Workshop on The Effective Corporate Secretary and Legal Adviser

Program overview:
Within any organization, a Corporate Secretary and legal Adviser’s duties include ensuring the integrity of the governance framework, being responsible for the efficient administration of a company, ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and implementing decisions made by the Board of Directors.

For these legal staff members to justify their being on the payrolls of these organizations as corporate or company secretaries and legal advisers is by improving their performances.

This can be achieved through capacity building activities for them, in the form of training and retraining. This course is designed to build the capacity of in-house legal staff in order to enhance their performances and increase their contributions to the overall performances of the organization.

For whom:
Directors of Legal Services, Heads of Legal Teams, External Legal Practitioners and Lawyers in organizations, Lawyers in Banks, Insurance Companies, Mortgage Institutions, Regulatory Agencies, Company Secretaries, Legal Advisers, Administrative Officers in Government Ministries and Parastatals, Law Enforcement Officials, Administrative Officers in Private organizations and Companies, as well as other interested participants.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• list and explain the roles company Secretaries and Legal Advisers in organizations;
• effectively handle legal issues surrounding corporate activities;
• acquire good interpersonal and communication skills to work as a team with other lawyers in organization;
• design good requirements for selecting and manage external lawyers to be patronized by their organizations.;
• persuade and influence their subordinates to contribute effectively to the performance of their organization;

• implement the decisions of the board of directors;
• advise the company directors for good corporate governance;
• handle company share transactions – issuing new shares, arranging dividend payments and observing all legal requirements;
• liaise with auditors, lawyers, tax advisers, bankers and shareholders on board governance issues; and
• ensure compliance obligations under relevant laws and the requirements of regulatory authorities are met (e.g., stock exchange).

Course Outline:

Day 1: The Company Secretary / Legal Adviser: Roles & Responsibilities

• The Roles of Company Secretaries.
• The Roles of Legal Advisers.
• Strategic and Operational Management Practice.

Day 2: The attributes of an effective corporate secretary / Legal Adviser:

• Analytical, problem solving skills
• Management and organizational skills
• IT familiarity
• Discretion with confidential information
• An understanding of the legal system as it affects business
• Good communication and interpersonal skills

Day 3: Shareholder engagement on governance issues

• Investor and Shareholder Relations.
• Managing Investor Relations Online.
• Communicating with Investors and Shareholders
• Compliance with federal and provincial board

governance laws

Day 4: Managing In-House Colleagues.

• Governance liaison for officers and directors
• Integrating ICT in Legal Services
• Board and committee meetings
• Minutes of meetings
• Annual meeting of shareholders

– including proxy statement

• Managing Corporate records
• Working with External Solicitors.

Day 5: Dealing with Investment Issues.

• Handling Financial Markets.
• Stock transfers and dividends
• Securities market listings and

compliance with listing standards

• Handling Corporate Restructuring.
• Self-Development and Personal Effectiveness
• Time Management

Training Methodology

Lectures, discussions, exercises, and case studies will be used to reinforce these teaching/learning methods.