Main Duties and Responsibilities
Summary
1. Provide legal advice and support to APAC country management
2. Review and draft complex commercial contracts
3. Ensure compliance with local and regional legal regulations
4. Manage legal risks for Bureau Veritas Fuels operations in APAC
5. Collaborate with global legal team and country leaders
6. Support mergers, acquisitions and corporate governance initiatives
7. Support the legal and compliance framework with a strong focus on international sanctions compliance, including transactional screening, risk-based advisory, and implementation of appropriate controls across operations.
Legal Function
1. Handle all legal affairs and manage legal risks of the Fuels Division (with an emphasis on the review of offers and contracts and legal risk scoring) with the exception of those matters: (a) relating to HR handled by HR; (b) relating to debt collection handled by the Credit Department.
2. Handle M&A (including confidentiality agreements, letters of intent, sale & purchase agreements) or joint venture matters, by informing and coordinating with, on a timely basis, the Fuels General Counsel, Risk & Compliance Manager.
3. Oversee, supervise and monitor corporate governance, company secretarial, company law and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of the legal entities of the Fuels division
4. Organise, manage and supervise (including by instructing them and reviewing the substance of their work) all legal available resources, whether internal or external.
Compliance Function
1. Oversee, supervise, monitor and audit compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and with the Group’s Code of Ethics and related policies.
2. Investigate and report on any breaches of the Group’s Code of Ethics and related policies.
3. Provide the necessary guidance and support to each Fuels region, including training, for the correct follow up and respect of the Group’s Code of Ethics and related policies.
4. Assist Management in defining and implementing compliance policies for Fuels in accordance with those of the Group.
5. Guide and support management of regulatory requirements such as to ensure robust sanctions compliance through effective screening, risk assessments, and internal advisory support on high-risk jurisdictions, entities, and transactions.
Expected legal and compliance actions
1. Provide transactional legal advice and opinions.
2. Sanctions:
2.1 Advise on sanctions-related risks in contracts and commercial activities.
2.2 Conduct and review sanctions screenings for transactions and counterparties.
2.3 Escalate and report potential sanctions concerns in line with internal protocols.
2.4 Interpret and apply evolving international sanctions regulations to business operations.
3. Draft, review, negotiate and interpret all types of contracts and agreements.
4. Score legal risk of all material offers, bids and contracts.
5. Ensure the dissemination and use of the Group’s Terms & Conditions of contract.
6. Verify and put in place appropriate powers of attorney and authorisations and that the correct legal entity is correctly denominated in all offers, bids and contracts.
7. Draft, review, negotiate all corporate guarantees and bonding (if any).
8. Manage intellectual property issues and real estate (including leases).
9. Advise on legal compliance, legal risk assessment and insurance coverage.
10. Support, advise and contribute in respect of matters under the responsibility of the Group Legal Department, such as major litigation and M&A.
11. Analyse and advise concerning existing, new and revised legislation, regulations and case law.
12. Coordinate with, and/or inform, other concerned Group lawyers and other concerned Division, Corporate or Country operational or functional people.
13. Ensure corporate governance and legal compliance implementation.
14. Update all legal databases.
15. Interface and liaise with other functions, including with those relating to risk management, insurance, technical and quality and check that activities conducted are indeed covered by applicable insurance.
16. Ensure compliance with the Group’s Code of Ethics.
Experience & Skills Required
1. A minimum of 5 years’ corporate legal experience
2. Strong understanding of APAC legal frameworks
3. Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, notably sanctions
4. Fluency in English. Additional Asian language skills (notably Chinese) are advantageous.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
6. A legal degree
7. Required to be admitted to practice as an attorney or advocate.
As the role supports APAC the ideal candidate will already reside in an APAC country and be familiar with the legal frameworks. The role can be based from any of our APAC offices. Flexible working (office/home mix) will be available.