Overview 

Corporate counsel are expected to do far more than provide technically accurate legal advice. They play a strategic role in influencing business decisions, managing legal risk, negotiating commercial outcomes, and advising boards and executives on governance and compliance matters. This webinar highlights the importance of advocacy as a core professional skill, demonstrating how effective oral and written communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and persuasive legal reasoning enable corporate counsel to become trusted strategic advisers within their organisations. 

Join Adv Dwight Snyman on 27 August 2026 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm as he explores the practical advocacy techniques required by corporate counsel to communicate legal advice with clarity, influence executive decision-making, manage legal risk effectively, and advocate for legally sound, ethical, and commercially responsible outcomes in today's corporate environment. 

Learning Objectives 

Attending this webinar will equip you with the following skills: 

• Develop practical advocacy techniques for presenting legal advice clearly, strategically, and persuasively.  

• Strengthen executive communication and stakeholder management skills within a corporate environment.  

• Improve oral and written advocacy for board meetings, negotiations, regulatory engagements, and internal advisory work.  

• Learn to frame legal risk in commercially meaningful terms that support informed decision-making.  

• Enhance your effectiveness as a strategic business adviser while maintaining professional independence and ethical integrity. 

Content 

The webinar will cover the following topics: 

• The role of advocacy in corporate counsel practice  

  • Corporate counsel as an internal advocate  

  • Legal advice versus legal advocacy  

  • Professional independence within the corporate structure  

  • Ethical advocacy and strategic business advisory  

• Persuasive communication and legal reasoning  

  • Structuring persuasive legal advice  

  • Executive-level legal analysis  

  • Legal problem-framing and risk communication  

  • Clarity, precision, and persuasive argumentation  

• Oral advocacy for corporate counsel  

  • Advocacy in executive, board, and committee meetings  

  • Presenting legal recommendations effectively  

  • Responding to challenging stakeholders  

  • Communicating legal uncertainty and risk  

• Written advocacy and advisory drafting  

  • Legal memoranda and internal legal opinions  

  • Board submissions and executive reports  

  • Persuasive email communication  

  • Drafting legally defensible recommendations  

• Stakeholder management and internal influence  

  • Building credibility with executives  

  • Managing competing commercial priorities  

  • Influencing non-lawyer decision-makers  

  • Maintaining confidentiality and legal privilege  

• Negotiation advocacy  

  • Interest-based negotiation  

  • Risk allocation in commercial negotiations  

  • Settlement strategies  

  • Preserving commercial relationships  

• Advocacy in dispute resolution and litigation management  

  • Pre-litigation strategy  

  • Litigation risk assessment  

  • Working with external counsel  

  • Mediation and arbitration preparation  

• Regulatory and compliance advocacy  

  • Advocacy before regulators  

  • Responding to regulatory enquiries  

  • Internal investigations  

  • Crisis response and regulatory communication  

• Risk framing and decision-making support  

  • Legal risk matrices  

  • Scenario-based legal advice  

  • Decision trees and options analysis  

  • Communicating residual risk  

• Ethics, independence, and professional judgment  

  • Duties of candour and integrity  

  • Managing conflicts of interest  

  • Professional accountability  

  • Escalating ignored legal advice  

• Board-level and executive advocacy  

  • Presenting legal risk to directors  

  • Board reporting obligations  

  • Corporate governance considerations  

  • Supporting informed strategic decision-making 

About the presenter 

Adv. Dwight Snyman 

Adv. Dwight Snyman is an admitted member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates and is accredited by the Legal Practitioners Council as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. Adv. Snyman completed articles of clerkship, and attorney’s competency exams under the auspices of the Wits Law Clinic. He completed his Advocacy pupillage under the tutelage of the esteemed Adv. Louis Du Bruyn. 

Adv. Snyman has had opportunity and success in litigation, in the High and Magistrates’ Courts of the republic, the CCMA, Disciplinary Hearings and assorted other venues and forums, and has become possessed of practical litigation experience beyond what would normally be expected from a practitioner of his age and seniority. He is the holder of a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the University of Cape Town, and postgraduate Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of the Witwatersrand, for which he was accorded the honour of being on the Dean’s list for his academic performance. 

Who should attend? 

The following persons will benefit from attending this webinar: 

• Attorneys. 

• Corporate Legal Professionals. 

• Legal Academics. 

• Candidate attorneys. 

• Law Students. 

• Paralegals. 

Price 

• R 400.00 - Online admission - Individual.  

• Group Price 1 - From R337 per person (up to 5 users)   

• Group Price 2 - From R260 per person (up to 10 users)   

• Group Price 3 - From R224 per person (over 11 users)  

Steps to register for the event:  

If you already have a profile, login and register for the webinar. 

If you don’t have a profile, create a free profile then login and register for the webinar. 

Click here  to create a free profile (There is no charge to create a profile and gain access to our free Monthly Practice Management Series). 

Click here  to find out about the Technical Resource Centre & CPD Subscription options. 

Additional material 

By attending this webinar you will be provided with: 

• A summarised slide presentation. 

• Reference documents and/ or course material where available. 

• You can ask questions during the webinar and you will also have access to the presenter after the webinar. 

About SA Legal Academy 

Welcome to SA Legal Academy (SALA), a provider of courses to help you succeed in your chosen career. We are committed to providing our students with the highest quality training and support, to ensure that your skills and knowledge are up to date and ready to face the challenges of the modern workplace. Our courses are designed to ensure that you reach your professional goals and enhance your career prospects. With our experienced training staff and comprehensive resources, you can be confident that you will receive the highest quality of training from SA Legal Academy. 

SALA is a Level 2 B-BBEE contributor, with 125% procurement recognition. Training spend on certain solutions can be allocated against the Skills Development element of the B-BBEE Scorecard through accredited and nonaccredited training or claimed through SETA grants. In addition, 25% of your Skills Expenditure can be claimed on non-accredited training or courses. 

Corporate Training Solutions 

At SALA, we recognise the evolving needs of businesses in today's dynamic environment. Beyond our standard webinar offerings, we provide tailored corporate training solutions designed to empower your team with the latest in legal and professional skills. Whether you're looking for online sessions or face-to-face training, our programs are crafted to ensure a comprehensive and engaging learning experience. 

Drawing inspiration from modern training methodologies, our corporate solutions are interactive, adaptable, and focused on real-world applications. We prioritize hands-on learning, ensuring your team can immediately apply their newfound knowledge in practical scenarios. 

Interested in a bespoke corporate training experience? Reach out to us at [email protected] or call 012 941 0448. Together, let's design a training program that elevates your team's capabilities and aligns with your organizational goals. 

Contact Us For More Information 

Have any questions or need any assistance? Contact us today!  

• Online chat through our website.  

• Phone: +27 (0) 12 941 0448  

• E-mail: [email protected]