Legal - Southern Africa

Air Liquide

Oct 18

Job
Full-time
Mid & Senior Level
Legal
Johannesburg
Quick Apply

AI generated summary

You need an LLB, be an admitted attorney with 3-5 years’ experience, strong drafting skills, knowledge of South African corporate, public, and labor law, and a proactive, adaptable approach.
You will oversee legal functions, advise on corporate matters, manage contracts, ensure governance compliance, conduct training, and handle disputes for the Southern Africa region.

Requirements

Education: Matric certificate plus Graduated in LLB degree
Admitted Attorney
At least 3 to 5 years professional experience either in a law firm or in a corporation
Excellent drafting and negotiating skills
Good understanding and knowledge of South African laws and regulations, especially in the fields of corporate and commercial law, public law (including permitting and environment) and labor law;
Basis of economics, labor law organization and management;
Good understanding of the command of information technology and office equipment
Initiating Action - Taking prompt action to accomplish work goals; taking action to achieve results beyond what is required; being proactive
Managing personal efficiency - manage competing priorities in a challenging environment, minimizing non-value-added complexity or paradox.
Promoting and Achieving Safety - responsibility to ensure that Safety and Security are seen as imperatives for the Group
Performance and Responsibility - action to manage all changes or to mitigate the uncertainties occurring as a result of change to achieve the Group's objectives.
Decision Making - analyze and summarize information including value-added suggestions from others to develop optimal solutions.
Customer Orientation - recognize and analyze the customers’ needs, expectations and priorities and propose valuable, reliable, and competitive solutions
Adaptable - Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment (e.g., people, processes, structure, or culture); adjusting effectively to change by exploring the benefits, trying new approaches, and collaborating with others to make the change successful.

Responsibilities

S/he will act as the Head of Legal function to the Southern Africa region comprising of South Africa and Botswana for all the affiliates and entities therein as a key member of the Hub legal team to provide legal support with respect to the business activities, more particularly in the following fields:
Manage and oversee the legal functions in SA sub-cluster with the support of the in-house counsel in South Africa reporting into this position.
Advise the management of these sub-clusters on different matters of a legal nature (corporate restructuring, M&A, Joint Ventures, etc) and legal risks associated with potential business deals.
Offering support from beginning of a project (including bidding stage, negotiations with client and suppliers)
Reviewing and drafting any and all agreements as required by the business departments in the region for the various projects (supply agreements for short and long term supply, sale of equipment, distribution agreements, framework supply agreements, etc) in accordance with the Air Liquide Group contractual policies.
Transactional projects including: a) the creation and dissolution of JVs b) mergers and acquisitions and c) restructurings.
Corporate Structure and creating subsidiaries.
Analyze and communicate new regulations within the SA region.
Carrying out and following up on the corporate governance compliance of the entities in the region and implementing the corporate governance principles and guidelines and ensuring they are respected at all times (organizational documents and minutes, GM and Board nominations, limitations of powers, etc).
Conducting training sessions on Ethics, Anti-Corruption/Anti-Trust, contractual guidelines and more generally, ensuring compliance of contracts and company’s activities with applicable laws and regulations.
Following up on digital projects, including the protection of personal data.
Providing legal support during project execution including advising the business on contract interpretation, disputes and following the litigation files (if any).
Monitoring proceedings before local courts and handling administrative claims and disputes in coordination with external counsel.
Provide legally sound and reliable solutions, guidance and advice on different strategic matters for the region from a legal perspective.
Manage statutory company secretarial duties of SA sub-cluster, including but not limited to, scheduling and facilitating of general assemblies, board of directors meetings, statutory committee meetings, drafting of agendas and minutes, corporate governance refresher trainings/workshops.

FAQs

What is the primary role of the Head of Legal for the Southern Africa region?

The primary role is to manage and oversee the legal functions for the Southern Africa region, specifically South Africa and Botswana, and provide legal support regarding business activities such as corporate restructuring, M&A, and joint ventures.

What qualifications are required for this position?

Candidates must have a Matric Certificate and a graduated LLB degree, and they must be an admitted attorney.

How much professional experience is needed for the position?

A minimum of 3 to 5 years of professional experience in a law firm or corporation is required.

What areas of law should the candidate be knowledgeable about?

The candidate should have a good understanding of South African laws and regulations, particularly in corporate and commercial law, public law, and labor law.

What specific tasks will the Head of Legal be responsible for?

Tasks include advising management on legal matters, reviewing and drafting agreements, managing corporate governance compliance, and providing legal support during project execution.

Does the position involve managing a team?

Yes, the Head of Legal will manage and oversee the in-house counsel in South Africa, providing guidance and support.

What skills are emphasized for this role?

Excellent drafting and negotiating skills, the ability to manage competing priorities, and being proactive in taking action to achieve work goals are key skills emphasized for this role.

Will the Head of Legal be involved in compliance training?

Yes, the position includes conducting training sessions on ethics, anti-corruption, anti-trust, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Is knowledge of information technology required for this job?

Yes, a good understanding of information technology and office equipment is required.

What emphasis does Air Liquide place on diversity in the workplace?

Air Liquide is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, believing that diversity fosters innovation and success.

Air Liquide

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health

Manufacturing & Electronics

Industry

10,001+

Employees

1902

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 73 countries with approximately 67,100 employees and serves more than 3.9 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902. Taking action today while preparing the future is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. With ADVANCE, its strategic plan for 2025, Air Liquide is targeting a global performance, combining financial and extra-financial dimensions. Positioned on new markets, the Group benefits from major assets such as its business model combining resilience and strength, its ability to innovate and its technological expertise. The Group develops solutions contributing to climate and the energy transition—particularly with hydrogen—and takes action to progress in areas of healthcare, digital and high technologies. Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 29.9 billion euros in 2022. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, EURO STOXX 50, FTSE4Good and DJSI Europe indexes.