Gauteng: Senior Litigation Attorney posted by Pillango Placements

About the Role

Pillango Placements is seeking an experienced Senior Litigation Attorney to join our team in Gauteng. The successful candidate will have a proven track record in complex, high-value secured recoveries in banking litigation within the High Court. They will be responsible for leading High Court litigation from inception to finalisation, including defended trials and opposed applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic management of an undefended and defended foreclosure and secured asset litigation portfolio, including strategy formulation and risk assessment.
• Drafting and settling complex pleadings, including Particulars of Claim, Declarations, Opposing Affidavits, Replying Affidavits, Heads of Argument, Practice Notes, and Appeal documentation.
• Advanced experience in Rule 46A applications, reserve price determinations, and judicial oversight processes.
• Comfortable in attending case management conferences, judicial case management proceedings, and settlement negotiations.
• Engagement with banking executives and credit risk stakeholders on litigation strategy and recovery planning.
• Oversight of execution processes, including warrants of attachment (movable and immovable), sales in execution, and interaction with sheriffs and conveyancers.
• Ability to manage a high-volume defended portfolio while maintaining strict turnaround times and quality control.
• Full leadership responsibility for a team, including performance management, mentoring, workflow allocation, and quality assurance.

Requirements

• Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa with no less than 15 years’ post-admission experience.
• Extensive senior-level experience in undefended and defended banking litigation within the High Court.
• Proven track record in complex, high-value secured recoveries.
• Strong command of the National Credit Act, Insolvency Act, Administration of Estates Act, Companies Act, Uniform Rules of Court, and Superior Courts Act.

Qualifications

• Formal education/certifications (Bachelor’s, LLB, Matric, etc.) not specified in the original job description.

Salary & Benefits

Salary package open for discussion. It will be market-related based on qualifications, skills, and experience.

Skills Required

• Advanced drafting and analytical skills.
• Ability to balance legal risk, reputational considerations, and financial recovery objectives.
• Strong negotiation and settlement skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of accountability, decisiveness, and attention to detail.
• Resilience under pressure and ability to manage strict court-driven timelines.
• Leadership ability with a collaborative and solution-driven approach.
• Strong interpersonal presence with the ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with banking stakeholders, counsel, and internal team members.

Computer Literacy/Technical Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Word (advanced drafting), Excel (reporting and analysis), and Outlook.
• Strong working knowledge of legal case management systems (e.g., DM1, CACS, Excalibur, OCS, Lexpro or similar).
• Comfortable with digital court platforms, online case tracking systems, and electronic document management systems.