Location: Singapore
Experience: Minimum 5 years PQE
Industry: Mining, Commodities Trading, Natural Resources
Languages: English (required), French (preferred)
Overview
We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel with in-house exposure in the mining and trading sector. The ideal candidate is a hands-on legal business partner who can provide strategic legal advice, support commercial negotiations, ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions, and enable sustainable growth for our global mining and commodities operations (including Africa and Asia).
Key Responsibilities
1. Corporate & Commercial Advisory
- Provide strategic legal and regulatory advice across corporate, commercial, operational, mining, and trading matters.
- Advise on corporate structures, joint ventures, project development, supply-chain arrangements, and cross-border operations.
- Review and negotiate a wide range of commercial and operational contracts, including:
- Offtake agreements
- Mining & services contracts
- Procurement & logistics contracts
- MOUs, LOIs, letters of undertaking
- Vendor and subcontractor agreements
- Draft, review, and amend corporate formation documents, resolutions, governance materials, and compliance procedures.
2. Contracting & Negotiation Support
- Lead contract drafting and negotiation for business-critical transactions.
- Work closely with operations, trading, finance, and project teams to ensure business terms align with commercial strategy and legal protection.
- Provide legal input on hedging, loan, security, and financing documents with banks and financial institutions.
3. Compliance, Regulatory, and Governance
- Interpret and ensure compliance with relevant international and local regulations, including:
- Sanctions
- Anti-bribery & corruption (e.g., FCPA)
- Data protection
- Anti-competition
- Environmental & mining regulations
- Develop and implement internal compliance frameworks and policies.
- Remain updated on evolving laws in key jurisdictions (Singapore, China, Africa, EU if applicable).
4. Transactional & M&A Matters
- Advise on due diligence and risk assessment for acquisitions, divestments, and partnerships.
- Support cross-border deal structuring in mining concessions, licences, project financing, and resource development.
5. Litigation & Dispute Management
- Manage disputes, arbitration, or litigation matters, including liaising with external counsel and evaluating litigation risk exposure.
- Prepare internal reports, maintain documentation, and manage legal budgets relating to dispute matters.
6. Intellectual Property & Licensing (as applicable)
- Coordinate with patent/IP attorneys on IP matters.
- Review and negotiate licensing, engineering, and IT service agreements.
7. Internal Collaboration & Training
- Work closely with senior management, finance, operations, and sustainability teams.
- Provide legal training and awareness sessions to business units on key compliance and contract-management topics.
- Support the corporate secretariat team on governance matters when needed.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) admitted to practice in a recognized jurisdiction.
- Minimum 5 years PQE, with at least 2 years of in-house experience in mining, commodities trading, natural resources, or a related heavy-industry environment.
- Strong knowledge of cross-border commercial transactions and compliance in emerging markets (experience in Africa is advantageous).
- Familiarity with commodity offtake, shipping/logistics terms, and operations contract structures.
- Demonstrated experience in drafting complex commercial agreements and advising on operational legal matters.
- Strong capability in handling regulatory and compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- French proficiency is highly preferred due to engagement with francophone regions (e.g., West Africa).
- Able to operate independently, manage multiple priorities, and act as a business partner in a fast-paced, commercially driven environment.
