Legal Associate/ Paralegal

About Ninety One:

Ninety One is an independent, active global asset manager dedicated to delivering compelling outcomes for its clients, managing R3.10 trillion in assets (as at 31.03.25).

Established in South Africa in 1991, as Investec Asset Management, the firm started offering domestic investments in an emerging market. In 2020, almost three decades of organic growth later, the firm demerged from Investec Group and became Ninety One. Today the firm offers distinctive active strategies across equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives to institutions, advisors and individual investors around the world

About the team:

The Ninety One Legal team is a global team within Ninety One, with qualified lawyers in South Africa, the UK and the USA. The SA Legal team has a diverse and broad remit, covering legal work generated across the African continent. The team also works closely with colleagues in London and New York on various matters.

All the lawyers play key roles as valued business advisers in managing regulatory and legal risk while facilitating Ninety One’s global commercial activities.

This role is an opportunity to be an in-house lawyer in an experienced legal team within the investment management industry. The role is focused on providing paralegal-type functions in an established Legal Team, including functions like contract drafting, contract management, technology enablement and also supporting the Legal Team in South Africa on various administrative aspects. It also offers an ability to develop a wide variety of legal skills through working with experienced lawyers that have deep specialist knowledge in a variety of areas.

The candidate should have a legal background, with working knowledge and experience in drafting contracts, contract management and team administration.

Support and training will be provided by the incumbent in the role and also experienced lawyers within the team.

In this role you will:

Be included in the following types of work at different times:

Paralegal work

• Drafting, negotiating and coordinating input from the business in respect of legal documentation (most of which is template based) such as: investment management agreements, insurance policies, addenda, client letters, broker agreements, SLAs, model portfolio agreements.
• Keeping template agreements and documentation up to date
• Reviewing and negotiating peripheral legal documentation such as, NDAs, events contracts & workplace and facilities contracts
• Dealing with queries and requests from the business and clients in relation to contracts

Document/contract management

• Maintaining our contract repository – ensuring that all our contracts are stored and accessible
• Facilitating document signature and execution (including via DocuSign)
• Tracking and chasing signatures and counter signatures

AI and technology

• Driving and implementing AI and technology solutions – this is an important part of the role as we are in a phase of rapid technological advancement, adoption and implementation

Administrative functions

• Coordinating and compiling reports and submissions from the Legal Team to various boards and committees
• Meeting and call organization
• Diary management
• Travel arrangements – both local and foreign
• Expense claims
• Facilities management (including ordering new consumables)
• Formatting documentation
• Printing, scanning and couriering documents

You should consider applying if you have:

• LLB or related tertiary qualification
• Post qualification experience in the financial services or legal industry (qualified lawyer).
• A solid legal background, with working knowledge and experience in drafting and negotiating contracts is a requirement.
• Proficiency in tech: someone who is tech literate and comfortable with using and implementing technology and AI solutions
• Experience with AI, LLM, technology and contract management systems

Some of the attributes we look for in a person are:

• Organised, timely and structured working methods.
• Self-motivated individual, analytical, pro-active, solution minded.
• High attention to detail.
• Ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
• A curiosity about technology and its potential to drive innovation
• Proven ability to multi-task and cope with the needs of a fast moving business
• Must show confidence to be able to quickly build up and maintain effective working relationships.
• Excellent communication skills required – written and oral.
• The ability to ‘approach and own’ and continuously look for opportunities to develop