Senior Legal Counsel

Job description

• LLB and admission as attorney or advocate in South Africa (in good standing).
• 7–10+ years post-qualification experience in commercial/corporate law.
• Strong experience in drafting and negotiating complex commercial and tech-related contracts.
• Background in fintech, financial services, or technology-focused legal roles.
• Strong knowledge of South African banking and financial services regulations.
• Strong contract drafting, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with IP, technology law, SaaS, APIs, and digital platforms.
• AI and data analytics proficiency is essential.

• Provide strategic legal advice on corporate, commercial, regulatory, and transactional matters supporting the bank’s operations and growth initiatives.
• Identify, assess, and manage legal and regulatory risks across existing operations, new products, services, and strategic partnerships.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including vendor contracts, technology agreements, software licences, SaaS arrangements, API partnerships, and fintech collaborations.
• Advise on legal matters relating to digital banking platforms, mobile applications, cloud computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.
• Manage intellectual property matters, including trademark registrations, copyright protection, patent considerations, licensing arrangements, and IP ownership structures.
• Support corporate governance initiatives, including corporate restructuring and inter-company arrangements, while monitoring and advising on South African regulatory developments (PA, SARB, FSCA).
• Provide legal support on disputes, manage external counsel for litigation and arbitration matters, and develop dispute prevention strategies to reduce legal exposure.
• Select, engage, and manage external law firms and legal service providers, while monitoring legal spend and implementing cost control measures.
• Mentor and guide junior legal staff, contribute to knowledge management systems, and promote a high-performance, collaborative team culture.

Requirements

• Commercial law
• Corporate governance
• Drafting contracts
• Legal advice
• Legal compliance
• Legal counseling
• Risk management
• Stakeholder management