Senior Associate – Company Secretarial at Apex Group (2024-02 – Present)
Provide company secretarial, corporate governance and advisory services to UK-based clients within Apex Group's Private Equity and Real Assets division, supporting complex corporate structures and transactions for institutional and investment clients. Act as a key point of contact for directors and client stakeholders on governance, statutory, corporate and entity management matters.
- Provide company secretarial and corporate governance support across a portfolio of UK entities, ensuring compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements and maintaining accurate and up-to-date corporate records.
- Manage statutory filings and corporate compliance obligations, including preparation and submission of annual returns and other statutory filings, ensuring information is accurate, complete and filed within prescribed deadlines.
- Maintain and update statutory registers and corporate records, including Registers of Members, Directors and Shares and Allotments, ensuring corporate actions and changes are accurately reflected.
- Advise clients and directors on corporate governance matters, both during and outside board meetings, and assist with the practical application of governance requirements.
- Coordinate and support board and shareholder processes, including preparing agendas, notices and board packs, presenting at board meetings, drafting minutes and resolutions, maintaining action logs and ensuring completion of agreed actions.
- Draft and review written resolutions and corporate documentation for director and shareholder approval, including documentation relating to corporate actions and transactions.
- Support corporate transactions and investment-related corporate actions, including investor equity injections, distributions, drawdowns, loan note instruments, dividend payments, share allotments and director appointments.
- Prepare and review share certificates and corporate documentation following complex corporate transactions and ensure relevant statutory records and registers are updated accordingly.
- Manage director appointments, KYC/CDD and beneficial ownership requirements, obtaining and assessing supporting documentation and maintaining complex group structure charts.
- Provide practical support on corporate structuring and entity management, including analysing ownership structures and ensuring corporate records accurately reflect legal and beneficial ownership.
- Liaise directly with clients, directors and internal stakeholders to resolve governance and corporate matters and ensure transactions, statutory filings and compliance requirements are completed accurately and within agreed timelines.
- Review and manage C-level signatory payments and corporate payment processes, including urgent payment requests, payment logs and supplier invoices, ensuring appropriate governance and controls are followed.
- Coordinate recurring and ad hoc corporate governance and client projects, managing competing priorities and ensuring delivery within agreed deadlines.
- Develop and deliver technical training to junior team members, providing guidance on company secretarial and governance processes and supporting the development of team capability.
Practising Attorney at Savage Jooste & Adams Inc. (2023-02 – 2024-01)
Appointed to head the Insurance Recoveries Department, independently managing a portfolio of matters while providing clients with legal, risk and commercially focused advice. Led a team of six comprising of candidate attorneys, paralegals, clerks and secretaries.
- Provided legal opinions and commercially focused advice to clients on the strengths, risks, potential exposure and commercial feasibility of pursuing or defending legal matters.
- Advised clients on legal risk, liability and potential litigation exposure, with recommendations aimed at mitigating future risk and achieving commercially appropriate outcomes.
- Drafted, reviewed and settled legal documentation, including pleadings, notices, settlement agreements and deeds of settlement, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, court rules and practice directives.
- Managed High Court and Magistrates' Court litigation from inception through to resolution, including strategy, pleadings, discovery, trial preparation, witness preparation and matters conducted with counsel.
- Negotiated settlements with opposing parties and advised clients on settlement strategy, balancing legal merits, risk, costs and commercial considerations.
- Conducted detailed legal research and analysis across insurance, liability and contractual issues and translated complex legal considerations into practical advice for clients.
- Maintained client relationships and managed matters against agreed client KPIs and service expectations.
- Led and trained a team of six, allocating work, reviewing outputs and providing technical guidance to junior staff.
- Independently managed matters and client portfolios, exercising judgement on legal strategy, risk and appropriate courses of action.
Candidate Attorney at Savage Jooste & Adams Inc. (2021-01 – 2023-01)
Completed a two-year training contract across Corporate & Commercial Law, Insurance & Liabilities, Medical Malpractice and Dispute Resolution, developing broad experience in legal advisory, contract drafting and review, corporate matters, risk analysis, regulatory issues, litigation and client advisory.
- Drafted and reviewed commercial agreements, including lease agreements, and advised clients on contractual provisions, obligations and potential areas of risk.
- Assisted with the preparation and review of trust deeds and Memoranda of Incorporation, developing exposure to corporate structures and constitutional documents.
- Reviewed and advised on shareholders' agreements, including dispute resolution mechanisms, options and rights of first refusal, and recommended amendments to mitigate potential future disputes and litigation.
- Advised on corporate governance and Companies Act-related matters, including issues arising between shareholders and directors and potential statutory contraventions.
- Facilitated the resolution of disputes between shareholders and directors, using negotiation and mediation to achieve commercially appropriate outcomes.
- Drafted legal correspondence and letters of demand in relation to contractual and commercial disputes.
- Acted for insurers in insurance recovery and liability matters, including defending actions against insured parties.
- Reviewed and analysed insurance policies and policy response issues, including material non-disclosure and late notification, and prepared legal opinions and reports for clients.
- Advised insured parties on indemnity forms, disclaimer notices, contractual wording and liability exposure, with a focus on mitigating legal and litigation risk.
- Researched and advised on complex liability issues, including duties of care, vicarious liability and statutory defences under the Consumer Protection Act.
- Defended medical negligence claims against surgeons and hospital groups and advised clients on legal and litigation strategy.
- Conducted legal and factual research into medical issues.
