Senior Legal Counsel

ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company); United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy company in the United Arab Emirates is seeking an experienced legal advisor to manage corporate legal affairs. The role involves drafting and negotiating contracts, providing preventive legal advice, and interfacing with external counsel. Candidates must possess a Bachelor Degree in Law and have at least 8 years of legal experience in the petroleum sector, with proficiency in both Arabic and English. This position plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with legal standards and governance.

Qualifications

• 8 years experience in petroleum or major industrial concern.
• 5 years experience as legal advisor to senior management.
• Proficiency in Arabic and English.

Responsibilities

• Plan and supervise legal affairs for the company.
• Draft and negotiate complex contracts.
• Provide legal representation and advice to management.
• Interface with external counsel for litigation.

Skills

Legal analysis and risk mitigation

Negotiation

Contract drafting

Corporate governance

Bilingual (Arabic and English)

Education

Bachelor Degree in Law

Job description

Job Purpose

Responsible for entire gamut of legal affairs and corporate legal matters of the company. Provide legal opinions, advises, interpretations, complex risk mitigations and due diligences on contracts, agreements, deeds, and other legal drafting’s and documents from the projects, commercial, drilling, subsurface and other functions. Recommend settlement of claims in connection with complex major projects. Interface with external counsel in respect of litigation that the company is involved in, and advice on alternative dispute resolution.

Key Accountabilities

Job Specific Accountabilities

• Plan, organize, coordinate and supervises the activities of Legal affairs of the company.
• Defines and draws up as required major complex contract agreements between other parties and the Company. This involves analyzing the contract conditions and making recommendations as to legally acceptable courses of actions to be taken. Formulates principles to be followed in contracts policies, ensures that the agreements meet with the laws of U.A.E.
• Provides preventive legal advice to Senior Management/Procurement Division and Project Function on all topics such as curative legal advice, to minimise disputes and litigation, which is costly to the Company.
• Involved in the preparation, review and negotiation of company contractual transactions to limit potential risk exposure, providing legal representation for the company, ensuring that all matters of business comply with company policies and ethical standards.
• Provision of comprehensive legal services to the contract and procurement function.
• Risk transactions on international deals that require negotiation of issues that involve International Law.
• Studies and scans contractor's claims likely to have an effect on the Company operations. This involves analyzing claims and making legal recommendations and ensuring all relevant points are brought to the attention of the Procurement Division.
• Participates in negotiation of settlements of disputes arising out of claims or contracts as required, prepares submission in arbitration cases and coordinates with the Company advocate when representing the Company in court actions both locally and abroad.
• Drafting and reviewing different contracts in the oil and gas, construction, Drilling sector.
• Supervising and giving guidance and counselling to subordinate staff in the legal department.
• Advising on how new regulatory initiatives impact the entire business of the Company.
• Advising on corporate governance and giving recommendations on the adoption of corporate governance policies.
• Advising management on legal and regulatory changes that impact the business of the company.

Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

Minimum Qualification

Bachelor Degree in Law from a recognized University.

Minimum Experience & Knowledge & Skills

• 8 years of experience in petroleum or major industrial concern with broad legal background, preferably in the UAE, out of which 5 years of experience as legal advisor to senior management.
• Proficiency in Arabic and English.
• Must be a computer literate.