Senior Legal Associate -Energy

Our client is a dynamic consortium of business ventures spanning the Energy, Real Estate, and Hospitality sectors, operating at the intersection of innovation and collaboration to apply the best sustainable business practices and deliver meaningful, reliable services to communities worldwide.

Responsibilities:

Business Support 70% of Time:

• Provide support to the Head of Legal – Energy and the Business by implementing initiatives and processes aimed at setting standards and reinforcing a culture of excellence, ambition, ethical behaviour, sustainability, and responsibility.
• Lead the provision of proactive, in-depth, pragmatic, and business-focused advice on all legal and regulatory matters, including corporate and strategic transactions such as acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, inter-company relationships, complex commercial agreements, project finance, and day-to-day business matters.
• Lead the drafting, review, negotiation, and execution of commercial agreements for petroleum affiliates and international trading businesses, including fuel purchase and supply agreements, hospitality agreements, and transportation agreements, as well as debt collection initiatives.
• Support the drafting, review, negotiation, and execution of project contracts for power and EPC businesses, including power purchase agreements, implementation agreements, grid connection agreements, wheeling agreements, concessions, gas supply agreements, and EPC contracts.
• Identify legal risks and implications of business transactions, implement the legal and compliance risk strategy, and recommend operational approaches that balance commercial benefits with legal, compliance, and financial risks.
• Keep senior management informed of developments in laws and regulations that may affect the Business.
• Spearhead market entry studies and advise on in-country compliance and business entry requirements as part of due diligence for new business ventures and markets.
• Lead negotiations and discussions with regulatory bodies and counterparties to protect business interests and ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements, including licensing, HSSE, and ESG requirements across different jurisdictions.
• Regularly monitor and advise on local content requirements in countries where the Business operates or intends to commence operations.
• Monitor developments in petroleum and energy-related laws and regulations, communicate changes to internal stakeholders, and facilitate compliance through policies, procedures, and transaction documents.
• Support external legal counsel in prosecuting or defending proceedings within the Energy Business, including advising on settlement options and preparing settlement agreements.
• Manage the legal budget in line with the overall growth strategy of the Business.
• Provide ad hoc and general business advice, including licensing, employment, and corporate matters.
• Support business development initiatives, including corporate structuring, company incorporations, and drafting, reviewing, and negotiating business agreements such as cooperation agreements, feasibility documents, consultancy agreements, gas sales and purchase agreements, gas transportation agreements, energy shipping agreements, and charter agreements.

Strategy Implementation 30% of Time:

• Consider and recommend suitable M&A structures, including share swaps, share purchases, business acquisitions, and asset purchases.
• Prepare and negotiate transaction documents, including confidentiality agreements, letters of offer, subscription agreements, share purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, joint venture agreements, and ancillary documents.
• Manage end-to-end approvals from Competition Authorities in relevant countries, including application processes and necessary appeal management.
• Lead and advise on due diligence exercises involving corporate mergers, asset acquisitions, and divestitures.
• Provide guidance and documentation on employee-related matters arising from M&A and restructuring transactions.
• Advise on corporate and project financing matters, including the suitability, advantages, and disadvantages of equity and debt financing structures.
• Handle intellectual property protection and enforcement, including trademark registration, renewal, assignment processes, and protection of the Business's intellectual property.
• Undertake any other tasks, functions, and/or authority as delegated by the Head of Legal – Energy.

Financial Performance:

• Coordinating closure of financial period in SAP and ensuring timely and accurate reconciliation of General ledger accounts.
• Coordination of roles/activities leading to end month reporting and preparation of Monthly Management Reports including circularization of weekly podcast numbers, sales report, and monthly EPM upload. 
• Provide support with the annual budgeting and quarterly forecast process. 
• Prepare accurate and timely product costing for review by Finance manager including vessel-wise landed costs to management/sales team to aide in pricing decisions.
• Review product GR/IR clearing accounts reconciliations and follow up on timely closure of reconciling items. 
• Review and co-ordination of submission of supplier Reconciliations: Review of product supplier
• & transporter reconciliations and verification of supplier debit and credit notes ensuring timely supplier payment allocation. 
• Ensure all open items are resolved and follow up for outstanding amounts.  

People & Culture Leadership:

• Coordination with finance team on book keeping activities leading to end month reporting i.e. 
• sales order process completion, timely booking of suppliers/vendor Invoices.
• Liasing with finance team during TB review and quarterly controls reporting to ensure timely submission of inter-company reconciliations, bank reconciliations, petty cash certificates and customer account reconciliations.
• Liasing with supply and distribution for timely closure of open trade payables.
• Support external stakeholders with information submission (e.g. banks, tax consultants, suppliers etc) Strategy Execution & Transformation 
• Review of Trial Balance with emphasis on accuracy and completeness of General Ledger Accounts and up to date reconciliations.
• Digital Transformation: Optimization of SAP and process automation, ensure real time processing. Governance, Compliance & Control
• Fixed Asset Register: Oversee maintenance of Fixed Assets master records with the assistance and support of all assets’ owners. 
• Customer Onboarding: Support the commercial team with any analysis required during the customer onboarding process i.e. customer ratio computation. 
• Audit Compliance: Assist Finance manager to liaise with and provide information to internal and external auditors and to statutory bodies in line with statutory laws and regulations and drive for closure of identified actions. 
• Assist with KRA Audit Matters & Tax Health Checks by providing necessary support & availing requested information and reconciliations.
• Enhanced Controls Matrix: Ensure timely submission of GR/IR, Supplier/Transporter Accounts, Tax and accruals Reconciliations.
• Regulatory Compliance: Review tax returns prior to filing by 20th monthly and Tax GL Vs Itax reconciliations and VAT account clearing on or before end month.

Requirements:

Job Knowledge:

• Strong drafting and negotiation skills
• Ability to understand, interpret, explain and resolve diverse and challenging legal matters
• Effective interpersonal and relationship building skills
• The ability to simultaneously progress multiple projects / matters
• Team player with the ability to persuade others for compliance
• Willingness to learn with a desire to develop self and others
• Organized, task and detail oriented
• Consistent delivery on time in an ever-changing, fast-paced environment.
• Motivated, confident and creative problem solver, with a strong work ethic, who instinctually pushes projects forward to completion
• Excellent communication skills - both written and oral
• Consensus building

Experience:

• 5+ years of relevant legal work experience in a law firm or in-house legal team
• Corporate/commercial experience and exposure to a broad array of transactions
• M&A projects counsel experience
• Experience with regulatory matters specifically for petroleum and energy projects
• Point of contact for legal advice to a broad group of internal clients
• Contract negotiation and provision of legal advice to a diverse client group
• Prior successful experience in negotiations of complex, high value contracts.

Education:

• Bachelors’ of Law degree (LLB) from a recognized institution
• Member in good standing of the relevant Law Society / Professional body
• Advocate of the High Court of Kenya (for Kenya based employees)