General Counsel

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General Counsel

  • Location:

    United Arab Emirates

  • Contact:

    Salem Mubarak

  • Contact email:

    salem@paragon-ge.com

  • Job ref:

    215

  • Published:

    5 months ago

  • Expiry date:

    2024-07-06


Paragon GE is looking for a General Counsel for a staff position with an Oil & Gas company in the UAE.

The General Counsel must have experience working for an International Oil Company in the Upstream sector of the Oil & Gas industry. Candidates must also have experience of working in the GCC and have exposure to GCC law and regulations.

The General Counsel must hold a Law degree and must be qualified to practice law in a recognised jurisdiction i.e. UK, US, France, Australia etc.

The General Counsel must have a minimum 15 years of relevant experience with at least 3- 5 years as a General Counsel.

Position Title: General Counsel
Staff or Temp: Staff
Expected package: To be discussed
Location: UAE   
Reports to: CEO
Team size: 10

Job Purpose
               
Exercise overall responsibility for the management of legal and compliance matters in the Group, with particular emphasis on the management of matters of strategic importance and the development and management of the Legal & Compliance team. Provision of legal support to the Chairman, CEO and the Board of Directors on all legal, compliance, corporate governance and contractual matters.

Responsibilities:

Legal: Support all departments on all legal matters regardless of the jurisdiction to which the matter relates.
Manage company’s exposure to legal risks in agreements with suppliers/service providers by the use of standard terms and conditions, including by way of example only:
  • Dealing with day-to-day local contractual matters.
  • Liaising with suppliers/service providers to finalize contractual T&Cs.
  • Advising on legal/contractual impact of specific provisions.
  • Advise the management on the impact of applicable laws or regulations on our business or operations, including by way of example only:
    • Issues arising from the Production Sharing Agreement(s).
    • Addressing any local registration matters for company registrations and/or branches.
  • Refer key or major issues to senior management or the relevant working committee, for advice and/or approval.
  • Provide legal advice and assistance on the following, including by way of example only: confidentiality agreements, employment contracts, terms and conditions of employment, policies and procedures, financing documents, corporate matters and issues, company law, commercial law, environmental law, incentive schemes, compliance with Listing Rules of any applicable exchanges, real estate.
  • Liaise with other external advisors including but not limited to the sponsors, brokers, PR advisers, etc. in consultation with the Director of Finance.
  • Manage any litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration assigned to the candidate relating to group matters, including negotiation and advice with respect to same.
  • Deal with complicated personnel matters, for example termination of employment or dealing with matters that have a legal nature regarding employment.
  • As and when required, liaise with external advisors etc. in relation to company and its subsidiaries.
  • As and when required, liaise with auditors on all Board related matters.
  • Receive and administer communications and unsolicited enquiries from other external parties including the general public.

Compliance: Provide legal support to the Chairman, CEO and the Directors, both collectively and individually. Champion with respect to the development, implementation and administration of a fit-for-purpose Compliance Program.
  • Advise the management on the impact of applicable laws or regulations on our business or operations and the effectiveness of the corporate compliance programme.
  • Advise and educate company personnel in relation to corporate governance matters in a proactive manner, to facilitate compliance with laws and regulations.
  • Enforce compliance with the Control Framework, Financial Authorities Manual, Contracts & Purchasing Policies, Code of Conduct and other key corporate governance documents.
  • Take requisite steps to prioritize Compliance on the senior management’s agenda.
  • Promote Compliance awareness within the organization through all appropriate means, including written, verbal communications.
  • Support the availability of sufficient resources (financial and human) to administer the Compliance Program.

Management & Administration: Supervise and manage effectively the members of the Legal Department.  Direct day-to-day administrative activities of the department.
  • Develop and administer tools to monitor workflow.
  • Maintain the presence of sufficient legal resources at all times to ensure the continuous provision of efficient and competent legal support.
  • Identify, retain, develop and manage members of the Legal Department throughout the Group, including identifying and supporting requisite training and skill-gap closure.
  • Coordinate the development of staff KPIs and conduct routine assessments.
  • Mentor, guide and advice as required.
  • Maintain adequate records for all legal and contractual matters in the organization.
  • Approve appointment of external advisers and obtain relevant approval for any expenditure with advisers/law firms.
  • Be responsible for retention of all corporate records, documents, agreements, contracts, leases and legal papers, and handling retention and destruction of the same in accordance with the group’s DRDP.
  • Manage relationships with law firm(s) and obtain relevant approval(s) for any expenditure with advisers/law firms.
  • Be responsible for (safe) retention of all corporate records, documents, agreements, contracts, leases and legal papers, and handling retention and destruction of the same in accordance with the group’s DRDP.

Contracts: Support all departments on all contractual matters; monitor and enforce compliance with Contracts & Purchasing Policy.
  • Monitor and enforce compliance with Contracts & Purchasing Policies.
  • Act as a member of the Major Tender Board.
  • Support Senior Legal Counsel (Contracts) in ensuring effective use of company’s standard form contracts with suppliers and service providers and providing requisite Contracts training to staff.

New Business Ventures and Joint Venture Management:
  • Support Senior Legal Counsel and Senior Joint Venture Management Lawyer in ensuring fit-for-purpose advice is provided to the New Business Ventures team and the relevant Country Managers.

Minimum Education Level Required:
  • Law degree       
  • Qualified to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction (e.g., UK, US, Australia, etc.)

The minimum years of experience required:
Minimum 15 years’ experience, preferably in the oil & gas industry.
 
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