Job Title: Legal Officer
Hiring Organization: Canon
Insurance
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: Insurance
Job Type: Full
Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 05/04/2024
Purpose
of the role
Provide
expert legal counsel to ensure operational effectiveness including managing
various legal claims affecting the business and provide legal support to the
Company, respective departments, and external stakeholders to safeguard the
Company’s interests and mitigate legal risks.
Duties and Responsibilities
Litigation:
- End
to end management of all insurance litigation matters.
- Maintain
and monitor the summons register, litigation diary, judgments register,
and any other necessary registers/diaries.
- Receive
and review legal summons and other legal documents.
- Upon
receipt of summons, determine whether the matter should be settled or
defended in court.
- Where
the matter can be settled, undertake timely negotiations within prescribed
limits.
- Where
matter should be defended, appoint advocates to defend the matters.
- Appoint
service providers where necessary and ensure adequate level of service is
maintained.
- Determine
the reserves for each matter and confirm the reserve is in line with that
provided by the external advocates.
- Ensure
all opinions from advocates are reviewed and instructions given to the
lawyers.
- Management
of external advocates including correspondence, queries, instructions,
quarterly report, level of service and payment.
- Secure
attendance of witnesses in court and arrange for payment, where
applicable.
- Attend
court for all declaratory suits against the Company and file declaratory
suits where applicable.
- Ensure
all files coming up for hearing are reviewed before the hearing date and
timely instructions issued to the advocates.
- Refer
claimants for re-examination by Company doctors.
- Call
for any outstanding excess especially in employers’ liability matters.
- Judgments
& Appeals:
- Maintain
judgement register and appeals registers.
- Review
all judgements within 7 days of delivery.
- Where
applicable, initiate negotiations and conclude within stay period.
- Ensure
all judgements are paid or appeal lodged within the stay period.
- Issue
notice to insureds for judgements above the policy limit
- Review
all outstanding appeals.
- Negotiate
the appeals with guidance from supervisor.
- Ensure
we recover in appeals any money due to the Company.
- Raise
payments for judgements and advocates final fees.
- Recoveries
- Oversee
third party recoveries pursued directly against third parties or insurance
company through out of court negotiations and in court.
- Ensure
demand letters are prepared for all matters referred for recovery from
claims department.
- Ensure
tracing is conducted where necessary.
- Ensure
an accurate and complete recoveries register is maintained for all
recovery matters with properly marked status.
- Supervise
the Recoveries’ Officer and/or Legal Assistant and ensure that all
recovery matters are actioned within time.
- Ensure
all advocates forward all recovered monies to the Company promptly.
- Report
on all successful recoveries monthly.
- Responsible
for achieving the recoveries target.
- Conduct
legal research in relation to matters assigned.
- Draft
and attend to correspondence and legal opinions as may be required from
time to time.
- Identify
breaches of contract and commence recovery proceedings under the guidance
of the Legal Manager.
- Provide
accurate and relevant interpretation of legal documents, contracts, and/or
agreements.
- Undertake
court attendances and monitor all pending cases assigned with the view of
ensuring no lapses and/or facilitating follow-up required.
- Maintain
up to date and complete data of all legal matters, including case
registers, reports etc.
- Process
and ensure timely settlement of third-party claims, disbursements,
advocates, legal fees, and doctors’ fees etc.
- Collaborate
with other process owners for operational effectiveness.
- Provide
support in preparation, continuous review, and implementation of internal
policy documents.
- Propose
possible improvements to internal processes and workflows.
- Any
other duties as may be assigned by the Company from time to time.
Qualification
and experience
- Formal
qualifications | bachelor’s degree in law or related field.
- Professional
Qualifications | Admission to the bar as an advocate.
Examined
Insurance Qualification | Desirable.
- Licensing
or registration | Current practicing license. | Important
- 3
– 5 years’ post qualification experience in the financial sector |
Important
Knowledge
and ability Requirements
- In-depth
understanding of local Insurance practices, law and regulatory
requirements. |
Essential
- Demonstrable
understand of insurance regulatory frameworks as pertains to insurance
practice and litigation management. | Essential
- Good
communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
How To
Apply
Interested
and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: jobs@cannon.co.ke using the
position as subject of email.