Legal Advisor at EY

Job purpose

Responsible for driving legal projects and activities relating to the General Counsel’s Office function, servicing 13 countries across Africa with special emphasis on reviewing and negotiating various contracts and providing internal legal advice to other teams across service lines while adhering to EY’s internal policies (both locally and internationally).

The candidate will report to the General Counsel, Africa Region.

Duties and responsibilities will include the following:

 General Counsel Office (GCO):

The Commercial Lawyer (Senior Manager) will assist the GCO with the following tasks across the Africa Region of EY, and across all service lines in the EY Africa Region -

• General - Drafting and negotiating various agreements across audit and advisory service lines, including global framework agreements, local implementation agreements, service level agreements, technology agreements, intellectual property agreements, procurement agreements, confidentiality agreements and data usage agreements.
• Strategic adviser - Reviewing and determining firm strategy on engaging with clients (i.e. types of agreement templates and the contents of the agreement templates based on various risk parameters).
• Reviewing and drafting firm policies including authority and delegations framework.
• Acquisitions – Assisting with major cross border acquisitions including working with external counsel on deal structure and acquisition agreements.
• Litigation - Managing litigation matters (including risks and prospects analysis and briefing external legal counsel).

Providing advice to business units on potential claims as well as forming part of special ad hoc panels to manage the risk of potential claims. 
Providing input/reporting to legal risk committee

Assist the GCO in the rendering services of the following service areas to the service lines:

Reviewing and negotiating Engagement letters suggested clients changes to of amendments to EY’s standard terms and conditions,
Terms of Business, Reviewing, negotiating and drafting various agreements across various service lines (including Advisory, Tax, Transactions, and Assurance) including but not limited to – Hold harmless letters,
Confidentiality and Request for Tenders, Bid submissions or Request for Proposal,
Sponsorship Agreements
Non-disclosure agreements

• Service level agreements
• Global framework agreements
• Responses to requests for proposals/bids 
• Teaming agreements
•  Consortium agreements
• Subcontractor agreements
• Service provider Agreement
• Secondment Agreements
•  Memorandum of Understanding
• Any other bespoke agreement required by the service lines
• Negotiating limitation of Liability – request to exceed normal limit,
• Provision of internal legal opinions to as requested by the service lines or the General Counsel negotiation, drafting/reviewing of agreements and other legal documentation.
• Assistance dealing  with managing disputes and litigation matters(commercial) , and compliance, legislative and regulatory requirements as requested by the General Counsel,
• Consultations and drafting of all types of contracts and agreements but specifically those in respect of business relationships, consortia, subcontracting arrangements, alliances and secondments,
• Dealing with subpoenas and claims brought against the firm
• Manage the Master Template Database of contract and other legal precedents,
• Assist in the maintenance of a register of legal work done’
• Assist in the maintenance of register of deviations from standard contract terms,
• Drafting and research for legal opinions. Research on matters as required by the General Counsel,
• Assistance with Projects as undertaken by the GCO;
• Assistance with the notification of claims and circumstances project (which happens twice a year)
• General administrative responsibilities that ensure the smooth running of the General Counsel Office, Liaison with external legal practitioners, and Ernst & Young (EMIA) and Global (EYG), where appropriate.
• Attending to data privacy review of EY applications
• Assistance with selected areas of compliance issues, and 
• Assistance with all Company secretarial duties 
• Assistance with the Firm’s Annual General Meeting
• Liaison with ASA staff to coordinate input on documents sent out for comments.
• Assist with legal support to the ASA EY practices on various legal matters.
• Responsible to keep the Global Corporate Database updated and schedule of ASA entities (Regular update projects are run by Global), Manage Gift and Hospitality register, Manage a Schedule of Contracts).

 Qualifications

• Minimum bachelor of laws degree (LLB).
• Admitted attorney with at least 7 years plus post admission experience
• Solid commercial drafting, reviewing and negotiating skills
• Business acumen
• Experience within a similar industry sector and/or financial services
• Exposure across the African continent would be beneficial
• Top administration skills with a high proficiency in the use of Microsoft office programmes and Lotus notes
• Excellent relationship skills which sometimes may be tested when dealing with pressure situations.
• Assertive, proactive and energetic.
• Willingness to work overtime when necessary.
• Strong team player.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Well rounded corporate and commercial experience.
• Experience in an auditing firm and with compliance and company secretarial matters will be an advantage
• Adaptive and ability to think on your feet
• Decision making capabilities
• Ability to manage with matters with little or no assistance
• Flexibility to travel if required