41 Patent Law jobs in South Africa

Purpose of Role

The Legal Counsel is responsible to ensures that the company adheres to the law, provides legal advice to the business, primarily involving the review and/or drafting of various legal documents. Responsible to give advice and monitor all applicable aspects of it, ensuring that the business follows the proper legally commercial procedure in every way possible.

Context of Role

• Giving accurate and timely advise to the business in a variety of legal topics;
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating of all commercial contracts for the Tharisa group, including (but not limited to) mining contracts, project financing, FIDIC (white book, silver book, red book and green book) agreements, joint venture agreements, share subscription agreements, power purchase agreements, intellectual property, licence agreements, acquisition agreements, shareholder agreements, confidentiality agreements, lease agreement, immovable property purchase/sale agreements, employment/consultancy agreements;
• Reviewing and negotiating all financing and security agreements required for Tharisa Minerals (Pty) Ltd;
• Attending to and advising generally on all legal matters of the Tharisa Minerals (Pty) Ltd;
• Attending to e-mails from the directors, offices and employees within the Tharisa Group and providing the legal advice as required;
• Attending/responding to notices and official communications from the DMRE;
• Noting and lodging of objections, appeals and applications under the MPRDA, NEMA, NEM:WA and NEM:AQA;
• Attending to all disputes and litigation and briefing/instructing company attorneys (where required) on behalf of Tharisa Minerals (Pty) Ltd;
• Advising on labour disputes;
• Maintain current knowledge of alterations in legislation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in law.
• Admitted as an attorney / Legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practice Act, 2014.
• Completed Master's degree in a specific field of the law will be considered an advantage.

Job specific experience

• Proven experience as a Legal Advisor/counsel in the mining environment and/or corporate and commercial law environment.
• Corporate and/or project finance law and administrative law expertise will be considered an advantage.

Inherent requirements

Must be medically fit.

Closing date

04 November 2025.

The Company: Dotdigital is a thriving global community of passionate, dedicated professionals, committed to the collective success of the organization and its clients. Our core principles of innovation, teamwork, and client-focused solutions drive us to approach challenges with a growth mindset and take ownership of our work. At Dotdigital, collaboration and curiosity pave the way for meaningful connections and learning opportunities with diverse peers. Our work environment encourages knowledge sharing, fosters exploration, and cherishes creative ideas. Combined, these guide us towards a shared vision in which brands around the world exceed customer expectations through the adoption of responsible marketing practices.

The Product: Dotdigital is an all-in-one customer experience and data platform (CXDP) that empowers marketing teams to exceed customer expectations with highly personalized cross-channel journeys. With Dotdigital, marketers can seamlessly unify, enrich, and segment customer data. Breaking down data silos, Dotdigital streamlines decision-making and paves the way for marketing creativity that delivers customer engagement at scale. With powerful AI capabilities, Dotdigital makes it easy to automate deeply personalized experiences across web, email, SMS, WhatsApp, chat, push, social, ads, and more.

We are looking for a commercially-focused and proactive Legal Counsel to join our dynamic global legal team. This is a fantastic opportunity for a lawyer to become a true business partner, providing pragmatic advice and directly contributing to the success of a fast-growing SaaS company. You will be a key advisor to the business, working across all departments and global locations. This role offers a diverse and engaging workload, with a primary focus on commercial contracts and data privacy, and the chance to make a real impact on our legal and compliance framework. As Legal Counsel, you will be integral to our global operations, responsible for providing clear, actionable legal advice.

Your responsibilities will include:

• • Commercial Contracts: Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements, including customer SaaS agreements, data processing agreements (DPAs), supplier contracts, partnership agreements, and NDAs.
• Legal Advice: Acting as a trusted advisor to the business, providing pragmatic legal advice on various matters.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Partnering with teams across the business, particularly Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, and Product, to provide legal support that enables growth while managing risk.
• Process Improvement: Supporting the continuous improvement of our legal processes, including the development and maintenance of contract templates, legal playbooks, and training materials for the business.
• Compliance & Research: Monitoring legal and regulatory developments relevant to the SaaS and digital marketing industry, and translating them into actionable guidance for the business.
• General Legal Support: Assisting the wider legal team on strategic projects, corporate matters, and dispute resolution as required.

You are a pragmatic and proactive lawyer who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about technology. You excel at balancing legal risk with business objectives and can communicate complex legal concepts to non-legal colleagues with ease.

We are looking for someone with:

• • Qualification: A qualified lawyer in a common law jurisdiction with over 5 years' post-qualification experience (PQE).
• Experience: Proven experience in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, gained either in-house or at a reputable law firm (experience with tech/SaaS clients is a significant advantage).
• Data Privacy Expertise: A strong understanding of data protection and privacy law is essential for this role.
• Commercial Acumen: You are commercially astute with a problem-solving mindset, focused on finding solutions and enabling the business to achieve its goals.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Attitude: A self-starter with a collaborative, can-do attitude, who is highly organised, detail-orientated, and eager to take on new challenges.
• UK-Headquartered Business: Experience with a UK-headquartered business is desired.

Don't just take our word for it - hear what your future colleagues have to say about working in our team:

"It's a fast-paced environment, but the work is genuinely interesting. We're a small, collaborative group, so you get great exposure to all parts of the business and a really varied workload. It's a great environment to develop as an in-house lawyer."

• 15min Screening Call with Team Talent
• Written Task
• First Stage Interview with the Hiring Manager
  Second Stage Interview with Key Business Stakeholders

• Parental leave
• Medical benefits
• Paid sick leave
• Dotdigital day
• Share reward
• Wellbeing reward
• Wellbeing Days
• Loyalty reward

As an equal opportunities employer we are committed to equality in all its practices with regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. If you have any additional requirements or adjustments to assist an application then please don't hesitate to contact us and advise us how we can best support you.

No agencies/recruiters please. We are only accepting applications directly from the applicants. If you are a recruiter, please refrain from reaching out to our staff about this position. Anything contrary will be treated as unsolicited approach under the applicable data protection law.

Sumsub
is a leading full-cycle verification platform that enables scalable compliance.

From identity and business verification to ongoing monitoring, our platform adapts to your risk appetite and market demands, ensuring global compliance. Customize analytics and workflows with our no-code interface.

With over 4,000 clients across fintech, crypto, transportation, trading, e-commerce, education, and iGaming—including Bitpanda, Wirex, Avis, Bybit, Vodafone, Duolingo, Kaizen Gaming, and TransferGo.

We're seeking a strong
Legal Counsel
to support Sumsub's growth in legal matters. The ideal candidate will be proactive, detail-oriented, and unafraid of building and optimizing new legal processes. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact by structuring and streamlining legal workflows in a fast-paced, vibrant environment.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Conducting thorough reviews and risk assessments of expenditure-related contracts, including but not limited to service agreements, partnership contracts, and vendor/supplier agreements, ensuring compliance with applicable international laws and internal policies.
• Drafting, amending, and systematising the company's contractual templates, legally binding notices, and internal and external correspondence, whilst developing contract-related internal policies to accommodate new use cases, products, and vendor requests.
• Engaging in effective communication with counterparties and stakeholders, leading negotiations, strategic planning, and conflict management throughout the lifecycle of contracts, from inception to execution and renewal.
• Collaborating closely with internal teams—such as billing, sales, business development, and product management—to optimize the contract review process, and actively exploring and implementing contract automation tools to enhance efficiency and minimize manual workload.
• Providing expert guidance and support to various departments on contract-related matters, ensuring alignment with international legal requirements and company objectives.

About You:

Must Have:

• A university degree in law (LL.B., preferably LL.M.).
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in an international legal environment, particularly with a focus on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating expense-related agreements, vendor, supplier and service provider contracts, and non-disclosure agreements.
• Extensive experience in drafting and interpreting legal documents in English, with a strong emphasis on common law contracts.
• A solid understanding of the general principles of civil and common law frameworks, corporate law, and private international law.
• Exceptional attention to detail, integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility.
• Fluent English.

Highly Preferable:

• In-depth knowledge of international privacy laws and regulations, including GDPR and other significant data protection frameworks.
• Familiarity with the common law legal system, particularly the laws of England and Wales, and experience working with contracts governed by English law.

Nice to Have:

• Native English speaker.
• Efficiency (reading, writing, and speaking) in Spanish and/or Portuguese.
• Prior experience in an consulting firm and/or within the IT or regtech sectors.
• Understanding of AML/KYC compliance principles.

What We Offer:

• Fully remote and flexible working schedule, with access to a coworking space (in some locations).
• Working with a product that matters. Our technology helps to protect millions of users and lots of online services worldwide.
• International project. Our team works from offices in Berlin, Limassol, London, and Miami, our customers are spread from Mexico and the USA to Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore.
• 1 extra day off to celebrate your birthday.
• 7 additional days to enjoy the Christmas & New Year holidays.
• 7 days of sick leave (without the need for documentation).
• Regular, fully covered team offsites to connect and collaborate.
• Learning opportunities and support to attend industry events with the team.

The hiring stages:

TA screening -> Hiring Manager Interview -> Assignment -> Final Interview.

Sounds like a great opportunity for your career development? Then go ahead and apply

We are a global community of innovators, creators, and thinkers, and we believe that diversity fuels our innovation. Sumsub is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Join us in shaping the future inclusively.

Join TIH, home to some of South Africa's leading financial service providers, and grow your career while being part of an organisation with purpose.
Job Purpose
Provide specialist advice and perform general legal work in order to avoid, and where not possible, reduce legal risk.

Responsibilities
Legal

Take responsibility for providing specific elements of the organization's legal service with guidance from senior colleagues.

Provide legally accurate and clear support services and deliver required outcomes within the organization's established legal systems and protocols.

Information and Business Advice

Provide legally accurate advice, guidance and solutions, on the interpretation and application of policies and procedures, resolving complex or contentious queries and issues and enabling others to take appropriate actions.

Document Preparation

Provide legally accurate, clear and timeous drafting and vetting of agreements, legal opinions, policies and other relevant documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement

Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders within the TIH Group. Identify and manage stakeholders up to management level, finding out their needs/issues/concerns to provide legal guide and support.

Liaise with Industry bodies regarding complaints.

Attend project meetings with relevant stakeholders regarding legal concerns.

Improvement / Innovation

Identify shortcomings and suggest improvements to existing processes, systems and procedures, then delivers a plan for a small element of a change management program with guidance from a project/program manager.

Personal Capability Building

Act as subject matter expert in an area of expertise. Maintain external accreditations and in-depth understanding of current and emerging regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

Education
Grade 12 (Essential); LLB/BProc (Essential); Admitted attorney/Advocate (Essential) (Required)

Experience
5 or more years' experience in a Legal Counsel role (Essential); 3 years of experience in the insurance industry dealing with regulatory contracts (Essential) Experience in financial services industry (Advantageous).

Think you have what it takes to be part of an unstoppable team who constantly finds better ways to give peace of mind? Don't wait, apply now.

We have a
Legal Corporate Finance

position available for a qualified attorney (3 – 5 years post-articles / sponsor experience) in the Cape Town/Somerset West area.

Job description

The position is a rare role for a talented commercially minded attorney to join a premier corporate finance team based in Cape Town/Somerset West. As a member of our corporate finance team, you join a team that provides bespoke advice on listings, delistings, B-BBEE transactions, capital raisings, secondary placements, rights offers, M&A transactions, schemes of arrangements, section 112 disposals and other corporate finance transactions, in both the listed and unlisted space. The role will require leading and project management of transactions, drafting and reviewing transactional and corporate finance documentation, including legal agreements, circulars and announcements. 

Requirements / Preferences

·   

Admitted attorney - essential;

·   

Articles at corporate / commercial firm – essential;

·   

Knowledge and experience with the JSE Listings Requirements – essential;

·   

Knowledge and experience with the Takeover Regulations – essential

·   

Commercial law experience – essential;

·   

Knowledge and understanding of the Companies Act – essential;

·   

Experience in a JSE sponsor / designated advisory role – preferred; and

·   

Knowledge and understanding of the Competition Act – preferred.

Competencies

·   

Ability to work independently;

·   

Ability to lead and project manage corporate finance transactions;

·   

Excellent verbal and written communication skills;

·   

Strong attention to detail;

·   

Excellent legal drafting skills;

·   

Ability to work under pressure and to multitask;

·   

Confidence to interact and liaise with CEOs, FDs and regulators;

·   

Commercially minded, proactive and problem-solving; and  

·   

Hard working and resilient, with the ability to operate in a high-paced and time-sensitive environment.

Applications

Should you meet the above requirements and want to be part of a dynamic and growing team of professionals, please forward your comprehensive CV, academic transcripts and copies of your qualifications

to

Correspondence will only be conducted with shortlisted candidates. Should you not hear from us within 10 business days, please consider your application unsuccessful.

In this position, the incumbent is accountable to provide assistance to the Head of Legal - Southern Africa, on legal matters relating to the company and its affiliated companies within Southern Africa, including but not limited to:

pre-litigation and litigious claims

commercial, contractual or civil disputes

labour and employment law

interpretation and/or negotiation of a wide range of commercial, operational and supply chain contracts

provision of legal support to the various functions of the organisation in the areas of business development, sales and marketing, finance, procurement, human resources, engineering, operations and maintenance

assist in the management of corporate governance, legal and regulatory compliance, and statutory secretarial duties

Main Accountabilities:

1. Corporate Governance & Company Secretariat

• Assist in preparing and reviewing board and shareholder documentation, including agendas, resolutions, board packs, and minutes.
• Support compliance with the Companies Act, King IV Principles of Corporate Governance, and Group frameworks.
• Maintain statutory registers and ensure timely submissions to the CIPC.
• Prepare and file amendments to company records (e.g., changes in directors, officers, share registers, resolutions).
• Facilitate board, statutory committee, and shareholder meetings, including drafting agendas, minutes, and resolutions.
• Provide governance training to directors, prescribed officers, information officers, and statutory committee members.
• Liaise with regulators such as the B-BBEE Commission, Competition Commission, Information Regulator, and others.

2. Commercial & Contractual Work

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts including supply, procurement, distribution, partnership, and services agreements.
• Support the contract lifecycle (renewals, amendments, terminations).
• Advise business stakeholders on risk allocation, obligations, and rights.
• Provide legal input in tenders, bids, and procurement processes.
• Maintain proper filing and management of executed contracts.

3. Labour & Employment Law

• Provide day-to-day advice to HR on labour relations and employment law.
• Draft and review employment contracts, HR policies, and procedures.
• Advise on misconduct, disciplinary, grievance, and incapacity matters.
• Support restructuring, retrenchment, and collective bargaining processes.
• Represent the company in CCMA proceedings and liaise with external labour attorneys.
• Ensure compliance with South African labour laws, including the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act, and Occupational Health and Safety Act.

4. Debt Recovery & Litigation Support

• Draft and issue letters of demand, acknowledgements of debt, breach notices, and other legal correspondence.
• Manage external debt collection attorneys and business rescue practitioners.
• Lodge claims in business rescue, liquidation, or sequestration proceedings.
• Attend creditors' meetings and liaise with liquidators and curators.
• Support litigation, arbitration, and mediation, including briefing and managing external counsel.

5. Compliance & Regulatory Matters

• Monitor developments in laws and regulations across Southern Africa, with focus on corporate, commercial, labour, safety, consumer, data privacy, and competition law.
• Assist with compliance programs including ethics, anti-corruption, data protection, and Code of Conduct initiatives.
• Support internal and external compliance audits and regulatory inspections.
• Contribute to updating the compliance risk management plan.
• Provide compliance and ethics training across the organisation.

6. Advisory & Business Partnering

• Provide legal advice to Sales, Commercial, Operations, Finance, HR, and other functions.
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda on emerging risks.
• Ensure legal advice is pragmatic, business-oriented, and aligned with Group strategy.
• Act as a legal partner in strategic projects and business development.
• Handle Ethical Alerts in coordination with the Head of Legal.

7. Departmental Administration & Knowledge Management

• Maintain departmental records, templates, and precedents.
• Prepare regular legal reports and updates for management.
• Support the monitoring of legal spend and external counsel performance.
• Develop internal training materials, guidance notes, and tools.

Educational requirements

• Education: LLB, or Bachelor of Laws / Bcom of Laws with LLB degree or equivalent

Experience

• Admitted Attorney (or <3 years post serving Articles of Clerkship at a reputable law firm)
• 2 to 3 years experience in the field of corporate/company law, commercial, corporate governance, legal and regulatory compliance.

Knowledge and Know-how specific to the job

• Solid understanding and knowledge of South African laws, regulations, codes and soft laws, including but not limited to Contract law, Damages/Delict law, the Companies Act, Protection of Personal Information Act, Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act, King Reports on Corporate Governance, and the like.
• Solid understanding of legal procedures, notably relating to commercial disputes, alternative dispute resolution or litigious civil matters.
• Solid drafting, reviewing, negotiating and/or settling of legal documents such as contracts, letters, opinions.
• Solid legal research skills including appropriate citation or referencing.
• Knowledge of regulators mandated to monitor the organization's corporate affairs i.e. B-BBEE Commission, Competition Commission, Information Regulator, CIPC etc.
• Computer literacy.

OTHER COMPETENCIES

• 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.

Our Differences make our Performance

At Air Liquide, we are committed to build a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the diversity of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world.

We welcome and consider applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their background. We strongly believe a diverse organization opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to innovate by living our fundamentals, acting for our success and creating an engaging environment in a changing world.

How will you CONTRIBUTE and GROW?

In this position, the incumbent is accountable to provide assistance to the Head of Legal - Southern Africa, on legal matters relating to the company and its affiliated companies within Southern Africa, including but not limited to:

pre-litigation and litigious claims

commercial, contractual or civil disputes

labour and employment law

interpretation and/or negotiation of a wide range of commercial, operational and supply chain contracts

provision of legal support to the various functions of the organisation in the areas of business development, sales and marketing, finance, procurement, human resources, engineering, operations and maintenance

assist in the management of corporate governance, legal and regulatory compliance, and statutory secretarial duties

Main Accountabilities:

• Corporate Governance & Company Secretariat
• Assist in preparing and reviewing board and shareholder documentation, including agendas, resolutions, board packs, and minutes.
• Support compliance with the Companies Act, King IV Principles of Corporate Governance, and Group frameworks.
• Maintain statutory registers and ensure timely submissions to the CIPC.
• Prepare and file amendments to company records (e.g., changes in directors, officers, share registers, resolutions).
• Facilitate board, statutory committee, and shareholder meetings, including drafting agendas, minutes, and resolutions.
• Provide governance training to directors, prescribed officers, information officers, and statutory committee members.
• Liaise with regulators such as the B-BBEE Commission, Competition Commission, Information Regulator, and others.
• Commercial & Contractual Work
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts including supply, procurement, distribution, partnership, and services agreements.
• Support the contract lifecycle (renewals, amendments, terminations).
• Advise business stakeholders on risk allocation, obligations, and rights.
• Provide legal input in tenders, bids, and procurement processes.
• Maintain proper filing and management of executed contracts.
• Labour & Employment Law
• Provide day-to-day advice to HR on labour relations and employment law.
• Draft and review employment contracts, HR policies, and procedures.
• Advise on misconduct, disciplinary, grievance, and incapacity matters.
• Support restructuring, retrenchment, and collective bargaining processes.
• Represent the company in CCMA proceedings and liaise with external labour attorneys.
• Ensure compliance with South African labour laws, including the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act, and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Debt Recovery & Litigation Support
• Draft and issue letters of demand, acknowledgements of debt, breach notices, and other legal correspondence.
• Manage external debt collection attorneys and business rescue practitioners.
• Lodge claims in business rescue, liquidation, or sequestration proceedings.
• Attend creditors' meetings and liaise with liquidators and curators.
• Support litigation, arbitration, and mediation, including briefing and managing external counsel.
• Compliance & Regulatory Matters
• Monitor developments in laws and regulations across Southern Africa, with focus on corporate, commercial, labour, safety, consumer, data privacy, and competition law.
• Assist with compliance programs including ethics, anti-corruption, data protection, and Code of Conduct initiatives.
• Support internal and external compliance audits and regulatory inspections.
• Contribute to updating the compliance risk management plan.
• Provide compliance and ethics training across the organisation.
• Advisory & Business Partnering
• Provide legal advice to Sales, Commercial, Operations, Finance, HR, and other functions.
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda on emerging risks.
• Ensure legal advice is pragmatic, business-oriented, and aligned with Group strategy.
• Act as a legal partner in strategic projects and business development.
• Handle Ethical Alerts in coordination with the Head of Legal.
• Departmental Administration & Knowledge Management
• Maintain departmental records, templates, and precedents.
• Prepare regular legal reports and updates for management.
• Support the monitoring of legal spend and external counsel performance.
• Develop internal training materials, guidance notes, and tools.

___

Are you a MATCH?

Educational Requirements

• Education: LLB, or Bachelor of Laws / Bcom of Laws with LLB degree or equivalent

Experience
Admitted Attorney (or <3 years post serving Articles of Clerkship at a reputable law firm)- 2 to 3 years experience in the field of corporate/company law, commercial, corporate governance, legal and regulatory compliance.
Knowledge And Know-how Specific To The Job

• Solid understanding and knowledge of South African laws, regulations, codes and soft laws, including but not limited to Contract law, Damages/Delict law, the Companies Act, Protection of Personal Information Act, Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act, King Reports on Corporate Governance, and the like.
• Solid understanding of legal procedures, notably relating to commercial disputes, alternative dispute resolution or litigious civil matters.
• Solid drafting, reviewing, negotiating and/or settling of legal documents such as contracts, letters, opinions.
• Solid legal research skills including appropriate citation or referencing.
• Knowledge of regulators mandated to monitor the organization's corporate affairs i.e. B-BBEE Commission, Competition Commission, Information Regulator, CIPC etc.
• Computer literacy.

Other Competencies

• 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.

Our Differences make our Performance
At Air Liquide, we are committed to build a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the diversity of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world.

We welcome and consider applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their background. We strongly believe a diverse organization opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to innovate by living our fundamentals, acting for our success and creating an engaging environment in a changing world.

Purpose of the job : To provide strategic leadership in managing and protecting DetNet's IP Portfolio. To oversee and enhance the contracts portfolio, ensuring all agreements are aligned with the company's goals, to develop and implement comprehensive legal strategies across all areas of the business; and to ensure regulatory compliance by monitoring legal developments and guiding the company accordingly.

• Guide IP development in technical projects to ensure the company's intellectual property aligns with strategic goals and is well-protected throughout its lifecycle.
• Manage the company's IP portfolio, from identification to the end of the lifecycle, ensuring that all IP assets are properly registered, maintained, and enforced.
• Develop and implement the DetNet IP strategy, including the use of marketing instruments such as trademarks to protect and promote the company's brand.
• Formulate and execute efficient offence and defence legal strategies to safeguard the company's interests.
• Responsible for the effective management of legal department.
• Develop, implement, and review all company policies to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and laws.
• Monitor the ever-changing legal landscape, proactively implementing measures to ensure the company remains compliant with new regulations.
• Conduct regular audits of the entire contracts portfolio to ensure compliance with legal and company standards.
• Draft, review, and approve contracts to ensure they are legally sound and align with the company's strategic goals.

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent
• At least 8 years of experience in Patent and Design Law, and general Intellectual Property law, contract law, and regulatory compliance
• Engineering qualification (Electronics/Electrical) would be advantageous
• Knowledge of litigation processes
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Good interpersonal and leadership skills
• Thoroughness and attention to detail
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Effective time management and ability to prioritize tasks
• Resilience under pressure and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Superior communication skills, both verbally and in writing
• A strong commercial acumen and understanding of the business environment
• Proficiency in using legal and business tools such as Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams) and legal research databases

Personal attributes

• Organising skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Results-oriented
• Good communication skills
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills
• Analytical thinking
• Innovation
• Ability to take initiative

Legal Counsel (Fintech)

Our client is a fast-scaling fintech business driving innovation in the financial infrastructure space across Africa and beyond. Their team works at the intersection of regulation, technology, and commerce, and they are looking for a detail-oriented Legal Associate to support their legal and compliance function across multiple jurisdictions.

Role Overview

The Legal Associate will play a key role in supporting licensing, regulatory, and commercial legal matters. You will work across jurisdictions on high-impact legal operations, helping ensure that the company remains compliant, well-structured, and contractually protected as it grows. This is a hands-on legal role ideal for a proactive and organised professional with fintech, payments, or cross-border regulatory experience.

Job Type:
Full-time

Location:
Cape Town

Workplace:
Hybrid

Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB).
• Admitted attorney.
• Minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience (PQE) in a law firm or in-house legal department.
• Strong grounding in financial services, banking & payments, and contract/commercial law.
• Ability to work independently in both structured and fast-changing environments.
• Strong attention to detail and organisational abilities — must be meticulous.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Comfortable performing both strategic and administrative legal tasks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Responsibilities

Regulatory & Licensing

• Assist with the preparation and submission of new license applications across various jurisdictions, liaising with financial regulators as needed.
• Track and support the renewal and ongoing compliance of all licenses in coordination with senior legal and compliance teams.
• Conduct legal research into new regulations or laws that impact the business.

Contracts & Legal Documents

• Draft, review, and negotiate complex legal agreements, including vendor contracts, customer agreements, and technology service terms.
• Assist in the preparation of internal legal documents such as board resolutions, templates, and legal filings.

Corporate & Secretarial Work

• Support the establishment of new legal entities in multiple jurisdictions.
• Maintain company registers, file annual returns, and ensure statutory compliance across the group.

Banking, PSPs & Counterparties

• Assist with onboarding and maintaining relationships with banks, payment service providers, and trading counterparties.
• Prepare and organise legal documentation for counterparty onboarding and due diligence processes.

Regulatory Engagements & Support

• Provide support during engagements with regulators, banking partners, and PSPs.
• Ensure adherence to legal directives and guidelines issued by authorities.
• Provide day-to-day support to the company's senior legal counsel as required.