Legal Property Advisor at Truworths

Job description

• Lease administration:
• Update and maintain lease tracking spreadsheet for the property department on a weekly basis.
• Assist internal audit department with their review queries during the annual audit review.
• Ensure internal audit department reports lease exceptions only.
• Update internal audit department quarterly on progress made with lease review exceptions.
• Drafting and reviewing lease agreements for signature:
• Negotiate lease terms with landlords and property brokers.
• Review or draft leases, sub-leases, lease addenda and cession agreements for new stores, lease renewals, sub-tenants, office premises and store-rooms based on agreed terms (heads of agreement) for signature by the parties.
• Collate landlord, property and lease information (including landlord bank details, landlord resolutions, centre lay-out plans, area certificates) for preparation of leases, sub-leases, addenda and cession agreements.
• Review and respond to landlord comments to lease documentation.
• Negotiate, recommend and draft non-standard and deal specific clauses.
• Negotiate, review, amend and draft clauses for landlord-tenant hybrid lease agreements.
• Review lease documentation prepared by colleagues and provide feedback on corrections to be made.
• Recommend improvements to lease administration processes.
• Recommend updates to company standard lease documentation.
• Provide legal assistance and advice to property managers, property creditors’ clerks and operations team members:
• Assist property managers with their lease proposal negotiations by reviewing, recommending and drafting non-standard and deal specific clauses for heads of agreement.
• Provide advice and guidance to property creditors’ clerks in respect of lease and rental charges.
• Provide advice and guidance to property managers and operations team members relating to the company’s contractual rights and remedies relating to obstructions, damage to stores, repairs and maintenance matters, air-conditioning replacements, continuous trading clauses, removal and replacement of external signage, trading hours, temporary store closures etc.
• General legal assistance/compliance:
• Collate information and assist with ad hoc legal matters, including due diligence investigations, competition commission applications, property valuations and objections, council applications.
• Assist store design team by obtaining copies of latest centre lay-out plans from landlords and providing erf number information for council plan submissions.
• Ensure compliance by Truworths, tenants and landlords with their respective lease obligations and resolve any rental, tenant allowance and legal disputes with landlords.
• Draft letters of demand and resolve legal and contractual claims/disputes.

Skills Required:

• Strong negotiation skills
• Excellent legal drafting skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High attention to detail
• Well-developed problem solving skills
• Great interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Proven ability to work well under pressure
• Resourceful and able to work independently
• Excellent time management skills
• Self-disciplined and self-motivated
• Administrative and numeracy skills
• Computer literate

Experience Required:

• 3 - 5 years’ experience in a legal role (preferably in a retail, property development or property management company)
• Legal degree (LLB)
• Admitted attorney or advocate preferred

Truworths is committed to transformation and meeting objectives of the Employment Equity Act. Meeting our employment equity goals and targets will be taken into account in our recruitment decisions. People living with disabilities will be viewed favourably.