Legal Counsel – International & US Corporate Law

Company Description

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.

Job Description

• 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