Head of Legal at an Investment Company - Lead Enterprise Support Company Limited

Lead Enterprise Support Company Limited - Our client is an Investment company and Group Office with a diverse portfolio of investments in financial services, healthcare, agriculture, printing and publishing, technology, consulting, real estate and education.

They are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Legal

Location: Nigeria

Job Description

• The ideal candidate will be the legal adviser to various businesses within the Group, with the task of minimizing the risks associated with decisions and optimizing legal opportunities.
• This individual will also be responsible for contract management and coordination of Board Secretariat.

Roles and Responsibilities
Legal:

• Design, define and implement legal strategy.
• Prepare legal documents such as contracts and deeds.
• Conduct research and analysis of legal problems.
• Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations.
• Draft legal opinions, memoranda, and briefing documents.
• Review legal materials.
• Formulate formalities regarding settlements of disputes.
• Provide expert and strategic legal advice to management.
• Set internal governance policies and manage the impact of external factors.
• Evaluate and weigh multiple inputs and impacts of any decision or course of action.
• Anticipate issues and estimate risks strategically.
• Identify proactive solutions that will eliminate or mitigate risks.
• Create associations of trust and respect with key stakeholders.
• Attract, develop, direct, motivate and drive performance from team.
• Draft agreements that minimize risks and maximize legal rights.
• Deal with complex, significant matters that cut across legal and related areas.
• Keep abreast of legislative changes.
• Manage the development and resolution of claims and disputes.
• Actively participate in the management of pre-litigation and litigation files.
• Liaison with external legal experts when claims and disputes cannot be finalized amicably in order to facilitate resolution.
• Monitor the implementation of legal clauses.

Contract Managaement:

• Validate and develop contracts with a sensitive scope for entities within the Group.
• Draft, evaluate, negotiate and execute various contracts covering a range of transactions.
• Create and maintain relationships with suppliers and customers.
• Maintain correspondence and documentation related to contracts.
• Communicate and present information to stakeholders regarding contracts.
• Monitoring contracts and move forward with close-out, extension or renewal of contracts.
• Problem-solving contract-related issues.

Board Secretariat:

• Guide the chairman and the board to ensure that they are operating in accordance with the law.
• Support the chairman in ensuring the board functions efficiently and effectively.
• Facilitate good communication between the board, committees, senior management and non-executive directors, and shareholders.
• Maintain statutory books such as registers of members, directors, and secretaries, and shareholders with all their past and present shareholdings, organize board meetings and annual general meetings (AGMs), prepare agendas and take minutes.
• File necessary documents with CAC such as annual tax returns and audit reports.
• Inform CAC of any significant changes to company’s share capital, administration or registered address.
• Monitor changes in relevant legislation and the regulatory environment and take appropriate action.
• Liaise with external regulators and advisers such as lawyers and auditors.
• Develop and oversee the systems that ensure the company complies with all applicable codes, in addition to its legal and statutory requirements.
• Pay dividends and manage share option schemes and take a role in share issues, mergers and takeovers.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B).
• B.L.
• ICSAN Certified.
• LL.M is an added advantage.

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years legal experience in a corporate environment with 3 years in a senior management position.

Preferred Skills:

• Strong leadership and administrative skills.
• Strong planning and organizing skills.
• Management of stakeholder relations.
• Good understanding of problems and ability to propose legal solutions.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent legal drafting abilities.
• Visionary and result-oriented.
• Great communicator.

Knowledge:

• Legislation and compliance.
• Legal notice.
• Legislative and policy follow-up.
• Litigation Management.
• Corporate governance, risk and control.
• Administration/coordination of board secretariate.
• Contract drafting and review.
• Managing stakeholder relations.
• Business Savvy.
• Crisis management.
• Regulatory and legal.
• Gestation of contracts.
• Ethics and compliance.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.