PAVEL BASWABILE MATTHEWS
Principal Legal Counsel
Johannesburg,GP
Summary
Dedicated Banking and Finance Legal professional with a history of meeting company goals. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand.
Experienced Derivative Specialist with over 15 years of experience in Global Markets. Excellent reputation for resolving problems and improving customer satisfaction. Proficient in drafting and negotiating the full suite of Master Agreements. Poised and dedicated professional with proven track record of repapering in a complex international environment to meet business and industry regulatory requirements.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
10
10
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Principal Legal Counsel
Absa Bank Limited
02.2020 - Current
- Markets - CIB
- Primarily responsible for managing the following Businesses from a legal perspective:
- Absa Bank Limited Equity Sales and Structuring
- Fixed Income Sales and Trading
- Institutional Sales and Trading
Equity Sales and Trading
Drafting and structuring relevant agreements on complex transactions,
Leading core legal projects emanating from business and regulatory requirements and engaging external counsel where necessary (FMA ODP, FMA Margining and IBOR project implementation)
Training business on Master Agreements (ISDA, GMRA,GMSLA) and critical processes and ensuring alignment
Lobbying regulators and industry bodies as required (ISDA Working Group)
Managed corporate and LLC-based legal transactions, coordinating document flow and logistical preparation for complex transactional closings.
Drafted readable and enforceable agreements, contracts and other legal documents to protect client's full legal rights.
Researched and evaluated risk factors affecting business decisions and operations, applied effective risk management techniques and offered proactive advice on possible legal issues.
Head Secondary Markets Legal
Absa Bank Limited
10.2017 - 02.2020
- Secondary Markets Legal - CIB
- Managing the Markets Legal Team
- Manco member of the Transactional Management Group leadership team which housed and managed both Absa CIB Legal and Absa Deal Management professionals
- Attending the Markets Business Exco to address pertinent legal matters
- Managing legal risk and deal implementation from a legal perspective for: African Regional Offices, The Offshore Strategy (UK and USA offices),Treasury, Money Markets, Fixed Income Sales and Trading, Retail Structured Products, Institutional Sales and Trading, Equity Sales and Trading, Client Capital Management and Corporate Treasury
- Drafting the relevant agreements and opining on complex and strategic transactions
- Leading core legal projects emanating from business requests or regulatory matters and briefing external counsel where necessary (FMA ODP, FMA Margining and IBOR project implementation)
- Training business colleagues on the Master Agreements (ISDA, GMRA,GMSLA) and critical processes and strategic advisory for policy implementation and updates
- Lobbying the regulators and industry bodies as required(FSB, JSE, Stock Brokers Association)
- Worked with customers to understand needs and provide excellent service.
- Drove operational improvements which resulted in savings and improved profit margins.
- Offered friendly and efficient service to customers, handled challenging situations with ease.
- Met with clients to maintain communication to enhance teams' execution on new products.
- Evaluated employee performance and coached and trained team members, increasing quality of work and employee motivation.
- Identified and corrected deficient performance and behaviors to achieve maximum productivity.
- Drove performance of staff by creating incentives and positive work atmosphere and administering recognition and rewards programs.
Senior Legal Advisor
Investec Corporate &Institutional Banking
03.2013 - 10.2017
- Managing the following Businesses from a legal perspective: Investec Africa, Balance Sheet Funding, Investec Australia, Treasury Sales and Structuring, Institutional Fianancial Products, Retail Financial Products Africa Credit Fianacial Products,Corporate Treasury, FX, Interest Rate Desk,
- Drafting and listing on the JSE Credit Linked Notes
- Drafting Excon applications for product listing approval
- Vetting and reviewing legal documents for Debt listing programmes in our capacity as Sponsor for foreign Banks wishing to list on the JSE
- Vetting Financial Guarantee/Credit Default Swap documents
- Drafting and reviewing trade finance Market Participation Risk Agreements for transactions with International Banks Listing documents Lobbying the legislators and industry associations
- Managing Investec’s participation in government and parastatals loans on the legal side
- Running legal projects for Structured Deposits, ISDA Master upgrades, VM CSA’s, Clearing Agreements,etc
- Drafting various agreements, pledges, guarantees, working capital facilities, Letters of credit documentation, short term committed and uncommitted general banking facilities etc
- Representing the Bank at industry associations, PASA and ISDA
- Briefing and liaising with external counsel on various matters
- Communicating legal and regulatory ramifications emanating from the current legislative climate to the BU and to the credit and Investec Board members
- Engaging, influencing and advising Management and Credit on legal issues arising that require policy changes or executive decisions
Team Lead and Senior Legal Advisor
Investec Bank Limited Capital Markets
05.2012 - 03.2013
- Leading and managing the Legal arm within the Capital Markets, Compliance and Legal Unit
- Formulating and implementing the legal strategy aligned to the BU strategy
- Lobbying the legislators and industry associations
- Representing the Bank at industry associations, PASA and ISDA
- Briefing and liaising external counsel on various matters
- Communicating legal and regulatory ramifications emanating from the current legislative climate to the BU’s and to the credit and Investec Board members
- Engaging, influencing and advising Management and Credit on legal issues arising that require policy changes or executive decisions
- Representing the legal team at BU project meetings and scoping sessions
- Taking the legal project lead on product development legal risk management
- Training, research and presentations to the team and business on legal matters / issues
- Running all legal projects including the ISDA and ISMA updates as well as the electronic confirmations process.
Legal Advisor
Investec Bank Limited Capital Markets
05.2009 - 09.2011
- Working in the Capital Markets Division, Treasury Transaction Management Team
- Primary responsibilities entail process change management relating to the business impact of the Companies Act
- On the trading floor
- Managing Negotiating Derivative Agreements, Securities Lending Agreements
- Facility Agreements and related Security Agreements, including Indemnities , Counter Indemnities, Guarantees, pledges, working capital agreements, etc
- I am also responsible for the legals for front office business units being the Corporate Foreign Exchange Trading Desk, the Foreign Exchange Currency Trading Desk, the Corporate Business Development Desk, and the Interest Rate Desk assisting with the drafting, negotiation and review of various SLA’s with Vendors, Agency Agreements, Cross Currency Interest rate Swap Confirmations and Tripartite Exchange Traded Product Agreements, Custody Agreements
- Drafting opinions on ancillary issues raised by the various desks
- Projects include concluding 2002 ISDA master agreements with all our banking and corporate counterparties
- Reviewing and updating all our legal templates
- Drafting brokerage agreements for all the interest rate and forex counterparties
- Drafting a memo on the implications of the New companies Act on the treasury business of Capital Markets
- Leasing with business heads in respect of business development and new projects and the related agreements.
Legal Advisor
Sanlam Capital Markets Limited
05.2008 - 05.2009
- Working in the Legal Department
- Primary responsibilities entail negotiating Derivative Agreements, Securities Lending Agreements, and Prime Brokerage Agreements
- Assisting the Debt Structuring team with the review of Pref Share agreements, Intercreditor Agreements, Common Terms Agreements and related Finance Documents, including Indemnities, Counter Indemnities, Guarantees, pledges etc
- Drafting opinions on the legality of certain products including CFD’s
Associate
Bell Dewar Hall Inc
04.2007 - 05.2008
- Working in the Mergers and Aquisitions division of the Corprorate Commercial Department
- Primary responsibilities entail advising clients in relation to mergers, aquisitions and corporate restructuring
- Drafting the relevant agreements, opinions and memorandums on aspects of corporate law, cross functional team participation, especially with Financial services and tax advisors inhouse and externally.
Candidate Attorney
Bell Dewar Hall Inc
01.2005 - 04.2007
- Drafting agreements for various clients across multiple industries including mining, pharmaceuticals and banking, vetting agreements, and drafting review memorandums
- Working In the Employment Division –
- Drafting affidavits, applications, opinions to client, regarding dismissals, retrenchments and health and safety issues
- Working In the Dispute Resolution Division –
- Preparing affidavits, Particulars of Claim, Trial bundles
- Appearing in Court
- Serving and filing court documents
- Servicing various industries, particularly construction and engineering houses.
Law Intern
Hofmeyr Herbstein and Giwhala Inc
06.2003 - 07.2003
- Working in the Commercial Property, Assisting the HOD with the lodgement of bond documents at the deeds office
- Consulting with clients
- Conducting deeds searches
- Internal networking to have exposure to various disciplines and a possible field of focus.
International Finance Trainee
Industrial Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd
11.2002 - 01.2003
- Working in the International Finance Division
- Assisting the account managers with:
- Financing and managing international deals;
- Export and Import finance;
- Deal Implementation;
- The conclusion of contract terms;
- International Finance treasury functions including credit links and investments in conjuntion with Money Market.;
- Compliance with trade and company regulations especially with regard to forex and the Reserve Bank Regulations.
Legal Services Trainee
Industrial Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd
06.2001 - 12.2002
- Working in the Legal Services Division
- Assisted the in-house legal counsel with the drafting of various project documents including loan, suretyship, cession, pledge and shareholder agreements
- Notable projects/deals
- Available on Request
Education
Master of Laws -
Witwatersrand UniversityLLM
01.2014 - 12.2014
LLB - undefined
Witwatersrand University
01.2002 - 01.2004
Bachelor Of Commerce - Law III and Insurance and Risk Management, Economics, Business Statistics
Witwatersrand University
01.1998 - 01.2001
RPE - undefined
South African Institute of Financial Markets
ACI ACI Certificate Treasury Operations - undefined
Matric -
Edenglen High School
Johannesburg 01.1993 - 01.1997
Skills
Corporate transactions
Corporate law
Effective leader
Relationship building
Staff training/development
Coaching and mentoring
Problem-Solving
Capital Markets
Derivatives negotiation and structuring
Legal Project Management
Client and Relationship Management
Accomplishments
Member of the Corporate Investment Banking EE Forum Exco 2020 to date
Timeline
Principal Legal Counsel
Absa Bank Limited
02.2020 - Current
Head Secondary Markets Legal
Absa Bank Limited
10.2017 - 02.2020
Master of Laws -
Witwatersrand UniversityLLM
01.2014 - 12.2014
Senior Legal Advisor
Investec Corporate &Institutional Banking
03.2013 - 10.2017
Team Lead and Senior Legal Advisor
Investec Bank Limited Capital Markets
05.2012 - 03.2013
Legal Advisor
Investec Bank Limited Capital Markets
05.2009 - 09.2011
Legal Advisor
Sanlam Capital Markets Limited
05.2008 - 05.2009
Associate
Bell Dewar Hall Inc
04.2007 - 05.2008
Candidate Attorney
Bell Dewar Hall Inc
01.2005 - 04.2007
Law Intern
Hofmeyr Herbstein and Giwhala Inc
06.2003 - 07.2003
International Finance Trainee
Industrial Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd
11.2002 - 01.2003
LLB - undefined
Witwatersrand University
01.2002 - 01.2004
Legal Services Trainee
Industrial Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd
06.2001 - 12.2002
Bachelor Of Commerce - Law III and Insurance and Risk Management, Economics, Business Statistics
Witwatersrand University
01.1998 - 01.2001
Matric -
Edenglen High School
01.1993 - 01.1997
RPE - undefined
South African Institute of Financial Markets