Senior Legal Counsel

About Emirates Global Aluminium

Emirates Global Aluminium is the world’s biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer and the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside the oil and gas industry.  EGA is an integrated aluminium producer, with operations on four continents from bauxite mining to the production of cast primary aluminium and recycling. EGA employs over 7,000 of these people including more than 1,200 UAE Nationals. EGA operates aluminium smelters in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah in the United Arab Emirates, an alumina refinery in Al Taweelah, a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the Republic of Guinea, a speciality foundry in high strength recycled aluminium in Germany, and a recycling plant in the United States.

JOB PURPOSE:

Provides expert legal advice and guidance to EGA group (including subsidiaries in the UAE, Europe, USA, China, Korea, Guinea, and Singapore), within the applicable legislation, in line with the corporate strategy to optimally resolve legal issues, contain legal risks and support Management’s decision making.

Supports the Chief Legal & Ethics Officer in the day-to-day operations to achieve the defined quality standards and operational excellence across the function.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Strategic Contribution 

• Supports the implementation of the department strategy ensuring alignment to functional strategy, EGA’s vision, mission, and corporate objectives.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of departmental strategy and related strategic plans, which are aligned with the vision and mission of the organization.
• Ensures the provision of subject matter expertise for the assigned domain and provide counsel to EGA leadership on all related areas to facilitate the achievement of EGA’s strategy and functional strategies.

Leadership

• Manages the effective achievement of department objectives through effective leadership and by setting of individual objectives, managing performance, developing, and motivating team to maximise performance.
• Supports the talent development initiatives for the assigned department, collaborating with discipline experts and thereby ensure the availability of talent to fit business requirements.
• Acts as a role model and drive adherence to organizational values and ethics by employees of the assigned department to ensure the establishment of a value driven culture within the organization.

Policies, Processes & Procedures

• Supports the implementation of functional specifications, policies, systems, processes, procedures, and controls covering all areas of General Counsel/Legal Affairs operations so that all relevant procedural/legislative requirements are fulfilled while delivering a quality, cost-effective service in a consistent manner.
• Provides significant input in the development and implementation of legal, ethics and compliance policies and procedures. Effective communication and implementation of all applicable policies.
• Considers and implements innovative solutions where appropriate (particularly in relation to managing costs and streamlining the contract drafting, negotiation and execution process), maintaining an awareness of advancements in technology applicable to the Function. 
• Supports Function in transitioning to Document Management System and ensures active matters are properly recorded and saved in the appropriate location.

Legal Advisory

• Responsible for providing cross-functional team leaders in all jurisdictions with practical, commercial, timely and strategic legal advice in respect of all corporate and commercial transactions, day-to-day operations and disputes offering business partners optimum solutions as well as assisting the business to respond appropriately to any applicable legislative or regulatory changes.
• Proactively assists with complex transactions – identifying legal (and where appropriate commercial) issues in relation to that transaction and provides pragmatic legal analysis and possible legal and practical solutions to mitigate risk and achieve the best possible commercial outcome for EGA.
• Provides advice across the business and in different jurisdictions on applicable laws and the interpretation of legal documents in a manner that avails a practical legal approach while properly managing the risks to the business.
• Provides recommendations for addressing critical legal and policy issues to ensure that the EGA Group’s legal and overall objectives are met in a manner consistent with its values, strategies, policies, and procedures. 
• Collaborates and coordinates with EGA Management to ensure the Function evolves to continue to provide effective advice and support alongside the changing needs of EGA’s global business.
• In the event of an incident (i.e., a death on-site or material property damage), provides incident response support (including 24 hours / 365-day emergency response) handling the situation with practical legal input to minimise criminal and civil liability. 
• Provides expertise advice and support with incident investigations, associated claims and reports where required. Contributes to internal lessons learned where appropriate in the post incident analysis.

Contractual

• Leads/ drafts, reviews, and negotiates complex contractual and other documents with a view to minimising legal exposure and risk for the EGA Group across all jurisdictions.
• Identifies, assesses, manages, and mitigates key legal and commercial risks in contractual and other arrangements.
• Develops standard terms of business and Standard Form Precedents for applicable business area(s), and updates the same to reflect changes in legislation, regulation or market practice and offers the relevant departments training on the same.
• Provides business with practical advice on the risk of departing from the EGA’s template wording and empowers decision makers to select the correct strategy to achieve EGA’s aims.

Post-Contractual Support

• Provides appropriate ongoing expertise counsel and support for operations and the contract managers of active contracts, including supporting international subsidiaries (where relevant). 
• Provides training to Areas to heighten awareness of rights, liabilities, and obligations in ongoing contracts. Assesses systems that the Area has in place to monitor ongoing contractual obligations and conducts periodic reviews of the relevant Areas to ensure they are aware of, and adhering to, their contractual obligations and reporting requirements.

Disputes Management 

• Avoids formal dispute resolution proceedings to the appropriate extent or where possible achieves mutual settlement.  
• Proactively manages the conduct of any litigation, arbitration or dispute that may arise worldwide in close consultation with the Chief Legal & Ethics Officer, external counsel, and all relevant internal stakeholders.

Knowledge Building

• Responsible for keeping the Function and the business at large informed on new laws, regulations, and industry trends that affect the business as well as assisting with the development of policies and training, as necessary.
• Develops and enhances the knowledge of the relevant EGA teams with respect to legal concepts and updates, contracting processes, general contracting strategy, contract administration and dispute management.
• Leads and conducts the provision of training sessions, workshops, and guidance materials as required and appropriate.

Management of Outsourced Service Providers

• Procures external legal support with the approval of the Chief Legal and Ethics Officer and, where applicable, in accordance with the Function’s tendering processes.
• Supervises and manages law firms to ensure all services are procured in a timely and cost-effective manner and meet applicable quality standards. 
• Actively participates in the preparation of the Function’s Budget by engaging with relevant business areas/subsidiaries to develop a forecast for the year’s legal spend for that team based on expected workflow and approved projects in the pipeline. 
• Responsible for spending on law firms against the Function’s Budget and seeks to maximise efficiencies and reduce costs without impacting the quality of work and advice. Considers alternative billing arrangements and looks to maximise value-adds from law firms. 
• Project manage deals and transactions in line with the approved Function Budget and agreed assumptions and scopes. Promptly notifies the Chief Legal and Ethics Officer of any material exceedances.

Ethics and Compliance Support 

• Maintains an awareness of applicable compliance requirements and issues to ensure they are appropriately provided for and considered in the relevant legal documents. 
• Provides assistance with investigations as and when required by the Compliance Team.

Professional Development 

• Maintains appropriate awareness of the current local and international legislative and regulatory environment and complies with professional regulator’s requirements for continuous professional development.
• Attends relevant internal training and actively engages with external consultants and experts to develop expertise and know-how.

Brand Development

• Develops, updates and actively promote the EGA Legal “brand” both internally within the EGA Group and externally. The brand must be aligned with the values and principles of the EGA Group and continue to evolve as those values and principles evolve.
• Contributes to Thought Leadership on specific area of expertise within EGA, in the business community and online. 
• Heightened profile of EGA Legal both internally and externally by the Senior Legal Counsel acting as Ambassador for the Function.

Stakeholder Management

• Develops strong working relationships with the members of the Executive Committees and key personnel from relevant business areas to achieve the status of trusted advisor to relevant stakeholders, including the Chief Legal & Ethics Officer.
• Enhances effective coordination and communication with all internal and external entities (such as the company’s internal business units, vendors, suppliers, contractors, service providers, etc.) with highest standards of business ethics, to ensure the services required by the organization are delivered in the most effective manner.
• Represents EGA in all related forums as assigned by leadership and promotes sharing of best practices and effective networking among industrial experts to obtain optimum benefits and enhance the knowledge base for EGA.

Reporting

Ensures that all Functional reports are prepared timely and accurately and meet EGA requirements, policies, and quality standards.

AUTHORITY/ DECISION MAKING:

The Senior Legal Counsel is expected to operate with a high level of autonomy but to advise the Chief Legal and Ethics Officer on all material and strategic issues of any nature in a timely and coherent manner.

The Senior Legal Counsel exercises financial authority as per the levels established by the EGA Delegation of Authority

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Law from an internationally reputable university together with a legal qualification from any of the UK, US, or certain Commonwealth countries.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum 10 years’ post qualification experience in a combination of top-tier international law firm (preferably UK or US) and as an in-house legal counsel within a corporate setting.
• Subject matter expert/ specialist in a particular legal field (i.e., a shipping law specialist, a construction law specialist, finance law specialist, etc).
• Experience in international cross-border transactions and projects.
• Experience working at all levels of management consulting with senior business leadership and stakeholders.

Skills:

• Legal Skills: Highly knowledgeable of legal principles with strong drafting and negotiation, problem solving, innovative and critical thinking and research skills. Ability to negotiate, draft and vet contracts that address complex and difficult issues. Should have a solution-focused outlook and be commercially astute.
• Communication Skills: Should demonstrate exceptionally good communication skills both in written and verbal form. Must have the ability to speak articulately and persuasively to individuals at senior management level. Impact is significant - the role is a sensitive position that demands messages and instructions be clearly given both internally and externally to EGA’s partners and governing bodies. The candidate will also need exceptional communication skills in his or her legal drafting capacity since legal documentation needs to clear, concise, unambiguous, and conclusive, leaving as little room as possible for subsequent misinterpretation or exploitation. 
• Interpersonal Skills: High ethical standards. A strategic and creative thinker, he or she must be result-orientated as well as detail orientated, be flexible and welcoming to change, have excellent planning and organizational skills, he or she will have an ability to manage numerous simultaneous projects and meet tight deadlines, he or she will be meticulous, have exceptionally good problem-solving skills, and possess the ability to remain calm and composed during times of uncertainty and stress. 
• People Skills: Must be a people person and be capable of forming strong, lasting, and meaningful relationships with others (at all levels of seniority) while maintaining firm adherence to legal standards. He or she will demonstrate confidence but remain approachable and relatable, which will inspire confidence and trust in others who will then trust in his/her insights and judgments and follow in his/her directives. Must possess a solid understanding of, and contribution to, the Function and EGA Group values, strategies, policies, and procedures.
• MS Office: Must be technology adept and have excellent computer skills. He or she must display exceptionally good MS Office, MS Excel and PowerPoint skills that will be necessary for the drafting of various legal documents and for the creation of engaging presentations as required.