Purpose:
To assist his/her Partner with the discharge of transactions and tasks within their specific practice areas.
Responsibilities:
Company Secretarial:
- Provide support to the Partner, by coordinating with the clients to schedule and represent the firm at Board and Annual General Meetings, and conferences;
- Generate required reports in preparation for client meetings, and arrange for execution of such documentation by the directors and shareholders as may be required;
- Conducting a regular legal compliance audit on the company and rendering returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission amongst other as may be required from time to time.
Drafting and Review of Legal Documents:
Assist the Partner in handling with appreciable skill, the drafting and review of contracts and other legal documentation including letters, memoranda, reports, internal notes etc.; Assist with the review and negotiation of commercial contracts.
Client Meetings:
- Provide support to Partner, to conduct meetings, negotiations and discussions on legal transactions, disputes, regulatory and compliance issues; understanding the issues involved and preparing detailed reports;
- Taking an active part in the meetings of the clients, understanding the issues and proffering a possible way of action to deal with the instructions of the client;
- Preparing client meeting notes and sharing with the appropriate parties.
Administrative function:
- Assist the Partner in handling with appreciable skill, all administrative responsibilities;
- Updating and keeping a track of the important legal documents covering a wide range of clients, so that it is made available to the senior associate whenever there is a requirement.
- Starting work-flows and digitally archiving documents pertaining to the department, according to internal procedures and instructions.
Research and Legal Advice:
- Assist the Partner in conducting with appreciable skill, required legal research, and gathering all the data and information that is relevant to the instructions;
- Offering advice on the law, legal procedures and on simple to complex legal issues. Studying and identifying the laws that are applicable to the instructions;
- Preparation and drafting of various legal opinions, drafts, and other relevant legal material and reports;
- Assisting the other groups/departments of the firm, with reviewing any legal issues arising in their day-by-day activities, and drafting, where required, corporate documentation.
Reporting:
- Timely reporting to the client, any significant variation in the applicable legal framework, which may affect the Company’s operations.
- Preparing periodical reports required by the client on any subject falling within the competence of the corporate practice group, including without limitation compliance reports, newsletters etc.
Personnel Specification:
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Call to the Nigerian Bar (BL) minimum; and
- Master of Laws (LLM)
Required
Experience:
Minimum of six (6) years’ experience in handling legal advisory matters within a commercial legal firm or organisation with particular exposure to corporate law, company secretarial, review and drafting of legal documents, regulatory compliance, due diligence exercises, legal advice and research, employment, commercial real estate development and acquisition, Aviation, infrastructure, contract drafting and review processes and negotiation.
Job Specification:
Knowledge Needs: Candidate must have a passable knowledge of commercial law, including, but not limited to:
- Company Law;
- Corporate governance and compliance practice;
- Legal review and drafting;
- General contract law;
- Company Secretarial;
- Corporate Restructuring generally
- Property Acquisition
- Commercial Real Estate Development
- Employment law and practice;
- Mergers and Acquisitions practice;
- Business sale and arrangement.
- Strategic Alliance and Joint Venture
- Real Estate law and practice;
- Taxation law; and
- Due Diligence.
Skills:
- Excellent communication and strong presentation skills;
- Strong problem solving, listening and learning skills and analytical thinking;
- Requires the ability to understand technical issues;
- Absolute command of Microsoft office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access);
- Familiarity with Internet explorer and search engines on the World Wide Web;
- Administrative ability;
- Organisational skills with an attention to detail;
- Interpersonal skills; and
- A demonstrated ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet concurrent deadlines.