Legal Counsel Full Time

Key Responsibilities

Legal strategy

• Support the Legal & Compliance team and the Regional Head of Legal & Compliance in developing, communicating and executing legal, compliance, regulatory and risk management strategies for the Middle East region.

Business partnering

• Maintain a focus across all business lines and service lines in the Middle East market to ensure comprehensive view of legal & compliance opportunities, best practices and risk.

Disputes resolution, investigations & litigations

• Responsible for managing the various disputes and coordinating litigation of Fugro affiliates in the Middle East.
• If needed, attend court cases as a representative of Fugro company(ies) and/or as a witness.
• Follow-up and monitor of court cases with the local lawyers and update the internal stakeholders accordingly.
• Review pleadings/memorandums.
• Collaborate with the Regional Head of Legal & Compliance, Country Manager, Finance Manager and Legal team members of the Middle East region to follow-up litigation cases and to efficiently resolve lawsuits.
• Define strategy for specific disputes and investigations.
• Managing disputes and investigation.

Contract Law

• Draft (from templates and/or from scratch), review, amend, revise, negotiate and terminate any and all commercial contracts, agreements and legal documents of any nature.
• Provide business-oriented legal advice on agreements/contracts directly to the relevant business line/service line or functions.
• Collaborate with and facilitating cross-team decision-making with the Procurement Team, the relevant business line or function and/or any other relevant internal stakeholder.
• Drive contract lifecycle from drafting to signature through completion of the full negotiation process till signature.
• Maintain a deep understanding of local laws and regulations and group legal requirements, legal risk and liability.
• Interpret contracts and advising business lines/service lines/functions on contractual responsibilities and risks mitigation.
• Drive contract and other Legal processes standardisation and automation.

Corporate law & commercial law

• Support Fugro affiliates on all corporate and commercial matters by providing business legal advice.

Compliance

• Continuously monitor compliance with cumulatively Fugro’s purpose, Fugro’s Code of Conduct, Fugro’s processes and policies and local laws and regulations and advise management accordingly.
• Roll out Compliance Program and trainings in the Middle East region develops and delivers compliance trainings upon specific needs of the organisation.

Legal risk management

• Protect Fugro by reducing/minimising the risks and closing the gaps and help Fugro’s affiliates’ management to execute flawlessly its business objectives.
• Develop, implement and manage a strategic plan for the provision of legal services in accordance with and in support of business objectives.
• Provide business legal advice, assistance and support.
• Liaise with relevant departments to ensure that where legal risks have been identified, appropriate courses of actions to close the gaps have been taken.
• Provide risk management advice to internal stakeholders.

Intellectual property

• Coordinate with the global IP department based in the Netherlands the protection, enforcement and defense of the intellectual property rights (IPR) of Fugro in the Middle East & India region.

Data protection

• Implement data protection policies and procedures that comply with relevant data protection laws (e.g., GDPR etc).
• Ensure these policies are communicated effectively across the organization.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with data protection regulations at local, national, and international levels.
• Conduct regular audits and assessments to identify compliance gaps and address them promptly.
• Develop and deliver training programs to educate employees on data protection principles, their responsibilities, and the importance of safeguarding data.
• Foster a culture of data protection awareness within the organization.

Antitrust law

• Provide legal advice on antitrust and competition matters
• Manage risk assessment.
• Lead internal due diligence, audit and investigations.
• Roll out compliance program and training.

Labour law

• Act as Legal business partner for HR department (legal advice on employment contract, termination, dismissal, disciplinary sanctions, labour litigation etc.)

What Skills & Experience Will You Have?

• Master’s degree in law (business law/corporate Law/commercial law)
• Generalist in-house legal counsel
• Admitted to the Bar Association
• Fluent in English and Arabic is a must
• Between 6-8 years of experience in a similar position
• Broad expertise across various areas of law, including corporate, commercial, contracts, compliance, corporate governance etc.
• Law practice in a law firm or as in-house legal counsel in a multinational company or a combination of both
• Experience working in offshore projects/marine/ EPC/ engineering companies is highly preferred.