WHO IS THE CORPORATE COUNSEL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA?
The Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa is the national voice, forum and professional body for Corporate Counsel in South Africa.
The Corporate Counsel Association, formerly known as the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa (CLASA), was established in 1982 to meet the professional needs of Corporate Counsel in South Africa, including practice-sharing, networking and professional development.
The Corporate Counsel Association recognises the distinct interests and needs of Corporate Counsel who provide professional legal and business services to their employers, namely the corporate entity.
In 2017 the Corporate Counsel Association was formally recognized by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as the official Professional Body representing the Corporate Counsel profession in South Africa. As part of this recognition the Corporate Counsel Association is allowed to determine and set the required standards for the Corporate Counsel profession including qualifications, expertise, competencies and skills. The Corporate Counsel Association is therefore well placed to establish benchmarks for Corporate Counsel in South Africa and to ensure that the credibility and high standards expected of the Corporate Counsel profession are not only continually developed and enhanced but are also maintained in the South African environment.
THE IN-HOUSE PROFESSION
The terms ‘corporate counsel’ / ‘legal advisors’ / ‘corporate lawyers’ / ‘in-house counsel’ / legal counsel’ are used to describe practitioners who hold a legal degree/qualification and who are employed by companies and other organisations (public and private sector) for the purpose of providing in-house legal counsel, giving legal guidance and advice on a variety of legal and business-related topics.
In other words such person generally acts as an in-house lawyer who provides advice of a legal and business nature, to his/her employer, the corporation, its employees, related companies and stakeholders, and who does not write fees in respect of this advice, but instead gets paid a salary by the employer. Corporate Counsel, as compared with practicing attorneys and advocates who provide their services to the public at large on an independent basis and in exchange for a fee, provide their service to a single employer.
Corporate Counsel are not regulated by a state body or by statute in South Africa, unlike some international jurisdictions. When a practicing attorney elects to leave the practicing profession, they are required to remove themselves from the practicing roll held by the Legal Practice Council and from this time they will no longer fall under the jurisdiction or control of the Legal Practice Council. Corporate Counsel, where employed by a public / private sector employer (corporate) will be subjected to, and must comply with any rules, policies and codes of practice as laid down by their employer.
In-house practice has showed tremendous growth in South Africa over the last several years. Talented and ambitious practitioners now routinely leave private practice for in-house posts that provide compensation and sophistication of work that rivals the cream of the profession.
VISION
Better Counsel, Better Corporations, Better Community.
The Corporate Counsel Association’s vision is to promote the standing and value of Corporate Counsel, both in South Africa and on a global basis and to be the Professional Body of choice for all Corporate Counsel in South Africa.
OBJECTIVES
The overriding objective of the Corporate Counsel Association is to promote the common interest and value of Corporate Counsel and demonstrate their multi-faceted roles. This includes:
acting as the voice and public face of Corporate Counsel;
providing leadership to those providing in-house legal services;
serving the needs of Corporate Counsel by providing members with the resources and the networks that are needed to better serve their organisations;
directing and guiding the Corporate Counsel profession in South Africa by setting common standards for the Corporate Counsel professional;
promoting and improving the proficiency and competency of its members and the Corporate Counsel profession in general;
encouraging the highest professional and ethical conduct amongst its members and the Corporate Counsel profession in general;
regulating and determining the acceptable qualifications and standards for Corporate Counsel in South Africa; and
Offering up-to-date information on national and international trends in the provision of in-house legal services.