Legal Counsel, Engineering & Projects

SD Guthrie International; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SD Guthrie International in Malaysia seeks an experienced Legal Counsel to act as a key advisor to Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects teams on project development, contracts and regulatory matters. You will draft, review and negotiate EPC/EPCC and related agreements, advise on risk allocation, and support disputes and CIPAA proceedings.

The role requires a LL.B or equivalent, admission to the Malaysian Bar, and 6–8 years or more of post-qualification experience in construction, energy or

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B) or equivalent and admission to Malaysia Bar.
• CLP/Bar qualification or equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience with EPC/EPCC and major project contracts is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate construction and project contracts incl. EPC/EPCC.
• Provide end-to-end legal coverage for Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects.
• Advise on contractual risk allocation and dispute avoidance.
• Manage CIPAA adjudication and coordinate dispute resolution.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Dispute resolution

Advisory experience

Education

LL.B or equivalent

Job description

## Legal Counsel, Engineering & ProjectsApply: Ara Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia: Full time: Posted Today: JR3156We value our people and encourage everyone to grow professionally. If you think this opportunity is right for you, we encourage you to apply!**Job Description:****Job Descriptions** ## **A. Legal Business Partnering – Industrial Parks, Renewables & Projects*** Act as a key day-to-day legal adviser to Industrial Park, Renewable Energy and Projects business leaders and project teams on legal matters arising from project development, commercial arrangements, engineering, construction and operations.* Support the General Counsel, Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects in providing end-to-end legal coverage to the assigned businesses and projects.* Develop a strong understanding of the businesses' commercial objectives, operating models, project pipelines and strategic priorities in order to provide proactive and commercially relevant legal advice.* Advise management on the legal implications of business proposals, contractual structures, commercial arrangements and project-related decisions.* Participate in project, commercial and management discussions where legal input is required, ensuring that material legal risks and contractual implications are identified sufficiently early.* Provide practical and solution-oriented legal recommendations that balance legal protection, commercial objectives, execution requirements and acceptable levels of risk.* Escalate significant legal, contractual or regulatory exposures to the General Counsel, Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects and, where appropriate, to the Chief Legal & Risk Officer and relevant governance forums.## ## **B. Construction, Engineering & Project Contracting*** Draft, review, negotiate and advise on construction, engineering and project-related contracts, including: + EPC and EPCC contracts; + design-and-build arrangements; + engineering and technical consultancy agreements; + project management consultancy agreements; + construction and works contracts; + equipment procurement and supply agreements; + installation, testing and commissioning agreements; + operation and maintenance agreements; + framework and master service agreements; and + other project-specific and bespoke commercial arrangements.* Advise on recognised construction contracting frameworks and standard forms, including FIDIC, PAM, PWD and other relevant industry or bespoke contractual arrangements.* Advise stakeholders on contractual risk allocation including: + indemnities; + limitation and exclusion of liability; + warranties and guarantees; + liquidated damages; + extension of time; + variations and change mechanisms; + insurance; + bonds and performance security; + defects liability; + termination rights; + force majeure; + delay and disruption; and + payment and milestone mechanisms.* Support negotiations with contractors, consultants, developers, suppliers, technology providers, joint venture partners and other project counterparties.* Develop and continuously improve standard contract templates, legal clauses, negotiation playbooks and fallback positions for recurring project and construction arrangements.## ## **C. Project Development & Commercial Advisory*** Provide legal advice across the project development lifecycle, including feasibility, procurement strategy, contractor engagement, project implementation and operations.* Review and advise on commercial arrangements associated with Industrial Park and Renewable Energy projects, including project development, infrastructure, utility, supply, services, leasing, operating and collaboration arrangements where relevant.* Support the structuring and negotiation of project-related commercial arrangements involving multiple stakeholders, contractors, consultants, developers, authorities or business partners.* Identify contractual interfaces and potential gaps between different project packages and counterparties and advise the business on appropriate mitigation measures.* Support the General Counsel, Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects on broader corporate, commercial or transactional matters associated with projects, including joint ventures, strategic partnerships or investment arrangements, where construction and engineering legal expertise is required.## ## **D. Claims, Dispute Avoidance & Dispute Resolution*** Advise business and project teams on contractual claims arising during project execution, including variations, delay, disruption, extension-of-time, liquidated damages, defects, payment disputes and other contractual entitlements.* Support early identification of potential disputes and implement dispute-avoidance strategies before matters escalate into formal proceedings.* Assess the Group's contractual position in potential disputes and provide management with clear assessments of legal exposure, commercial options and recommended courses of action.* Manage adjudication proceedings under the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 (CIPAA), where applicable.* Coordinate and manage arbitration, litigation, mediation and other dispute-resolution proceedings in collaboration with external counsel.* Review claims submissions, notices, correspondence and settlement proposals to protect the Group's contractual and legal position.* Support negotiation and settlement of disputes where commercially appropriate.* Keep the General Counsel, Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects appropriately informed of material claims, disputes and emerging legal exposures.## ## **E. Procurement & Contractor / Vendor Contract Support*** Partner with Procurement, Engineering and project teams during tendering, contractor selection and contract award processes.* Review tender and RFP documentation to ensure appropriate legal protections and contractual requirements are incorporated.* Advise on contractual deviations, qualifications and exceptions submitted by bidders and contractors.* Support contractor and vendor contracting arrangements including framework agreements, master service agreements, panel arrangements and strategic supply contracts.* Advise on contractual remedies associated with contractor or vendor performance, including suspension, termination, damages, rectification and enforcement of security.* Support the development of contracting governance and standardisation across Industrial Park, Renewable Energy and Projects-related activities.## ## **F. Legal Governance, Regulatory & Risk Management*** Monitor legal and regulatory developments relevant to construction, engineering, renewable energy and project development and advise stakeholders on their implications.* Maintain strong working knowledge of applicable Malaysian legislation and regulatory frameworks, including where relevant: + Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012; + Arbitration Act 2005; + Construction Industry Development Board Act 1994; + relevant occupational safety and health requirements; + licensing, permitting and project-related regulatory requirements; and + other laws affecting project development and construction activities.* Ensure contracts and legal arrangements comply with the Group's governance framework, delegation of authority, internal policies and risk management requirements.* Identify significant contractual and legal risks and ensure appropriate documentation, approvals and risk acceptance are obtained.* Promote consistent and disciplined contracting practices across supported businesses and projects.* Support the General Counsel and Chief Legal & Risk Officer in maintaining appropriate legal-risk governance across material Industrial Park, Renewables and Projects matters.## ## **G. External Counsel & Legal Matter Management*** Identify matters requiring specialist external legal advice and recommend appropriate external counsel where necessary.* Prepare clear instructions and briefs to external counsel and ensure advice received is commercially relevant and responsive to business requirements.* Manage external counsel performance, legal fees, budgets and timelines.* Maintain oversight of significant disputes, claims and legal proceedings and provide appropriate updates to the General Counsel, Industrial Park, Renewables & Projects.* Escalate material legal, financial, regulatory or reputational exposures to the General Counsel and, where required, the Chief Legal & Risk Officer.* Ensure legal matters and precedents are properly documented and retained for organisational learning and future risk management.## ## **H. Capability Building & Knowledge Management*** Provide training and practical guidance to business, engineering and procurement stakeholders on construction contracting, contractual risk, claims management and dispute avoidance.* Develop legal guidance notes, contracting playbooks, clause libraries and practical tools to improve stakeholder understanding and contracting quality.* Capture lessons learned from major contracts, negotiations and disputes and incorporate them into future contracting approaches.* Contribute to the continuous improvement of Group Legal's legal operating model, templates, processes and knowledge-management practices.* Support the General Counsel in building stronger legal capability and risk awareness within the Industrial Park, Renewables and Projects businesses. **Job Requirement*** Bachelor's Degree in Law (LL.B) or equivalent recognised legal qualification from an accredited institution.* Admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya and holds a valid practising background in Malaysia, or possesses an equivalent qualification acceptable to the Group.* Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP), Bar qualification or equivalent professioal legal qualification, where applicable.* Additional qualifications or professional development in construction law, arbitration, adjudication, infrastructure, energy or project finance would be advantageous.* Membership or active participation in relevant professional bodies such as the Malaysian Bar, AIAC, CIArb or other construction / arbitration professional organisations would be an advantage. **Professional Experience** The Job* Approximately 6–8 years of post-qualification legal experience, with substantive exposure to construction, engineering, infrastructure, projects or related commercial matters.* Demonstrated experience advising on construction and engineering contracts, either within a reputable law firm, corporate legal function, infrastructure developer, engineering organisation, energy company or similar environment.* Strong practical exposure to construction and engineering disputes, claims, adjudication, arbitration and/or litigation.* Proven experience reviewing, drafting and negotiating complex commercial and construction contracts.* Experience with EPC, EPCC, design-and-build or other major project contracting structures is highly desirable.* Experience working with or advising clients in sectors such as: + industrial development; + infrastructure; + renewable energy; + utilities; + power generation; + engineering; + construction; or + large-scale capital projects would be an advantage.* Prior in-house legal experience is desirable but not mandatory, provided the candidate can demonstrate strong commercial judgement and an ability to transition from external legal adviser to embedded business partner.* Experience dealing directly with senior business leaders, project directors, engineers, procurement professionals, contractors and external advisers is preferred.* Demonstrated ability to independently manage legal matters with appropriate escalation of significant risks.To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your interest for this role.