Drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts. Counselling business units on day-to-day legal issues and areas of risk. Providing advice to stakeholders with respect to key areas affecting the business / operations e.g. data protection. General legal support.

Provide contracted legal services, including Document Review.

Offered litigation services and provided legal advice. Matters included protecting commercial clients against attacks on their intellectual property rights and defending damages claims based on negligence. I drew on my experience, acquired over 25 years, to draft pleadings in civil litigation to clearly and concisely define the issues before court. I also drew on my ability to interpret and apply civil procedure rules, applicable in different jurisdictions, to effectively present clients’ cases. Negotiated parenting plans and access and maintenance agreements. Drafted and reviewed franchise agreements and other commercial contracts in order to protect clients’ interests. Ensured client confidentiality and privilege were protected at all times.

Developed a book of almost 40 active clients, more than 80% of whom had policies over multiple product lines. Gathered, interpreted and analysed qualitative and quantitative data to assess clients’ financial positions. Prepared and presented tailor-made financial action plans that offered unique benefits, improved financial performance and made substantial fee savings. Actively liaised with stakeholders to ensure implementation and monitoring of financial action plans. Ensured compliance with service level agreements and received 100% scores in compliance reports. Drew on legal knowledge and experience to produce solutions that complied with financial sector and data protection laws and ensured client confidentiality was protected.

Responsible for providing technical training, and ongoing product, marketing, and service support to a panel of 20 brokers. Remained abreast of insurer and competitors’ product and service offerings, and general industry developments, so as to respond to client, and advisers’, queries, and help them achieve their goals.Managed and resolved queries and complaints to ensure satisfactory resolution, while protecting the integrity of the business and its offerings. Received quarterly KPI-based high performance awards.

Offered legal services to clients in a range of practice areas, including commercial, general litigation, family law, landlord and tenant, defence in criminal matters and contracts. The business grew as a result of referrals from clients who valued my pragmatic and relationship-based approach to service, which goes beyond mere technical ability.Contracted to organisations, across a broad spectrum of sectors, to conduct research, design learning materials and facilitate and assess, adult learners against South Africa’s national qualification framework. Instrumental in piloting, and starting-up, a learning academy for the Field Band Foundation, a non-profit organisation, which taught a range of topics from basic numeracy and literacy to entrepreneurship.Consultant director within a public-private partnership, managing a team of 5 consultants, focused on entrepreneur development. Effectively assisted potential entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas and linking them with financiers.

Completed a full-time MBA, which included my dissertation being shortlisted for The Worshipful Company of International Bankers’ Lombard Prize.Researched, wrote and presented academic papers, which were competitively selected for conferences in the UK and Europe. Papers were based on literature reviews, primary and secondary research and qualitative data analysis, in the social issues in management field. The role involved reviewing large volumes of information and making judgement calls with respect to relevance.Tutored management topics to BSc and MSc students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Practised as a solicitor in the firm’s Corporate Recovery and Turnaround Group representing banks, insurance companies, Lloyd’s Syndicates and insolvency practitioners. Worked as part of a team on assignments of various sizes, often co-operating with lawyers from other departments and with insolvency practitioners. Wrote an article on corporate insolvency procedure that was published in the Journal of Corporate Renewal.Conducted litigation, including drafting papers and appearing in court, and drafted and reviewed contracts and company resolutions.

Responsible for all aspects of case stewardship for a portfolio of cases, anticipating key deadlines, liaising with all stakeholders, responding to queries and drafting key reports and returns for authorisation by insolvency practitioners.

Accountable for a portfolio of cases enforcing director disqualified and insolvency legislation through litigation. Investigated directors of insolvent companies, took witness statements, gathered evidence, liaised with insolvency practitioners, briefed external counsel and oversaw cases from initiation to resolution.

Trainee and Attorney at Bowman Gilfillan Inc., MJ Shneier and M Civin Inc. and Stephen A Fuller Attorney. Practised in a wide range of practice areas from general litigation to collections and foreclosures, family law, landlord and tenant law, labour law and criminal defence. Managed a team of fee earners and support staff within the litigation department at one of Africa’s largest law firms.