Legal Adviser, North at TotalEnergies

Who You Are

• A qualified Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with at least ten (10) years post-call cognate experience
• Equipped with thorough knowledge of the working and practice of Nigerian Law
• An excellent communicator with good negotiation skills
• Rigor, drafting skills, capacity to synthesize and focus on key issues
• Proven autonomy in a demanding environment
• Diplomatic and ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Capacity to report, share, communicate, and manage people and resources

Activities

• Advisory/Agreements: Advise on, prepare and review assigned legal, commercial and other transactional contracts entered by into by TotalEnergies companies in Nigeria.  
• Debt recovery: In conjunction with the other Legal Advisers, manage the legal risk of the Company’s credit portfolio by issuing demand notices, liaise with external solicitors to institute recovery actions in Court, maintain a debt recovery register and actively participate in Credit Control meetings.
• Litigation management: Manage the entire litigation portfolio of the Northern Region including developing strategies and mechanisms for the avoidance of litigation and where suits are instituted against the Company, ensuring efficient management of the litigation to minimize the risk of litigation crystallizing against the Company. Submitting monthly litigation report.
• Court processes: Attend court on behalf of the Company, facilitate witnesses and documentation required for prosecution and defence of cases.
• Landholding management: Investigate title of properties prior to negotiation; facilitate expeditious perfection of Company’s interests/titles, maintain, update and submit a monthly plot register.
• Regional Regulatory Management (laws, regulations and ground rents): regularly monitor and advise management on applicable laws and regulations in 19 states in the Northern Region. Ensure prompt payment of ground rents, land use charge and other statutory rates and fees in 19 states in the Northern Region.
• Law enforcement agents: Represent the company and liaise with company solicitors in all Police and other law enforcements agents related matters. Proactively take steps to respond to and provide required documents to law enforcement agencies to prevent disruption of the Company’s business.
• Legal Training: provide and facilitate training sessions for internal clients, Retail Sales Executives, Regional Retail Managers and dealers in the Northern Region of the Company.
• External correspondences: Draft and review for the company all necessary letters/correspondences to be sent out to external parties to ensure legal protection for the Company.
• Patrimonial operations: (acquisitions, disposals, internal reclassification): participate in and aid the Retail Development Department in matters relating to patrimonial operations: advice, risk analysis of legal arrangements, proposals for adapted solutions, participation in negotiations, preparation and review of various leaseholds and acquisitions.
• Procedures: participate in the development and updating of legal procedures, guides, manuals, and operating methods of the company/affiliate.
• Primary legal support to Head Office Divisions: provide legal support to all head office divisions: Lubricants, HSEQ, Human Resources, Retail & Cards, Commercial, TotalEnergies Country Services.  
• Commercial Transactions: prepare, review and negotiate contracts or other instruments for the purchase of goods and services. Interact with legal counsels for third parties regarding contracts for the company. Guide and counsel company negotiators in laws and evaluate alternative strategies.
• Participate in administrative panels, sales area meetings, territorial community and public relations matters

Context & Environment

• Interfaces with all levels in the company including company officers, management, directors, shareholders/stakeholders as well as outside counsel, dealers, customers and partners.
• Must be able to work independently and proactively.
• Regular contact with Legal Affairs Manager and company retained solicitors for preparation and defence of company’s interest in Court. 
• Proactively advise the management team as to the best legal and strategic protections for the company in any given situation.
• Covers a wide geographical area for representation in court and regulatory agencies in the Northern Region.
• Attend State High Courts, Federal High Courts and Court of Appeal in the Region when required.
• Regular contact with Lands Registry and other Government Regulatory Agencies, characterized by bureaucracy.
• Manages the inordinate delays and bottlenecks of the regulatory and judicial system in the country.
• Manages the increasing arbitrariness on the part of regulatory agencies.
• Deals with criminal and other matters involving the police and other law enforcement agencies.