Legal Officer Fracht Uganda

Fracht Uganda is a Swiss International Freight Forwarder that has been in existence since 1955; with its headquarters located in Basel, Switzerland. As a reputable Freight Forwarder, FRACHT has a worldwide network that stretches across all continents. We are in 115 countries worldwide; of which 16 of these are in Africa.

JOB PURPOSE
To protect and promote the legal interests of the Company, by handling litigation either when the Company is sued or the Company is seeking legal redress, ensure the Company’s compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and to carry out the day-to-day legal duties that require the experience and expertise of an officer at Senior Level.
As our team grows; Fracht Uganda invites applications for a Legal Officer.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Participate in the formulation of work plans, budgets, and strategies for the provision of legal services.
• Draft and review pleadings, correspondences, prepare reports and proofread documents as assigned.
• Represent the Company in legal matters before Courts of Law.
• Draft and review Agreements, Contracts, and other legal documents.
• Participate in Policy development and review; ensure proper use of legal terminology, spelling, business English and grammar and ensuring compliance of the Company’s Policies with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Carry out legal research and provide reasoned legal opinion as assigned.
• Ensure the Company’s compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements through continuous monitoring and timely reporting as per the regulatory requirements.
• Promote and sustain a compliance culture relating to compliance to applicable statutes, regulations, and Company Policies.
• Contribute to the provision of documentation and information for compliance purposes.
• Mitigate litigation risk and manage all commercial disputes.
• Provide legal advisory for all company operations, decisions and transactions.
• Ensure the company’s operations are in compliance with the applicable laws, regulations, voluntary commitments and standards e.g. regulatory and compliance assessments, legal watch, acquisition of licenses and permits etc.
• Ensure that all operations are carried out in accordance with the code of conduct and applicable laws. Manage key legal regulatory stakeholders in line with the rules, procedures, and policies on the same.
• Give accurate and timely counsel to executives in a variety of legal topics (labor law, partnerships etc.)
• Collaborate with management to devise efficient defense strategies.
• Specify internal governance policies and regularly monitor compliance.
• Research and evaluate different risk factors regarding business decisions and operations.
• Apply effective risk management techniques and offer proactive advice on possible legal issues.
• Communicate and negotiate with external parties (regulators, external counsel, public authority etc.), creating relations of trust.
• Draft and solidify agreements, contracts, and other legal documents to ensure the company’s full legal rights.
• Deal with complex matters with multiple stakeholders and forces
• Provide clarification on legal language or specifications to everyone in the organization.
• Conduct your work with integrity and responsibility.
• Maintain current knowledge of alterations in legislation.

Qualifications, Experience and Attributes
• Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Law (LLB) and possession of a valid practicing certificate.
• Possession of Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice is a must.
• Enrolled advocate with a valid practicing license
• At least 6 (six) years’ experience in a busy corporate entity of high repute.
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with and providing advisory services in a large corporate entity.
• Excellent analytical, research and drafting skills.
• Excellent judgment and ability to anticipate legal issues or risks.
• High level of integrity, proven track record of outstanding performance, and ability to work under pressure as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skill
• Good knowledge of the Freight Forwarding Industry
• Member of the Uganda Law Society and East African Law Society.