Job Purpose
Responsible for driving legal projects and activities relating to the General Counsel’s Office function, servicing South Africa and assisting the General Counsel with servicing 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). Negotiating of software licence agreements part of scope.
The candidate will report to the General Counsel, Africa Region.
Duties and Responsibilities
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 with an initial focus on the Tax Service Line:
- 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;
- Advising the leadership team and engagement teams on all current commercial contracts (e.g., structuring, development of templates);
- Reviewing and contributing to drafting firm policies including authority and delegations framework;
- Supporting the Assurance service line on all legal matters;
- Current legal work on local acquisitions including working with external counsel on deal structure and acquisition agreements;
- Advising regional cluster leader and managing co-sec legal compliance work on all legal entities;
- Coordination of litigation matters in close relationship with Africa Regional General Counsel and relevant Quality Service Line Leader;
- Providing advice to business units on potential claims and forming part of special ad hoc panels to manage the risk of potential claims;
- Providing input/reporting to legal risk committee;
- Reviewing and negotiating Engagement letters and suggested clients' changes to amendments to EY’s standard terms and conditions;
- Reviewing, negotiating, and drafting various agreements across various service lines including Hold harmless letters, Confidentiality agreements, and Requests for Proposals;
- Considering legal risks in the agreements inclusive of Limitation of Liability;
- Providing internal legal opinions as requested by the service lines or the General Counsel;
- Assisting with managing disputes and litigation matters and compliance, legislative and regulatory requirements;
- Consulting and drafting all types of contracts and agreements;
- Dealing with subpoenas and claims brought against the firm;
- Managing the Master Template Database of contracts and other legal precedents;
- Assisting in the maintenance of a register of legal work done;
- Assisting in the maintenance of a register of deviations from standard contract terms;
- Drafting and research for legal opinions as required by the General Counsel;
- Assisting with Projects as undertaken by the GCO;
- Assisting with the notification of claims and circumstances project;
- Liaising with external legal practitioners, and Ernst & Young (EMIA) and Global (EYG);
- Attending to data privacy review of EY applications;
- Assisting with selected areas of compliance issues;
- Providing legal support to the Africa EY practices on various legal matters.
Qualifications
- Minimum bachelor of laws degree;
- Solid commercial drafting, reviewing, and negotiating skills;
- Extensive experience in negotiating software agreements;
- 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 Microsoft Office programs;
- Excellent relationship skills;
- Assertive, proactive, and energetic;
- Willingness to work overtime when necessary;
- Strong team player;
- Strong organizational 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 matters with little or no assistance;
- Flexibility to travel if required.
Key Requirements
- Qualified to practice law in South Africa;
- At least 7 years of post-qualification legal experience, preferably with an international law firm and/or multi-national corporation;
- In-depth experience of the professional services industry is ideal;
- Developed commercial awareness with an outcome-oriented approach.
Other Personal Characteristics
- Unquestioned ethics and integrity;
- High level of self-confidence and energy;
- High level of intellectual agility, initiative, self-motivation, resourcefulness, and patience;
- Pragmatic with strong business acumen;
- Strong analytical skills;
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
Who We Are
At EY we support you in achieving your unique potential both personally and professionally. We give you stretching and rewarding experiences that keep you motivated, working in an atmosphere of integrity and teaming with some of the world's most successful companies. We encourage you to take personal responsibility for your career while supporting your professional development. You enjoy the flexibility to devote time to what matters to you, in your business and personal lives. At EY you can be who you are and express your point of view, energy, and enthusiasm, wherever you are in the world. It's how you make a difference.
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