Legal Counsel – International & US Corporate Law

Legal Counsel – International & US Corporate Law

Our client is an Abu Dhabi–headquartered energy and infrastructure developer active in large-scale gas and LNG projects. The company is currently developing an LNG plant, including the associated liquefaction facilities, marine infrastructure and long-term offtake arrangements with Asian and international buyers.

The project involves multiple jurisdictions — UAE, United States, and Asian offtake markets — and a mix of US federal and state regulatory processes, international project finance, joint-venture structuring and long-term commercial contracts. The successful candidate will be the company's dedicated legal reference on this project and will work directly with senior management, external US counsel and project partners.

• Law degree with qualification/admission in a US, European or Canadian jurisdiction; 
• Strong working knowledge of US corporate law: entity structuring, joint ventures, M&A, corporate governance, and the US regulatory environment applicable to energy and infrastructure assets
• Solid grounding in international commercial and contract law, cross-border transactions and international arbitration
• Ability to operate as a standalone legal function: advising management directly, instructing and coordinating external counsel, and taking positions without an internal legal team to fall back on
• Full mobility for frequent international travel between the UAE, United States and Asia — passport and visa status permitting straightforward travel to the US and Schengen area
• Fluent English; additional languages an asset
• Comfortable working in a multicultural environment and within a Middle East corporate setting
• Admission to a US state bar is an advantage but not a requirement 

Qualifications

• Minimum 8–12 years' post-qualification experience, gained in an international law firm and/or the in-house legal function of an energy, LNG, oil & gas, power or large infrastructure company
• Demonstrated involvement in at least one major capital project (LNG, midstream, power or comparable infrastructure), covering the development phase: JV and shareholder agreements, EPC contracts, land and permitting matters, offtake and transportation agreements
• Experience with US project development and permitting processes (FERC, DOE export authorisations, state-level approvals) — direct experience on a US LNG or midstream project is a distinct advantage
• Exposure to project finance and to negotiations with international lenders, ECAs or equity partners
• Track record of advising C-level management on transactions and risk, and of managing external counsel across jurisdictions