Senior Associate, Corporate and Commercial

An exciting opportunity for the role of Senior Associate in our rapidly growing Corporate & Commercial Department has become available in our Nairobi office. At CDH we specialize in providing comprehensive legal support to clients in Africa or looking to do business across the continent. With more than 260 lawyers and a history of 170 years, our firm brings together the expertise and resources of leading African business law firms, offering proven experience in working with governments, and their agencies, and local and transactional corporate organizations. With experience and in-depth understanding of diverse markets, we are a recognized enabler of business success in Africa.

The ideal candidate should be commercially minded, have corporate and transactional experience coupled with strong verbal and written communication skills and excellent drafting competence. A good work ethic, an ability to conceive strategy, exercise initiative and take responsibility together with the capacity to work and deliver in a fast-paced environment are essential.

The role involves substantive document drafting and review, comprehensive legal research, effective file management, contribution to team targets, mentoring junior staff, expanding client bases, and contributing to the firm's overall growth and culture.

Your duties, which may be varied from time to time, will include the below amongst other responsibilities that arise during the day-to-day business of CDH Kenya.

1.1 Legal services and support to clients
1.1.1 Work across a range of corporate transactions including public and private M&A deals (including schemes of arrangement and takeovers), and cross border transactions
1.1.2 Advising on various aspects of applicable legislation in an M&A context
1.1.3 Drafting documents that are accurate, concise and require minimal to no substantive changes before submission to clients,
1.1.4 Negotiating/reviewing of constitutional documents, shareholders agreements and general company secretarial attendances (for instance, the preparation of notices and minutes of meetings and company board and shareholder resolutions)

1.1.5 Drafting/review of an assortment of commercial contracts (for example, non-disclosure agreements, service level agreements and lease agreements) and providing legal advice thereon
1.1.6 Conduct thorough research and comprehensive legal research and analysis, providing advise that is legally and factually accurate without errors
1.1.7 Conducting legal due diligence investigations and preparing due diligence reports. In this regard, particular emphasis will be placed on your ability to identify legal and commercial risks
1.1.8 Drafting/negotiating/reviewing of a host of transaction documents (including term sheets, subscription agreements, sale of shares agreements, shareholder agreements, distribution agreements, supply agreements and sale of business agreements); and
1.1.9 Managing workstreams and various teams (including lawyers within and outside of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Area) on transactions and facilitating the closing and implementation procedures

1.2 Financial and Practice Management
1.2.1 Actively tracking and meeting of monthly budget as set by Partner
1.2.2 Record all billable and non – billable time with appropriate narrations to facilitate efficient billing and invoicing
1.2.3 Complying with billing procedures, manage risks and ensure adherence to engagement letters, business terms and conflict checks requirements.
1.2.4 Manage debtors to ensure outstanding balances are collected within the set timelines
1.2.5 Maintaining an efficient diary management system thereby ensuring timeous attention to matters and effective reporting to clients and Partner

1.3 Client Management
1.3.1 Attending consultations with clients
1.3.2 Agree deadline with Partner and/or client (where relevant) and ensure deadlines are met and expectations are managed by reporting progress to Partner and client
1.3.3 Consistently delivering high a quality work product in keeping with the standards set by the firm
1.3.4 Establishing strong relationships with existing clients by delivering on expectations and anticipating their immediate and future needs

1.3.5 Managing and growing client relationships, seeking cross-selling opportunities to introduce other practice areas to clients

1.4 Development
1.4.1 Actively participate in the integration and induction of juniors into practice areas by being available to answer queries or provide guidance on team practices and processes
1.4.2 Promoting productivity of the junior members of the team through effective delegation and utilization of their skills

1.5 Profile Building
1.5.1 Actively promote the profile of the firm by participation in internal and external activities such as conferences, seminars, and other industry events
1.5.2 Writing of articles for internal and external publication under the guidance of the Partner
1.5.3 Collaborating with colleagues in other teams or practice areas for the firm related or client development activities