Legal Advisor

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.

Sanlam Alternative Investments (SAI)
The purpose of 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 to 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.

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:
• Participating in the relevant committees and reporting on legal or reputational risks.
• Structuring, negotiation, documentation, and ongoing management of legal aspects of transactions within a risk framework acceptable to SAI and Committee’s conditions.
• Provide commercially viable solutions to technical issues.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating corporate, banking, security and finance documentation across the debt, properties, empowerment, and equities sectors such as - committed bilateral and syndicated loans, risk/funded participation agreements, guarantees and indemnities, letters of credit secondary debt trading documentation.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating on transactions related to project finance, equity-based investments, private equity, fund finance, empowerment funding, and venture capital.
• Reviewing and negotiating cross-border and international transactions.
• Advising on distressed debt and restructurings.
• Advising on insolvency and litigation issues.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating non-core business documentation.
• Preparation and updating precedent and know-how systems.
• Providing training to the business on topical areas of law.

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

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

Qualification and Experience

Registered Attorney with 5 years related experience.

Knowledge and Skills

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 the client relationships.

Personal Attributes

Business insight - Contributing through others
Builds networks - Contributing through others
Manages complexity - Contributing through others
Persuades - Contributing through others

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

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.