Legal Counsel

TOTAL Deutschland GmbH; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

TotalEnergies Gas & Power North America, Inc. seeks a qualified in-house corporate attorney to support fast-paced trading activities across the Americas.

The role emphasizes practical legal counsel, timely advice, and strategic collaboration with commercial teams to advance business objectives in crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals trading. Responsibilities include negotiating and drafting term purchase and sale agreements, master trading documents (ISDA, NAESB), NDAs, and related

Qualifications

• JD required from an accredited law school
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience as in-house or external counsel in the United States, preferably oil & gas

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and support to crude oil, refined products, and petrochemical trading businesses.
• Negotiate, draft, and review term purchase and sale agreements, master trading agreements (including ISDA and NAESB), storage and logistics agreements, NDAs, and related ancillary documentation.
• Review and ensure the appropriate application of General Terms and Conditions governing trading transactions.
• Coordinate with Credit, Tax, Operations, Shipping, and Demurrage teams to ensure comprehensive input on commercial agreements.
• Provide legal support to Operations in drafting, reviewing, and amending spot contracts.
• Maintain and manage term agreements, storage contracts, and related documentation in contract management systems.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve legal workflows, templates, and record retention practices; leverage AI-enabled tools to enhance efficiency.
• Support adoption of approved digital tools and technologies across the legal function.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that streamline legal processes and support business objectives.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Trading agreements

ISDA documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

English fluency

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree

Job description

Société employeur TotalEnergies Gas & Power North America, Inc.

Domaine Droit des Entreprises

Type de contrat CDI

Expériène Minimum 3 ans

This role provides critical legal support to a fast-paced and evolving business environment, ensuring timely, accurate counsel that advances strategic and commercial goals.

The jobholder is responsible for providing timely, practical legal advice and support for TotalEnergies Oil & Products trading activities across the Americas.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and support to crude oil, refined products, and petrochemical trading businesses.
• Negotiate, draft, and review a wide range of commercial agreements, including:
  • Term purchase and sale agreements
  • Master trading agreements (including ISDA, NAESB, and similar agreements)
  • Storage and logistics agreements
  • Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
  • Related ancillary documentation
• Review and ensure the appropriate application of General Terms and Conditions governing trading transactions.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, including Credit, Tax, Operations, Shipping, and Demurrage teams, to ensure comprehensive review and input on commercial agreements.
• Provide legal support to the Operations team in the drafting, review, and amendment of spot contracts.
• Maintain and manage term agreements, storage contracts, and related documentation within designated contract management and document retention systems.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve legal workflows, document templates, record retention practices, and knowledge-sharing processes.
• Leverage legal technology, automation, and AI-enabled tools to enhance efficiency, consistency, and quality of legal services.
• Support the adoption and effective use of approved digital tools and technologies across the legal function.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that streamline legal processes and support business objectives.

Accountabilities

• Apply sound legal judgment and risk-based decision-making to identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks associated with transactions undertaken by the Oil & Products Trading organization.
• Collaborate and coordinate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders, including Credit, Tax, Operations, Shipping, and Demurrage teams, to facilitate comprehensive contract review and support informed commercial decision-making.
• Drive the continuous improvement of legal processes, templates, playbooks, contract management practices, and knowledge-sharing resources to enhance efficiency, consistency, and risk management.
• Leverage legal technology, automation, and AI-enabled tools to streamline workflows, improve productivity, and support the delivery of high-quality legal services.
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• 3 to 5 years of experience as in-house or external legal counsel in the United States, preferably supporting the oil and gas industry.
• Strong knowledge of trading agreements, logistics, shipping, and risk management. Experience with ISDA documentation is preferred.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.
• Experience with legal technology solutions, contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, process improvement initiatives, and AI-enabled productivity tools preferred.

About the company

TotalEnergies is a multi-energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, clean, reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

TotalEnergies Trading & Shipping (T&S), an international trading company, puts its expertise to use in the global energy markets. With its biomass blending and trading activity, TotalEnergies T&S is an active participant in the development of sustainable biofuels. Our maritime transport expertise also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of sea transportation and we recently announced the time chartering of new vessels equipped with LNG propulsion.

Our Culture

We are committed to meet the energy needs of a growing population while fulfilling our ambition to be a major player in the energy transition. The volatility of the energy trading markets requires excellence in risk management and a culture of innovation.

Our people flourish in an environment that promotes expertise, entrepreneurship spirit, agility and a purpose-driven culture, generating boundless opportunities to learn, grow and achieve collaborative success while ensuring safety in all our operations.

We look for passion, ambition and open-mindedness. While we evolve in a demanding and ever-changing industry, we cultivate a friendly workplace where team spirit and respect guide our daily routine, and where the diversity of our people and their skills create a nourishing experience for all of us.

Ready to Power the Future of Energy Trading?

Please note: TotalEnergies is unable to sponsor employment visas or consider candidates on time-limited visa status for this position.