Corporate Governance Officer

Job description / Role

•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in protecting the company's legal interests and maintaining its operations.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in preparing the documents required by the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in reviewing legal documents.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in advising the Board of Directors and Chief Executive officer.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in attending meetings related to BOD, BOD Committees, corporate affairs, shareholders and investors’ affairs and preparation of reports and minutes.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in dealing with Qatar Exchange.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in dealing with Qatar financial Markets Authority.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in dealing with the governmental authorities in all legal issues.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in dealing with Shareholders and Investors.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in managing the Chief Legal Officer department including the Corporate Law’s Unit, the Shareholders and Investors Relations’ Unit and the Board Affairs’ Unit.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in enhancing the company lawyers’ performance.
•Assist the Chief Legal Officer in monitoring compliance in coordination with the Legal Department.
•Provide practical and sound legal advice and counsel to management on legal issues.
•Drafting, negotiating and facilitating contracts and other business transactions.
•Provide proactive counsel and support to ensure company compliance with Qatari laws and regulations.
•Identify and analyze legal issues, draft key documents, present recommendations and assure legal compliance.
•Any other assignment referred to him/her by the Chief Legal Officer or higher management.
•Support the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Governance Officer in the day to day work.
•Carry out legal research as required by the Senior Lawyers or any higher management including finding out precedents and relevant statutes, legal articles and other writings related to a specific legal research.
•Draft and prepare standard governmental documents such as proxies, Articles of Associations, etc.
•Help Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Governance Officer and other lawyers in preparing court cases when requested such as legal documents.
•Follow up with external law firms handling cases with the company and keeping track of trail records.
•Assist lawyers in all stages of corporate transactions and with the preparation of documents necessary to comply with local regulations in the conduct of business activities
•Assist attorneys to prepare integral corporate documents/materials.
•Work with lawyers to prepare all documents required to form corporations (both business and not-for-profit corporations), partnerships and limited liability companies.
•Maintain active and appropriate communications with the Board of Directors Members as per the directives of the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Governance Officer.
•Perform research and analysis of routine legal problems and issues.
•Research relevant statutes, rulings, and precedents to be used as a basis for answering requests for legal opinions of a routine nature or limited scope.
•Perform preliminary work in the preparation of legal opinions.
•Update legal publications and participates in the work associated with a law library.
•Prepare case notes, head notes, and index entries describing decisions and orders.
•Review recent legislation, court cases, correspondence, and publications pointing out matters of note or which necessitate action.
•Communicate the correspondence to the Qatar Exchange and Qatar financial Markets Authority in high efficiency and appropriate time.
•Handle the administrative work with the ministries and concerned governmental authorities.
•Advise the General Counsel Department about the governmental internal regulations and the steps to be taken with the concerned governmental authorities to achieve the companies’ goals.
•Secure copies of any governmental internal regulations amendments-if possible.
•Establish a network of good relations with the governmental departments, Qatar Exchange and Qatar financial Markets Authority.
•Sort out and solving any administrative problems with the concerned governmental or public entities relating to his/her assignments.
•Making any arrangements required by the Board of Directors, CEO, the General Counsel or the Chief Corporate Counselor.
•Suggest the policies to improve handling the department communications with the Board of Directors Members, governmental and public entities.
•Any other assignment referred to him/her by the Chief Corporate Counselor or any higher management.
•The role of the Corporate Governance Officer, and other internal lawyers, is extremely broad, involving three distinct functions: acute technical lawyer, wise counselor and lawyer as leader. Such a role involves leadership, or shared responsibility, not just for the corporation’s legal matters but for its positions on ethics, reputation, public policy, communications, corporate citizenship, country.
•In aspiring to be a lawyer-statesman, the Corporate Governance Officer, and internal lawyers, must be skilled in articulating systematic and constructive options that expose and explore the value tensions inherent in most decisions; in assessing risk, but not being paralyzed by its existence; in understanding how to make rules realities and develop strategies for meaningful implementation of policies.
•Corporate Governance Officer should provide critical analysis to the decision making process and show strong leadership as a member of the executive team, particularly with regard to the provision of practical, relevant, accurate, timely and proactive legal and compliance counsel and guidance that ensures maximum protection of the company’s legal rights and maintenance of its operations within the limits prescribed by law.
•Corporate Governance Officer should provide advice to CEO and BOD for strategic planning purposes, participate in the strategic planning process, play an active role in strategic decision-making, and maintain current knowledge and understanding of the company’s business strategy.
•Corporate Governance Officer serves as general problem solver, and he should be skilled in avoiding as well as resolving disputes and in facilitating public and private ordering.
•Corporate Governance Officer should bring creativity, common sense, practical wisdom, and that most precious of all qualities, good judgment.
•Corporate Governance Officer should define the problems, identify and prioritize objectives, clarify the problem’s causes, generate alternative solutions, evaluate alternative solutions against objectives, select the best solution, implement and monitor the chosen solution if required.
•Corporate Governance Officer should demonstrate superior judgment and analytical capabilities, including research skills, ability to interpret data, ability to conceptualize, and ability to analyze information.
•The Paralegal shall carry out legal research, he shall draft and prepare standard governmental documents such as proxies, Articles of Associations, etc., and shall help the other lawyers in preparing court cases when requested such as legal documents.
•The Paralegal shall follow up with external law firms handling cases with the company and keeping track of trail records and should follow up the dates of the hearing so the external lawyer does not miss any hearing and that the lawyers prepare the adequate memorandums.
•The Paralegal should demonstrate fair judgment, including research skills.
•The Paralegal should combine good performance with high integrity. The Paralegal must be responsible for any delay in submitting the required papers to the ministries and governmental agencies and courts if such a delay is caused by his action or omission.

Requirements

•Legal qualifications which are recognized in the State of Qatar.
•LLB or equivalent, LLM is preferable
•Current bar association membership and in good standing.
•7-10 years of experience in a corporation or law firm with experience in advising the executive management and supporting the company’s operations.
•Proven ability to independently lead and execute all facets of corporate matters.
•Self-starter with demonstrated initiative and demonstrated creative problem-solving ability.
•Strong transactional background.
•Highly collaborative and consultative work style.
•Team player and strong personal contributor.
•Good organization skills.
•Good internal and external communication and presentation skills. Comfortable representing the company to Government entities and other stakeholder and industry groups.
•High standards with unquestionable integrity and business ethics.
•Familiarity and understanding of Qatari laws.
•Demonstrated good judgment and analytical capabilities, including research skills, ability to interpret data, ability to conceptualize, and ability to analyze information.
•Good negotiation skills.
•Strong analytical skills.
•Ability to build effective relationships.
•Ability to organize and prioritize tasks and handle high-pressure situations and short deadlines Good skills with computer productivity tools.
•Fluency in the Arabic and English languages is a must.

About the Company

United Development Company (UDC) was established in July 1999 as one of the leading private sector shareholding companies in the State of Qatar and the Middle East, and has been listed on the Doha Securities Market since June 2003.

UDCs mission is to identify and invest in long-term projects contributing to Qatars growth and providing good shareholder value. The company has an authorized share capital of QR 1.072.5 billion (US $294 million), a market capitalization of US$ 902MM and total assets of US$ 1,131 MM.

From day one, the companys mandate and mission has been to become a cornerstone of the development of Qatar, creating lasting value and maximizing returns for partners and shareholders.