Legal Counsel Middle East & Africa

Hitachi; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy company in the United Arab Emirates seeks a motivated Legal Counsel to provide comprehensive legal support. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of legal experience, including significant expertise in contract law and commercial negotiations. Responsibilities include drafting and reviewing contracts and policies, providing strategic legal advice across various business functions, and ensuring compliance with local laws. A high level of integrity and proficiency in both English and Arabic is preferred.

Benefits

Opportunity for growth and development

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with 10+ years of post-qualification experience.
• 5+ years as in-house legal counsel or in legal practice for major utilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills essential.

Responsibilities

• Draft and review legal documents and contracts.
• Provide strategic legal advice on various matters.
• Develop close relationships with internal customers.
• Monitor compliance with regulations and internal guidelines.

Skills

Contract law

Commercial negotiations

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Teamwork

Interpersonal skills

Ability to influence

Integrity

Education

Bachelor's degree in law

Job description

Job Overview

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Legal Counsel to join our team. In this role, you will be providing full-spectrum legal support across Corporate Functions and Business Units including Grid Integration, Grid Automation, High Voltage, Transformers, and Services.

How you’ll make an impact

• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating, interpreting and advising on legal documents and contracts in collaboration with the business to achieve the best commercial outcome whilst mitigating risk
• Providing strategic legal advice on a broad range of matters including contract law, litigation, transactions/anti‑trust, compliance, intellectual property, employment/labor, corporate governance, ethics and others
• Developing close working relationships with Hitachi Energy’s internal customers including commercial business teams and supply chain functions
• Reviewing policies and other documents from vendors, customers and other third parties ensuring compliance with policies
• Researching, analyzing, interpreting laws, statutes, and regulations
• Developing awareness of legal issues and their implications across all areas of the business
• Advising on claims liability, legal rights and obligations and overseeing disputes and litigation matters
• Supporting business units in managing contractual claims and advising on the resolution of disputes or litigation through external advisors when necessary
• Participating in and promoting activities to ensure employees conduct business in compliance with the internal Hitachi Energy directives and applicable local laws
• Proactively developing effective legal strategies and practical solutions to address legal issues
• Monitoring legal affairs, including but not limited to litigations and activity reports
• Drafting and reviewing request for quotations, pre‑qualification questionnaires, tender preparation, risk identification, risk review, negotiations of contracts, framework agreements, partnerships, settlements and other related activities in coordination with key internal stakeholders
• Planning and coordinating legal training
• Facilitating the sharing of best practices and ensuring harmonized and standardized processes are applied across Hitachi Energy to deliver consistent and optimized support to the business
• Assisting with the implementation and monitoring of integrity across Hitachi Energy and acting as a personal role‑model in this regard
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable external and internal regulations, procedures, and guidelines. Supporting Corporate Legal and Compliance functions to avoid non‑compliance
• Supporting the implementation of the Code of Ethical and Business Conduct and assisting with the resolution of integrity‑related issues and other actions
• Living Hitachi Energy’s core values of safety and integrity, which means taking responsibility for your own actions while caring for your colleagues and the business

Your background

• Bachelor’s degree in law
• A qualified lawyer with a minimum of 10 years of post‑qualification experience
• Ideally 5+ years of experience as in‑house legal counsel or in legal practice relating to major utilities construction/engineering projects with a successful track record of handling complex international corporate and commercial transactions
• Strong experience in contract law and commercial negotiations
• Good analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Well‑developed communication and interpersonal skills, including team spirit and the ability to influence people at all levels
• High level of integrity and ethical standards
• Proficiency in Arabic is a plus
• Bar admission is preferred but not mandatory
• Proficiency in both spoken and written English is required

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