ABSA

Legal Officer (Fixed Term Contract) - First Assurance Kenya

Gitanga Road (Absa General Insurance Co) Full time

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

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Job Summary

The Legal Officer will serve as a legal adviser to First Assurance and will report to the Legal Manager. Responsible for offering legal counsel, liaising with external advocates and insured persons, negotiations to ensure settlement of third-party claims, and recovery on behalf of the company.

Job Description

  • Litigation Management

    • Receiving summons and determining whether liability attaches on the part of the Company.

    • Appointment of service providers to handle company matters as per policy and maintenance of a register for such appointments.

    • Reviewing legal claims lodged against our insured’s and engaging third parties in out-of-court negotiations in line with past precedents and set parameters. Always ensuring that adequate reserves are maintained.

    • Instructions to external lawyers on how the cases are to be handled.

    • Reviewing correspondence and opinions from external lawyers and advising management.

    • Engage in pre-trial briefings & in conjunction with external lawyers prepare witnesses for court attendance.

    • Responding to advocates correspondence and ensuring up to date information is in each file.

    • Reviewing judgments and recommending settlement or appeals. Making sure that adequate reserves are maintained.

    • Receiving summons to enter appearance and plaint from our insured’s and distributing the same to our panel of external advocates.

    • Negotiating matters out of court and keeping registers of such matters.

    • Periodically review legal files to ensure accurate reserves are maintained and to ensure the files are up to date.

    • Handling the Company’s recoveries from third parties and other insurance companies by instituting suits or out of Court negotiations and follow up thereof.

    • Ensuring payments are raised in good time, authorized, and forwarded to Finance Department. Follow up on judgment payments to avoid executions.

    • Pursue Third Party recoveries for the Company.

    • Distributing the work coming into the claims legal department ensuring that all mails are actioned.

    • Approving all discharge vouchers and judgments as per the approval limits

    • Reviewing the external advocates fees to ensure that the fee notes are raised as per remuneration order.

    • Providing legal advice, opinion and assistance on all legal claims matters to the management.

    • Attending court hearing on behalf of the organization as and when required.

    • Ensure Status Reports from service providers are received as per the guidelines.

    • Prepare monthly reports and any other report that may be requested

    Operations

    • Ensure maintenance of documentation and legal databases.

    • Ensure biannual review of all outstanding liability claims.

    Education and Experience Required

    • Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from a recognized institution.

    • Must be an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with a valid and current practicing certificate.

    • A registered member of the Law Society of Kenya in good standing.

    • At least 1-2 years’ experience legal practice in Insurance/financial institution with experience in Commercial Law, Litigation and Conveyance ·

Education

Higher Diplomas: Law, Military Science and Security (Required)