Legal Counsel

Job description / Role

Description

The Legal Counsel will be responsible for overseeing the legal operations and compliance of the entire group of companies, including the parent company and its subsidiaries. This role requires experience and a strategic legal professional who can advise senior management, manage legal risks, ensure regulatory compliance, and oversee complex legal matters across multiple jurisdictions.

Management and development of the legal function

Managing and developing the legal and compliance function across the group in addition to managing and supervising team members.

Legal advisor to the executive team

Advising senior management and members of the Executive Board on legal and strategic matters across the group.

Legal compliance

Ensure that business activities are conducted in conformity with all applicable laws, regulations, internal policies, and procedures.

Contract lifecycle

Oversee the entire contract lifecycle and contract management process and tool. Actively participate in reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contracts in addition to maintaining and developing the group’s legal templates and observance of standard terms of contracting. Support ongoing contract management processes to mitigate risk and impact of contract breaches and customer complaints.

Litigation and dispute resolution

Manage disputes, litigation, regulatory investigations, and arbitration proceedings and manage external counsel.

Corporate governance

Ensure compliance with corporate governance standards and support corporate governance processes and record keeping.

Regulatory affairs

Oversee and ensure the group’s compliance with regulatory requirements and industry-specific rules and regulations. Advise management on regulatory requirements and developments. Liaise with regulatory bodies and maintain relationships with relevant industry bodies and trade associations where applicable. Ensure regulatory compliance requirements are reflected in company policies, processes, and SLAs.

Compliance

Oversee the group’s compliance function including drafting, implementing, and managing core group compliance policies (e.g., AML and CFT policies and privacy compliance including GDPR and similar privacy regulations), implementing and overseeing procedures.

Risk management

Continuous compliance risk assessment of company practices together with the development of internal policies and procedures, compliance training and protocols, managing legal and compliance risks, and reporting to the Executive Board or risk committee.

Business process enhancement

Actively participate in business process engineering exercises.

Manage external consultants

Liaise with external lawyers, auditors, tax advisors, bankers, and other external consultants.

Training and awareness

Provide suitable training and awareness to staff in relation to legal and compliance policies and processes.

Requirements

• LLB degree
• Proven track record (5+ years) as Group Legal Counsel or similar senior in-house legal role
• Experience in a multinational or large regional private practice firm
• Experience in TMT (Technology, Media & Telecommunications) sector and/or digital payments and digital content distribution
• Experience dealing with telecom operators and regulations
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions (in particular Europe and MEA)