Legal Counsel Job KWAL

Job Purpose

This position is responsible for providing expert legal advice and support on a wide range of issues, including contract negotiation and management, legal and regulatory compliance, intellectual property, employment law, and corporate governance to drive responsible business conduct.

Main Responsibilities

Legal Advisory

• Provide expert legal advice to management 
• Create associations of trust and respect with key stakeholders
• Deal with external parties (regulators, external counsel) ensuring the business’ legal interests are represented adeptly and ethically.
• Draft agreements that effectively minimise risk  exposure while maximising legal rights
• Proactively keep abreast of legislative changes that impact the business
• Handle all potentially litigious matters and ensure where possible that recourse to courts is a last resort. In that regard, write letters of demand where appropriate and reply adequately to letters of threat from law firms and others
• Ensure that the legal universe and registers are updated and comprehensive to support compliance.

Intellectual Property

• Manage the registration of new IP including trademarks, patents and designs and their renewals and updates on behalf of the Company, and collaborate with external service providers
• Maintain up to date IP registers

Case Management

• Maintain and regularly update a record of all cases and legal holds involving the Company
• Collaborate with external lawyers who are appointed to represent the Company in litigation matters 
• Assist external lawyers in researching and preparing the Company’s cases either as plaintiffs, defendants or interested parties and vet all papers/documents to be filed by the lawyers on behalf of the Company
• Engage with the Company’s external contacts, other lawyers, other persons and government officials with a view to resolving legal and general corporate and regulatory matters

Compliance

• Facilitate the roll out of Code of Business Conduct, legal and compliance policies to all staff members and relevant third parties, including communication and training
• Communicate anti-bribery framework to key stakeholders
• Maintain the regulatory universe, ensuring it is up to date, and communicate relevant changes to business units.
• Implement and optimise all policies and procedures to meet legal requirements and business needs

Ad-hoc Legal Matters 

• Provide support in preparation and dispatch of meeting packs and facilitate meeting arrangements
• Update internal and statutory registers – legal registers, contract register, directors and shareholders. 
• Make required statutory filings on provided platforms eg Business Registration Services
• Provide support and coordinate court case preparation – pleadings, witnesses, hearing dates and related matters
• Ensure statutory compliance of subsidiaries with proper record keeping
• Manage and co-ordinate ad-hoc legal projects
• Liaison with regulatory bodies on behalf of the company, ensuring timely filing of statutory periodic returns
• Provide support in legal matters arising from the Company’s operations, including interactions with customers, suppliers, competitors, regulators and the public.
• Draft and advise on commercial, financial, property and general agreements on behalf of the company.
• Manage corporate business licenses and permits, and related application and renewal processes, and provide oversight to functions on their respective business licenses and permits

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Minimum Required Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Law from Kenya School of Law

Professional Qualifications

• Professional qualification in Law such as Certified Public Secretary of Kenya (CPS – K), or equivalent 
• Professional membership with the Law Society of Kenya
• Master’s degree in Law (LLM) is an added advantage
• Professional membership with a professional body in the legal space such as data privacy is an added advantage

Experience 

• At least 6 years, 2 years’ experience in management role in a similar role or busy function
• Proven experience as a Legal Counsel, in an FMCG or a Corporate environment is an added advantage
• Practical experience in the use of MS packages and ERP systems

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of corporate law, contract law, and regulatory compliance, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and reporting on legal matters
• Possess a strong grasp of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing KWAL’s operations across various countries
• Excellent legal research and analytical skills
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts effectively to non-legal stakeholders
• Skilled in engaging and overseeing outsourced legal services to safeguard the organisation’s interests
• Capable of viewing and analysing issues from a comprehensive perspective, considering their impact on the organisation’s direction
• Demonstrates business acumen with knowledge of the organisation’s strategic direction, key deliverables, programs, services, and the environmental factors influencing it
• Proficient in using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to streamline financial processes, enhance data accuracy, and improve overall efficiency

Behavioural Competencies

• Possess a strong grasp of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing KWAL’s operations across various countries.
• Skilled in engaging and overseeing outsourced legal services to safeguard the organisation’s interests.
• Capable of viewing and analysing issues from a comprehensive perspective, considering their impact on the organisation’s direction.
• Demonstrates business acumen with knowledge of the organisation’s strategic direction, key deliverables, programs, services, and the environmental factors influencing it.
• Highly critical thinking and be able to work flexibly in a diverse working environment.

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How To Apply

Click here to apply

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