Job summary

This is not a training role. The successful candidate must already have the practical experience, confidence, maturity and judgment to begin handling matters immediately upon joining the firm.

Min Qualification:

Bachelors

Experience Level:

Mid level

Experience Length:

5 years

Job descriptions & requirements

Small / Boutique Law Firm – Nairobi

A well-established boutique law firm specialising in property law and real estate transactions is seeking to recruit a highly competent, experienced and detail-oriented Advocate to manage its property transactions and conveyancing practice.

The core focus of the role is property transactions and conveyancing, including managing matters from instruction through to completion. The successful candidate will be expected to take over the property transactions docket substantially, relieve the Principal of the day-to-day transactional workload, and handle matters confidently, efficiently and with minimal supervision.

While the primary focus of the role is conveyancing, experience dealing with bank-related property purchases, including transactions involving redemption of charges, bank-financed acquisitions and related securities documentation, will be an added advantage.

This is not a training role. The successful candidate must already have the practical experience, confidence, maturity and judgment to begin handling matters immediately upon joining the firm.

Key Responsibilities

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating Sale Agreements and other property transaction documents.
• Managing property transactions from instruction through to completion.
• Preparing and reviewing completion documents, completion statements and transaction checklists.
• Conducting and reviewing title due diligence, property searches and legal reviews of title documents.
• Managing transaction timelines and coordinating all legal documentation required for completion.
• Reviewing, preparing and responding to correspondence from other advocates involved in transactions.
• Advising clients clearly on transaction processes, legal requirements, risks and next steps.
• Handling transactions involving bank-financed purchases, redemption of charges and related bank documentation where applicable.
• Working closely with the internal team responsible for clerical support, searches, filings and registry processes.
• Supporting and coordinating property work arising from two satellite offices.

Required Experience

• At least 5–8 years Post-Admission Experience (PQE) as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
• Strong and demonstrable experience in conveyancing and property transactions.
• Experience handling residential, commercial and developer-oriented property transactions.
• Experience with off-plan sales, development transactions or project sales documentation will be an added advantage.
• Experience dealing with bank-related property purchases, securities documentation or redemption processes will be an added advantage.

Technical Skill Set

• Excellent contract drafting, legal review and transactional documentation skills.
• Strong ability to prepare, review and refine agreements with close attention to detail, structure, language and commercial intent.
• Strong knowledge of property conveyancing processes and transaction management.
• Ability to review titles, identify risks and understand the practical steps required to move a transaction to completion.
• Good understanding of completion mechanics, undertakings, registration requirements and post-completion processes.
• Working familiarity with Lands Registry processes, Ardhisasa and the practical documentation flow in Kenyan property transactions.
• Ability to manage multiple live matters at the same time without losing detail or deadlines.

Professional Competencies

• Highly independent and capable of taking ownership of files with minimal supervision.
• Able to work effectively in a fast-paced and high-pressure transactional environment.
• Strong professional judgment and ability to think through issues without requiring constant explanation.
• Exceptional attention to detail, including legal analysis, drafting quality, accuracy and presentation.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise urgent matters appropriately.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with clients, advocates, banks and other transaction parties.
• Comfortable dealing with all types of clients and able to explain property processes confidently and clearly without requiring the Principal to be present.
• Strong people and relationship management skills, with a professional and commercially aware approach.

Personal Attributes

• Ambitious, mature and dependable.
• Proactive and solution-oriented.
• Confident, sharp and commercially minded.
• Calm under pressure and able to maintain professionalism in demanding situations.
• Someone who can come in and start working immediately rather than require training or close hand-holding.

Additional Notes

• This role is intended for a lawyer who can substantially take over the property transactions docket and reduce the Principal’s direct involvement in routine transactional execution.
• The ideal candidate should be available to start within a reasonably short notice period, although suitable employed candidates serving notice will be considered.
• Remuneration is intentionally left open at this stage so that strong candidates are not locked out prematurely and the role can be assessed against market quality and experience.

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating Sale Agreements and other property transaction documents.
• Managing property transactions from instruction through to completion.
• Preparing and reviewing completion documents, completion statements and transaction checklists.
• Conducting and reviewing title due diligence, property searches and legal reviews of title documents.
• Managing transaction timelines and coordinating all legal documentation required for completion.
• Reviewing, preparing and responding to correspondence from other advocates involved in transactions.
• Advising clients clearly on transaction processes, legal requirements, risks and next steps.
• Handling transactions involving bank-financed purchases, redemption of charges and related bank documentation where applicable.
• Working closely with the internal team responsible for clerical support, searches, filings and registry processes.
• Supporting and coordinating property work arising from two satellite offices.

• Excellent contract drafting, legal review and transactional documentation skills.
• Strong ability to prepare, review and refine agreements with close attention to detail, structure, language and commercial intent.
• Strong knowledge of property conveyancing processes and transaction management.
• Ability to review titles, identify risks and understand the practical steps required to move a transaction to completion.
• Good understanding of completion mechanics, undertakings, registration requirements and post-completion processes.
• Working familiarity with Lands Registry processes, Ardhisasa and the practical documentation flow in Kenyan property transactions.
• Ability to manage multiple live matters at the same time without losing detail or deadlines.

• At least 5–8 years Post-Admission Experience (PQE) as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
• Strong and demonstrable experience in conveyancing and property transactions.
• Experience handling residential, commercial and developer-oriented property transactions.
• Experience with off-plan sales, development transactions or project sales documentation will be an added advantage.
• Experience dealing with bank-related property purchases, securities documentation or redemption processes will be an added advantage.