manner within approved TATs
2. Scrutiny of all credit & security documents and certifying as to their correctness
3. Preparation of legal documents including contracts, leases, & MOUs, whenever called upon to do so by any department or branch of the Bank through the unit head and ensuring their completeness before handing the signed & stamped document for custody.
4. Research on and preparation of legal opinions on legal risk facing the Bank
5. Undertaking audits of security documents
6. Custodian and reporting officer for the Data Protection Act
7. Review all KYC documents to ensure compliance with existing laws and regulations
8. Review of all bank’s standard documentation from time to time
9. Assist in the drawing up and review of legal procedures, policies, and Bank products
10. Follow up of outstanding security documents; and maintaining a regular register/schedule of outstanding documents prior to disbursement
11. Assist the bank on debt recovery process to ensure 100% compliance and recoveries of hardcore existing and written off debts
12. Provision and interpretation of legal information to management
13. Finding and preparation of witnesses for legal cases for and against the Bank
14. Finding and preparation of documentary evidence for legal cases for and against the Bank
15. Review & approval of pleadings and other supporting documents prior to filing of applications, cases, claims, defenses, and responses
16. Research on and preparation of legal opinions on litigation risk facing the Bank
17. Prepare monthly litigation reports for the department for management & quarterly reports on changes/advances in statute and case law for the board
18. Review and negotiation of fee notes; and maintenance of a fee note register(s)
19. Maintaining department’s litigation diary
20. Review progress of outstanding litigation and liaise with and manage external lawyers’ objective
21. Attend court to watch brief
22. Provision and interpretation of legal information to management
23. Draft MOUs and review on behalf of the bank
24. Review all contract documents from and to all bank service providers
25. Review all staff related documents to ensure the Bank’s compliance with the Employment Act and other HR related laws.
26. To perform any other duty as assigned in line with the organization goals and objectives

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

1. Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from a recognized University (Must)
2. Diploma – KSL (Must)
3. Holder of a CPS certificate (Added advantage)
4. Holder of a COS Certificate (Added advantage)
5. At least 3 years working experience in a Bank’s Legal department (Must) • 6 months pupilage in a busy commercial law firm in the commercial department (Must).