Legal Counsel – Corporate Investment Bank & Commercial Services

About the role

Absa is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to provide dedicated legal support to its Corporate Investment Bank (CIB) and Commercial Services functions. The role involves advising on deal structuring, contract review, and legal risk management across a range of banking and finance activities.

Key responsibilities

• Assist the Head of Legal with deal transactions, securities structuring, finance documentation, and credit paper reviews for CIB.
• Prepare and review term sheets, support product development, and manage business recoveries, restructuring, insolvency and enforcement matters.
• Provide legal support for commercial services, including supplier contract reviews, lease and license negotiations, and dispute resolution.
• Produce monthly and periodical reports, manage legal costs, and support CIB litigation and general advisory functions.

Required profile

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree and admission as an Advocate of the High Court.
• Minimum 7 years post‑admission experience in banking and finance law, preferably within a corporate investment banking environment or a leading commercial law firm.
• Experience in financing transactions, restructurings, recoveries, and banking litigation, with exposure to cross‑border transactions considered an advantage.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of banking and finance law, structured finance, lending transactions and security structures.
• Expertise in insolvency, restructuring, recoveries, enforcement and legal drafting.
• Understanding of credit risk, banking products and Loans Markets Association (LMA) standard documentation.
• Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation and ability to handle multiple complex transactions simultaneously.