Legal Counsel
Job Description
Position: Legal Counsel G&T – G&T Legal & Contract Affairs Department
Organization
* Function: Legal Counsel
* Country: Global
* Location: Oslo or Paris
* Hierarchical Report: Legal Director G&T
Context
Nexans core activity in Energy business is developed and performed by a Business Group called “G&T” (Generation & Transmission). G&T has a project-based organization, with highly complex and long-lasting projects led for customers operating all around the world. G&T Business Group comprises factories in Halden and Rognan (Norway), Goose Creek (United States), Charleroi (Belgium), and Futtsu (Japan), with operations and support functions mainly located in Norway and Paris.
In order to manage and develop G&T Business Group in an optimal way, the legal support function is part of the Management Committee of G&T Business Group through Legal & Contracts Department.
Current stakes: 1) participate and contribute actively to the transformation of G&T Business Group; 2) provide support and advice to operational teams as necessary on all legal and contractual matters in a coordinated and integrated manner.
Purpose
The Contracts & Legal Affairs Function is fully part of the business, so each lawyer is a “Business partner.” As such, the ability to understand the business is essential to provide relevant inputs.
The Legal Counsel, under the supervision of the Legal Director, actively contributes to the G&T Business Group development and strategy achievement of business objectives in compliance with laws, Nexans’ governance rules, ethics code, and regulations. He/she manages risks (primarily of a contractual and legal nature) to achieve objectives of the G&T Business Group; participates in the risk assessment process of the G&T Business Group, and solves claims and contractual difficulties.
Develops contractual and legal awareness for related tendering, development activities, and contract negotiation activities. This may take the form of advice and assistance on an ad-hoc basis or ongoing basis to Tender and Project Managers. He/she provides appropriate legal advice and support to Tender and Project teams, identifies changes to Legal and Regulatory Environments including their impact, and proposes appropriate actions.
Areas of responsibility
Participation in tendering activities
* Support to G&T Business Group Sales & Tendering teams at tender phase by providing legal advice and contractual deviations to the contracts provided by the clients or form of contracts as necessary.
* Support to G&T Business Group Sales & Tendering teams regarding foreseeable contract execution risks/opportunities and anticipate and contribute to mitigations.
* Support (and/or participate) to the Sales & Tendering teams during tender reviews and negotiations with the clients before the award of the contract.
* Support to G&T Business Group Sales & Tendering and Purchasing teams in relation to major suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for the tenders/projects.
* Participate in the decision-making process for all tendering matters.
* Participate in the contract education of G&T Business Group Sales & Tendering Directors and Sales & Tender Managers in particular regarding contract and legal risks including by way of training as necessary.
Participation in Project execution activities
* Support to G&T Business Group Project Director, Project Managers, and Contract Managers G&T at their request during negotiation and execution of the contracts in all fields of activities related to Project execution according to the relevant Division of Responsibility.
* Support to Project execution team for all legal matters related to the execution of the contracts.
* Exchange and coordinate continuously with Contract Managers G&T regarding foreseeable contract execution risks/opportunities and anticipate and contribute to problem-solving.
* Promote best legal practices relating to contract execution.
Participation in Purchasing activities
* Assist G&T Purchasing Department and participate in the subcontracting strategy at tender stage by identifying complex subcontract issues in cooperation with Purchasing and Tender teams; give relevant input by communicating possible gaps and advantages to be included in the subcontracts to mitigate risks; participate in the definition of the strategy for the complex subcontracted packages.
* Support G&T Purchasing Department for strategic/major procurement contracts (organic growth, major CAPEX, …).
* Participate in the development of new templates, standards, contribute to increased knowledge/consciousness in Purchasing Department for laws/regulations, internal rules, and provide corresponding internal training.
Participation in R&D activities
* Assist G&T R&D Department for contract review and negotiations for collaboration contracts, Join Industrial Projects, R&D development contracts, license Agreements, transfer of technology Agreements.
Diffusion of contract and legal culture; legal and regulatory watch
* Develop awareness on contractual and legal matters for Nexans teams within G&T Business Group.
* Identify areas of improvement in legal matters in the G&T Business Group.
* Educate people (sales, purchasing, technical function…) inter alia through training on legal matters to ensure the deployment of a legal culture and to develop appropriate behaviors within G&T Business Group.
* Provide and gather up-to-date information on evolutions of the laws and regulatory matters relevant to G&T Business Group as well as define/propose actions if necessary.
Interface with external providers
* Participate in the selection of the external providers such as external lawyers in accordance with G&T Business Group’s policies.
* Manage external providers such as external lawyers when required at tender stage or execution stage.
Knowledge management
* Contribute to the transfer of knowledge within the contract management and legal community by sharing experience, information …
* Participate in the creation of and use of knowledge management tools: common server reference base, legal library, Intranet…
* Share and actively support the sharing of experiences and information within and outside the contract management and legal community.
Key Interfaces
* G&T Sales & Tendering Directors and Managers
* Contract Managers G&T
* Purchasing Director and Purchasers
* G&T R&D Department
* Legal Director G&T
* General Counsel G&T
Expected results
* Limitation and mitigation of risks.
* Coordinated work between contract management and legal function.
* Legal function as a full business partner.
Required skills and qualifications
* Strong Legal university education and knowledge of common law system.
* Knowledge of complex turnkey EPC projects in an international environment.
* Risk awareness and Business acumen.
* Ability to negotiate and deal with customers.
* Be responsive, practical; good negotiation skills, ability to make people understand your position; ability to listen and create consensus.
* Well organized, Self-motivated, and persistent.
* Able to work on own initiative.
* Oral and written English for negotiations, communications, and contract analysis.
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