Senior Legal Manager at First World Communities Ltd

Job Summary: 

• To oversee all legal aspects concerning land acquisitions, disputes, and compliance. Responsible for ensuring strict adherence to statutory regulations, fostering external stakeholder relationships, and implementing internal improvements to enhance efficiency within the Legal unit.

Job Responsibilities:

 This role will be responsible for the following:

• Develop and implement a robust land security protocol aimed at safeguarding land resources, prioritizing the establishment of a comprehensive land bank security framework.
• Implement proactive measures to mitigate unauthorized land access, ultimately aiming to decrease incidents by 70%.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, agreements, and MoUs related to land acquisitions, leases, and developments. 
• Ensure that all contracts are legally sound and protect the organization’s interests.
• Foster collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders, including executive management, operations teams, and legal colleagues, to address legal issues and negotiate agreements effectively.
• Engage with external stakeholders such as government agencies, regulatory bodies, landowners, community representatives, solicitors, sub-developers, traditional landowners, and law enforcement agencies to ensure comprehensive compliance measures are in place. Spearheading the drafting or supervising the drafting process of all legal agreements, contracts, and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) pertaining to the company’s engagements with third parties.
• Conducting meticulous reviews of contracts, agreements, and memorandums prepared by external entities, providing expert opinions to Management on their implications, and offering informed guidance on whether to proceed with such arrangements.
• Maintaining an organized repository of original copies of contracts and agreements, ensuring accessibility and ease of reference.
• Offering strategic counsel to Management regarding potential defaults by either the company or external parties, including outlining legal rights and recommending appropriate courses of action.
• Overseeing the effective management of the company’s land assets, including overseeing the processing of title documents and related administrative tasks.
• Directing and supervising the activities of external solicitors, including conducting thorough annual performance assessments and managing contractual engagements to ensure alignment with organizational objectives.

Skills & Competencies

• 12 years post-qualification experience, out of which at least 5 must have been at Senior Management level.
• Must be able to grasp business transactions, identify and implement the legal treatment.
• Excellent drafting and organizational skills.
• Ability to analyze complex legal problems quickly and concisely.
• Experienced in handling high volume of contract reviews, SLAs, drafting and negotiation.
• Experienced in handling employment and litigation matters.

Educational Qualification:

• Master of Laws (LLM). Masters in Commercial law or MBA will be an added advantage. 
• Member of NBA (Nigerian Bar Association)