Legal Advisor at AmaTolo Lawyers & Consultants in Pretoria, Gauteng

Purpose of the role

To be the firm's primary advisory resource in employment law and in RAF and personal injury claims — consulting with clients, preparing claims and documents, and managing matters from intake to referral or closure without supervision.

The two Senior Legal Advisor positions are deliberately complementary. Advisor A covers corporate and commercial, finance and banking, and insurance. Advisor B covers employment and personal injury. Between them, the firm's four core practice areas are covered, so that no client is turned away for want of internal capability.

Key performance areasClient advisory

• Conduct consultations by telephone, video and in person
• Provide written advice and opinions in plain language
• Advise employers and employees on rights, obligations and prospects
• Assess RAF and personal injury claims and advise on prospects, liability and quantum in principle
• Advise on COIDA claims and the interaction between COIDA and delictual claims
• Advise on medical negligence claims and whether the merits justify referral

Drafting and preparation — employment

• Draft employment contracts and independent contractor agreements
• Draft workplace policies, disciplinary codes, grievance procedures and leave policies
• Draft fixed-term contracts compliant with section 198B of the Labour Relations Act
• Draft responses to charges, internal appeals and notices of intention to retrench
• Draft CCMA referral documents, heads of argument and bundle indexes
• Draft settlement agreements and mutual separation agreements

Drafting and preparation — RAF and personal injury

• Draft RAF claim forms (RAF1 and RAF3) and supporting affidavits
• Take and draft witness statements
• Draft medico-legal instruction letters and expert briefs
• Draft hospital and records requests
• Draft COIDA claim documentation
• Draft demand letters to insurers, wrongdoers and their representatives
• Prepare complete, indexed claim files for referral to an independent practitioner

Matter management

• Own matters from intake to closure or referral
• Issue a written scope before work commences, recording the work, fee basis and any anticipated disbursements
• Record time accurately and submit time records weekly
• Diary and track prescription dates, CCMA referral deadlines and RAF claim time limits, and escalate anything at risk on the same day
• Close or refer matters formally, with a file note and closing report

Compliance

• Advise on the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act and applicable sectoral determinations
• Advise on the Road Accident Fund Act, the COIDA framework and the Apportionment of Damages Act
• Advise on the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
• Ensure every claim file meets the documentary standard required by the RAF and by the courts before referral

Referral coordination

• Identify matters requiring court appearance, CCMA representation or litigation and prepare a written referral brief
• Brief independent practitioners, medico-legal experts and actuaries where required, and disclose their fees to the client in advance
• Monitor referred matters and report to the client on progress and cost
• Never share in a referred practitioner's fee

Supervision and development

• Review drafting produced by the Paralegal before it is issued
• Support the Principal in pitches, proposals and scoping of employment and injury mandates
• Contribute employment and injury templates, precedents and procedure notes to the firm's library

Requirements

Essential

• LLB degree
• Admitted legal practitioner, or a senior paralegal with not less than six years' experience in an employment or personal injury practice
• Minimum five years' post-qualification experience
• Demonstrable drafting ability in employment documentation, and in RAF or personal injury claim documentation
• Working knowledge of the civil litigation process: section 129 notices, summons, service, default judgment, enforcement — sufficient to prepare a file for referral
• Strong written and spoken English and Afrikaans
• Client-facing experience

Advantageous

• CCMA, bargaining council or Labour Court preparation experience
• RAF claim preparation experience, including medico-legal coordination
• Medical negligence experience
• Experience with legal practice management software
• Existing professional network in Pretoria or Johannesburg

Pay: R7 000,00 - R40 000,00 per month

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Pretoria, Gauteng