Minerva Legal (ML) is a full-service law firm with international reach and an exceptional breadth of services. We pride ourselves in providing strategic and pragmatic legal guidance, which is client-focused by bridging legal needs and legal solutions. Our team possess an extensive depth of knowledge and experience in different areas of law practice and provide legal solution to our client’s legal need by evaluating any and all risks involved in their transactions and applying varied risk management tools and strategies to mitigate and hedge those risks.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Associate

Location: Lekki, Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Brief Description

• The successful candidate will be a highly motivated and experienced Associate with tested specialist skills to work in our various practice areas.
• You will advise on technical, strategic and procedural aspects across the spectrum of problems although the focus will be providing advice on a broad range of legal and commercial matters, be involved in negotiations and legal drafting.
• You will be required to demonstrate significant experience and breadth of knowledge in litigation. To proffer sound legal advice, diligently conduct cases and represent clients to achieve a favourable outcome.
• Your activities will also include providing advice in relation to companies, shareholder issues, director duties, investments, banking and other financial transactions, and all respects of the regulatory framework within which our clients must operate.

Key Responsibilities
Negotiation and Review of Agreements:

• Negotiate, draft, and finalise terms and conditions for a wide range of agreements and contracts and other legal documents (such as service agreements, master agreements, financing agreements, supply agreements, lease and construction agreements, joint venture agreements, joint study and bid agreement, joint operating agreements, non-disclosure agreements)
• Review and interpret agreements, policies, procedures, and other relevant documentation to identify problems with respect to legality, enforceability, form and substance, and recommendations.

Litigation:

• Receive and review judicial and arbitral processes.
• Gather evidence to initiate legal actions or formulate defence, by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of the case.
• Upon receipt of court processes, carry out the required action in accordance with court instructions and set duration.
• Apply excellent legal drafting skills to develop requisite court processes to be filed in court as a claim or defence of lawsuits.
• Develop and refine the case plans for the claim or defence of clients and obtain the requisite approvals for these case plans, working with your superiors and clients.
• Identify potential witnesses and work with the litigation team, the witnesses and clients to develop witness statements, file witness depositions in court and conduct pre-trial conference to prepare witnesses for trial.
• Discuss next actions, payment plans or other support and settlements with opposing parties, proactively throughout the litigation process in accordance with strategy and where appropriate
• Manage and monitor cases through the enforcement process ensuring that all activities are completed in the required timelines and conform to court rules.

Legal Advisory Services and Legal Support:

• Receive requests for legal advice from current and potential clients and decide on the most appropriate responses to make to these requests.
• Conduct legal research on a variety of legal issues leading to the preparation of technically sound legal opinions, reports, and papers, summarizing results and including recommendations respecting implementation, form of response or course of action to be taken.
• Provide commercially focused legal transactional advice on company formation, articles of association, shareholders agreements, joint venture agreements, board minutes and resolutions.
• Provide advice to clients with regards to secured and unsecured loan/debt facilities.
• Provide expert and timely advice on law, legal procedures and wide range of associated issues.
• Track and review legislative bills to identify areas of likely impacts on the operations of clients and potential clients at large.
• Monitor and report on the promulgation of new laws and regulations in Nigeria.

Debt Recovery:

• Utilise various tracing techniques and strategies to obtain correct and current contact information of debtors.
• Contact debtors to professionally negotiate payment terms and schedules including the determination of appropriate instalment recovery arrangements with respective debtors and the setting up of those instalment plans.
• Communicate with Practice Partner and other team members on methods and strategies about debt collection services and procedures. Provide regular status update or progress report on debt recovery to clients.
• Maintain up to date knowledge and understanding of appropriate regulations and internal policies and procedures in relation to debt recovery.

Commercial and Litigation Reporting:

• Regularly write articles and prepare various reports for different internal and external audiences.

Job Requirements

• Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s Degree qualification.
• Minimum of 7 years work experience.

Application Closing Date
14th February, 2023.