Directly reports to: Divisional Manager, Corporate Legal Services
Indirectly reports to: Senior Legal Officer
Job Summary
The Legal Attorney I works within the Legal Services department, reporting to the Division Manager, Corporate Legal Services, to provide day-to-day legal services support and advice to Oando and its local & international subsidiaries on various legal transactions and corporate projects/assignments.
The Legal Attorney I shall also provide day-to-day legal support to the various units within Oando in a bid to achieve effective and efficient management of the legal needs of each transaction/assignment handled. This will include, without limitation, the preparation and drafting and/or review of contracts, legal opinions, dispute resolution management, etc.
In addition, the Legal Attorney I provides project administration support and handles time and fee schedules, project work plan monitoring, status report preparation, project documentation, and filing in addition to handling assigned responsibilities.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
- Execute work/implement best practices for legal services on assigned transactions.
- Provide high-quality and comprehensive legal advice, and prepare legal opinions and agreements as may be requested by users from time to time.
- Draft, review and summarize key provisions in respect of oil and gas/commercial/operational joint venture agreements and obtain necessary internal approvals
- Provide comprehensive legal advice to employees on the legal implications of proposed policies, decisions, and actions (in areas including, but not limited to oil and gas, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, contracts, litigation, leases, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property matters).
- Provide updates on and interpretation/application of new laws/regulations to the various Oando internal teams/departments and make recommendations to management with respect to necessary action required.
- Liaise with the governance department on counterparty background checks, resolutions, corporate documents, and execution of agreements.
- Liaise with the tax department on tax compliance requirements and tax implications of transactions.
- Provide dispute resolution management and advisory services to Oando and its subsidiaries and work with the Senior Legal Officer and the Division Manager, Corporate Legal Services, in handling Oando’s litigation and other dispute resolution matters, as may be required from time to time.
- Liaise with external solicitors and obtain regular updates on ongoing litigation and dispute resolution matters.
- Draft and review letters, and maintain files and archives of legal documents and case folders.
- Maintain and periodically update electronic and paper databases maintained by the legal department.
- Work with Oando's finance and procurement departments to ensure prompt settlement of all legal bills.
Qualifications & Experience
- First degree in Law (minimum of second-class lower division)
- 2 - 4 years’ legal work experience either from the oil and gas or general law practice of a reputable law firm.
- Strong customer service orientation and interface skills
- Ability to perform basic/general legal analysis
- Strong & effective business communication (verbal and writing skills)
- Ability to plan and execute complex assignments under pressure
Core Competencies
- Knowledge of the local, national and international laws and regulations pertaining to the various industries in which the Group’s businesses operate
- Negotiation and contract management
- Legal documentation management
- Basic accounting
- Performance management
- Customer relationship management
- Project management
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Knowledge of Oando’s business
Key Performance Indicators
- Process turnaround and general performance in accordance with terms of Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Level of adherence to mandatory reporting requirements (quality of reporting & completion deadlines).
- Availability of up-to-date and comprehensive information on each legal document affecting the companies
- Ease of access to company business, transaction and legal records
- Quality and effectiveness of day-to-day administrative support provided
- Promptness/timeliness of service delivery
- Customer satisfaction levels
- Quality and comprehensiveness of legal information/data
- Error rates in transactions processed, opinions drafted and other legal documents