Background

Kenya Airways, the leading African airline flying to more African destinations than any other carrier, takes pride in being at the forefront of connecting Africa to the world and the World to Africa through its hub Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Purpose

The role of Senior Legal Counsel serves as primary point of contact and source of advisory on all open and anticipated legal cases for and against the company across the network. The incumbent will be required to provide legal support and advisory services across the network through proactive identification, communication, and mitigation of all legal risks in line with overall business strategy.

He/she will be required to manage all legal risks on assigned Company commercial legal transactions as well as litigation proceedings and progress within assigned units or stations as guided by Departmental Team Leader (Company Secretary & Director Legal, Risk and Compliance) and appointed external Lawyers.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and preventive lawyering to both Hub and all outstations, aid in identifying significant legal obligations, risks, and opportunities to ensure that legal problems and risks are identified and dealt with before they emerge as significant risks to the business.
• Represent and dictate the interests of the Company in matters contracts including Commercial, Joint Ventures, Financing, Aircraft Leases, Registration, Procurement/tendering both locally and all outstations.
• Provide solutions and incorporate clauses that give KQ breathing space in commercial contracts.
• Be the central point in company for all litigation matters and manage all legal issues at the Group and country level in liaison with external legal counsel or third parties.
• Manage the process of engaging external counsel, including effective instructions to external counsel and negotiating appropriate fee structures for all legal engagements.
• Review and/or prepare all legal instruments entered into by the company to ensure that the company’s interests are protected.
• Provide advice to all stakeholders on corporate authorities and work closely with the senior management to ensure relevant board and committee approvals are obtained on a timely basis.
• Develop instruments for use, governance related documents, templates that supports operations at Legal.
• Prepare legal and quasi-legal documentation such as proxy forms, powers/delegations of attorney, tender documentation and liaise with the notaries to arrange for documentation to be legalized.
• Assist with filing of documentation in other jurisdictions for updates to the company international locations and subsidiaries, business and trade registrations and license renewals.
• Brief and monitor external counsel to ensure legal representation is effective.
• Ensure disputes are resolved in a manner that safeguards the company’s position.
• Provide general competition law advice to the business and conduct training on competition compliance.
• Managing the company’s intellectual property portfolio in conjunction with external counsel and the marketing team.
• Effective management and development of the direct reports, including individual performance development, objective setting, and performance support, requisite mentorship, and career coaching in relation to the delivery of day-to-day tasks and projects.
• Any other assignments of legal nature as delegated by the Departmental Director.

Skills

• Ability to maintain confidentiality, to inspire trust, and to demonstrate high personal integrity is crucial.
• Working experience in budgeting and planning.
• Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LL. B) from a recognized university.
• Diploma in law (KSL).
• Master’s degree in law (LL.M), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Certification in Certified Secretary or any other relevant Legal certification or training will be added advantage.
• Minimum of 8 years Post Admission/Qualification experience preferably in litigation or commercial law practice.
• Demonstrable knowledge in aviation laws and regulations.
• Demonstrable knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations.

Additional Information

• Strong conceptual, analytical, documentation and presentation skills with ability to influence and negotiate at different levels.
• Superior team leadership, team working and co-operation skills with the ability to drive change management.
• Strategic, creative, and analytical thinker with excellent stakeholders’ and risk management skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving and interpersonal skills as well as excellent communication skills.
• Must be a person of unquestionable integrity Team Player
• Results Focused
• Customer focused
• Results oriented.
• Professionalism.
• Decisive and resilience

• Provide legal advice and preventive lawyering to both Hub and all outstations, aid in identifying significant legal obligations, risks, and opportunities to ensure that legal problems and risks are identified and dealt with before they emerge as significant risks to the business.
• Represent and dictate the interests of the Company in matters contracts including Commercial, Joint Ventures, Financing, Aircraft Leases, Registration, Procurement/tendering both locally and all outstations.
• Provide solutions and incorporate clauses that give KQ breathing space in commercial contracts.
• Be the central point in company for all litigation matters and manage all legal issues at the Group and country level in liaison with external legal counsel or third parties.
• Manage the process of engaging external counsel, including effective instructions to external counsel and negotiating appropriate fee structures for all legal engagements.
• Review and/or prepare all legal instruments entered into by the company to ensure that the company’s interests are protected.
• Provide advice to all stakeholders on corporate authorities and work closely with the senior management to ensure relevant board and committee approvals are obtained on a timely basis.
• Develop instruments for use, governance related documents, templates that supports operations at Legal.
• Prepare legal and quasi-legal documentation such as proxy forms, powers/delegations of attorney, tender documentation and liaise with the notaries to arrange for documentation to be legalized.
• Assist with filing of documentation in other jurisdictions for updates to the company international locations and subsidiaries, business and trade registrations and license renewals.
• Brief and monitor external counsel to ensure legal representation is effective.
• Ensure disputes are resolved in a manner that safeguards the company’s position.
• Provide general competition law advice to the business and conduct training on competition compliance.
• Managing the company’s intellectual property portfolio in conjunction with external counsel and the marketing team.
• Effective management and development of the direct reports, including individual performance development, objective setting, and performance support, requisite mentorship, and career coaching in relation to the delivery of day-to-day tasks and projects.
• Any other assignments of legal nature as delegated by the Departmental Director.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality, to inspire trust, and to demonstrate high personal integrity is crucial.
• Working experience in budgeting and planning.
• Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies.

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LL. B) from a recognized university.
• Diploma in law (KSL).
• Master’s degree in law (LL.M), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Certification in Certified Secretary or any other relevant Legal certification or training will be added advantage.
• Minimum of 8 years Post Admission/Qualification experience preferably in litigation or commercial law practice.
• Demonstrable knowledge in aviation laws and regulations.
• Demonstrable knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations.