Director: Litigation and Dispute Resolution - Sandton, South Africa - Dial a Legal Assistant

Dial a Legal Assistant

Verified Company

Sandton, South Africa

1 week ago

Posted by:

Thabo Mthembu

beBee Recruiter

Description

Role description:

Key objectives:

Strategic Planning:

Developing and implementing strategies for handling legal disputes, including assessing risks, formulating legal arguments, and determining the best course of action.

Case Management:

cases, and ensuring that litigation matters are handled efficiently and effectively.

Legal Research and Analysis:

Conducting in-depth legal research, analyzing case law, statutes, and regulations relevant to ongoing

cases, and providing guidance to the legal team.

Trial Preparation:

Collaborating with attorneys to develop trial strategies, overseeing the collection and organization of

evidence, coordinating witness preparation, and ensuring that all necessary documents and exhibits are prepared.

Budget and Resource Management:

Managing litigation budgets, tracking expenses, and negotiating vendor contracts. Allocating resources effectively to meet litigation needs.

Risk Assessment and Mitigation:

Identifying potential legal risks and providing guidance to the organization on how to minimize

exposure to litigation. Advising on compliance issues and procedures to prevent future disputes.

Collaboration and Communication:

Liaising with internal stakeholders, such as executives, department heads, and corporate counsel, to understand business objectives and provide legal advice.

Collaborating with external counsel, expert witnesses, and consultants as necessary.

Settlement Negotiation:
Assessing settlement opportunities, developing negotiation strategies, and representing the organization in settlement discussions to achieve favorable outcomes for clients

Legal Compliance:
Staying up to date with changes in laws and regulations that may impact ongoing litigation, ensuring compliance with ethical standards, court rules, and procedural requirements

Reporting and Documentation:

Maintaining accurate and comprehensive case files, preparing status reports, and providing updates to senior management/ MANCO, as and when required, on the progress of litigation matters.

Key responsibilities:

Provide direction, strategy and leadership of department;
Promote team work and team building in the department;
Report the progress of the department and plan on a monthly basis to the MANCO;
Be responsible for managing his own practice and to identify the need to employ more staff members to assist should the need arise;
At all times place the best interests of the firm first when exercising a decision or raising a view
Achieve all targets as set out in annual KPA (Key Performance Areas).

Relationship management and new business:

To bring in new clients to the firm;
Grow the department in terms of size of the team, number of clients, revenue generation, and litigation department's public profile;
Attend to marketing the practice and business development; and
To crosssell services of the department to existing clients of the firm.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGERIAL ROLE

To be present and engage in constructive discussions during directors' meetings;
To review, finalise and sign employment agreements, after the salary has been approved by the MANCO, on behalf of Gwina Attorneys for all staff to be employed within his/her department;
Take initiative to proactively engage with MANCO and raise awareness of any matters that may negatively affect the firm and its staff and present solutions to deal with same;
Compulsorily attend all firm functions held within or outside the firm;
Always act as an ambassador of the firm and promote team spirit and oneness throughout the firm.

Finance and budgeting:

Ensure that all monies due to the firm (based on the invoices issued under the department) are collected promptly and at least within 45 (forty five) days of the issuing of the invoice(s);
Work according to a standard fee structure and reach the required billing targets monthly;
Encourage the team to capture their time daily to enhance smooth billing process

Critical behavioral competencies:

Ability to display and build the highest standards of ethical and moral conduct in order to promote confidence and trust.
Ability to foster the longterm learning or development of others.
Conflict Management: ability to handle difficult individuals, groups of people, or tense situations with diplomacy and tact.

Requirements:

LLB Degree
Must be an admitted attorney
Minimum of 10 years post qualification experience in commercial litigation and dispute resolution
Experience in litigation in the High and Magistrate's Court;
Experience in arbitration and mediation of commercial disputes;
Sound knowledge of Court processes, court directives, practice rules and professional ethics;
Strong drafting and presentation skills, ability to argue cases and represent clients in courts and other tribunals;
Preparation of counsel briefs, instructions to counsel and opinions on complex legal questions and disput