Legal Advisor

Who are we?

Sanlam Investment Group
The Sanlam Investment Group is uniquely equipped and positioned to deliver on its purpose of empowering generations to be financially confident, secure and prosperous. Through our vast in-house expertise and strategic partner networks, we can access all asset classes across the globe, private and public, actively and passively managed, to develop investment solutions that are in our clients’ best interests and have a positive impact on society. Backed by the Sanlam Group’s balance sheet, the Sanlam Investment Group has a true competitive advantage in its ability to invest alongside clients, particularly in private markets where impact investing drives the agenda.

The Sanlam Investment Group is one of the largest, most diversified financial services and investment firms in Southern Africa with assets under management and administration of more than R2 trillion. It is a B-BBEE level 1 contributor and one of the largest black-empowered asset managers on the African continent.

Sanlam Alternative Investments (SAI)
The purpose of the Sanlam Alternative Investments (SAI) business is to help build the African continent and make a real sustainable difference in the emerging economies in which we operate, aligning with the Sanlam Group’s mission of financial inclusion. The SAI business has a broad range of capabilities that include Private Equity, Specialised Finance, Property, Infrastructure, and Partnerships. Sanlam is the biggest non-banking financial institution on the continent, operating in Africa for over 100 years.

What will you do?
To perform the role of a banking and finance / general corporate / private equity and fund attorney in a legal team, providing professional legal advice and risk management services to internal clients to mitigate Sanlam Alternative Investments’ (“SAI”) legal risks.

What will make you successful in this role?
Providing legal advice:

1. Participating in the relevant committees and reporting on legal or reputational risks.
2. Structuring, negotiation, documentation, and ongoing management of legal aspects of transactions within a risk framework acceptable to SAI and Committee conditions.
3. Providing commercially viable solutions to technical issues.
4. Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating corporate, banking, security, and finance documentation across the debt, properties, empowerment, and equities sectors.
5. Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating on transactions related to project finance, equity-based investments, private equity, fund finance, empowerment funding, and venture capital.
6. Reviewing and negotiating cross-border and international transactions.
7. Advising on distressed debt and restructurings.
8. Advising on insolvency and litigation issues.
9. Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating non-core business documentation.
10. Preparation and updating precedent and know-how systems.
11. Providing training to the business on topical areas of law.

Manage stakeholder relationships:

1. Build and maintain effective relationships with relevant stakeholders and users.
2. Develop trusting professional internal relationships by keeping relevant stakeholders and users informed of any new changes to the law which may impact their business.
3. Develop and manage professional relationships with external clients, external legal counsel, and external legal advisors representing client interests.

Manage internal processes:

1. Maintaining and updating legal templates.
2. Ensuring sound and efficient legal processes.
3. Drafting high-quality legal agreements.
4. Ensuring the company’s risk is adequately identified, mitigated, and/or managed.
5. Providing guidance to SAI lender/financing representative and operations on financial close processes.
6. Regular reporting to the SAI Head of Legal on workload, turnaround times, and skills development.
7. Proactively identifying areas for business and legal improvement.
8. Project managing plans identified for improving legal efficiencies.
9. Management of appointing, briefing, and monitoring of outside legal counsel whilst containing costs.

Managed Transformation and Change:

1. Contribute to a culture conducive to the achievement of transformation goals.
2. Participate in the development and implement action plans to address issues raised in culture surveys to improve results.
3. Participate in and support corporate responsibility initiatives.
4. Achieve operational excellence by supporting the implementation of business optimisation improvement through team engagement.
5. Encourage the team to generate innovative ideas and share knowledge.

Qualification and Experience:
Registered Attorney with 5 years related experience.

Knowledge and Skills:
Risk Management, Compliance, and legal projects management, Legal advice and documentation reviews, Coordinates legal action that may require external legal assistance, Utilises negotiation and communication skills and related risk, financial, and legal expertise in the management of client relationships.

Personal Attributes:
Business insight - Contributing through others, Builds networks - Contributing through others, Manages complexity - Contributing through others, Persuades - Contributing through others.

Build a successful career with us:
We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development, and achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies:
Being resilient - Contributing through others, Collaborates - Contributing through others, Cultivates innovation - Contributing through others, Customer focus - Contributing through others, Drives results - Contributing through others.

Turnaround time:
The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.

Our commitment to transformation:
The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensure a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.