Commercial Attorney (Project Based)

Are you a legal professional seeking dynamic, project-based opportunities with an international reach?

Cognia Law invites you to register your interest in joining our Contract Bench—a pool of talented individuals ready to engage in future short-term assignments across various legal domains. Project durations may range from 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on client needs.

If you have a strong background in commercial contracts, enjoy working in a dynamic, technology-driven legal environment, and are looking for contract-based work, we invite you to register your interest.

We aim to ensure the best match between your skills and our future project needs. Our recruitment process will include an initial screening to understand your experience, availability and interest. Candidates who pass the selection process successfully, will be notified that they are on our approved bench of contractors, and we will reach out in the future should any suitable projects arise that match your skills.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have already been screened by Cognia and informed that you are on the bench of Contractors, there is no need to re-apply. Just pop us an email to let us know you’re available again.

Company Profile

Cognia seamlessly extends corporates, banks and law firms’ legal capability to deliver sustainable outcomes. Our goal is to connect the legal sector, moving it from a siloed approach to integrated partnerships. We help in-house legal teams by bringing simplicity to complex matters and replacing broken procedures with efficient processes.

Cognia is a Chambers-ranked law company which integrates how legal services are provided so our team, partners, clients and communities thrive together with people at the heart of what we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole self to work and focus on enabling them to realise their full potential.

For more information, please visit www.cognialaw.com

Job Responsibilities

Key responsibilities could include, but is not limited to,

• Review, Draft and/or negotiate a range of commercial contracts, including, but not limited to NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, vendor agreements, procurement contracts, and licensing agreements.
• Conduct contract analysis to ensure alignment with company policies, legal frameworks, and industry standards.
• Identify risks and compliance issues, providing guidance on mitigation strategies.
• Support contract lifecycle management (CLM) by streamlining workflows, optimising templates, and ensuring contract consistency.
• Work with AI-powered contract review tools to enhance efficiency and accuracy in document analysis.
• Collaborate with in-house legal teams and procurement functions to align contract terms with business objectives.
• Assist in large-scale contract remediation and repapering projects, including regulatory-driven updates.
• Provide contract abstraction and summarisation services, ensuring key obligations and risks are clearly identified.

• BA Law, LLB, LLM, or BCom Law or an equivalent degree from a reputable institution is required.
• Experience in commercial contract drafting, review, and negotiation (within a law firm, in-house legal team, or ALSP).
• Understanding of contract lifecycle management (CLM) processes and best practices.
• Identify potential legal and commercial risks within contracts and collaborate with stakeholders to develop strategies for risk mitigation and compliance.
• Strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and ability to work in high-volume, fast-paced environments.
• Attention to detail for accurate tagging, redaction, and review.
• Familiarity with data privacy and other relevant laws as applicable in the commercial contract landscape.
• Ability to follow detailed project protocols and workflows.
• Strong communication skills to liaise with team leads, project managers, and occasionally, clients.
• Proven track record of working under tight deadlines with a high degree of accuracy.
• Team player with an adaptive mindset to handle shifting project scope.

Being part of Cognia Law’s Contract Bench means you will be considered for future project opportunities that align with your skills and experience. If successful, please be aware of the following:

• Project engagements usually require full-time dedication for the specified duration and cannot be undertaken alongside other full-time roles, unless explicitly permitted.
• You will be expected to work as an extension of our clients' legal teams, requiring seamless collaboration and professionalism.
• Due to the rapid nature of project deployment, Cognia cannot guarantee that it can accommodatenoticeperiods, and your inability to start a project within a day or two after being contacted may exclude you from the opportunity.
• Successful contractors must be based in Cape Town, as our hybrid model combines remote and on-site work based on client requirements.