General Counsel

Summary

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded General Counsel to lead the legal function for a leading oil \& gas organization. This role will provide strategic legal guidance to the executive leadership team, ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, and robust governance across all business operations.

The successful candidate must bring significant experience within the oil \& gas / energy sector, ideally within the GCC.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the company’s legal function, providing strategic legal advice to the CEO, Board, and senior leadership team
• Oversee all legal matters including corporate, commercial, regulatory, and compliance across upstream, midstream, and/or downstream operations
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex contracts (EPC, joint ventures, concession agreements, supply and service contracts)
• Ensure full compliance with local, regional, and international laws and regulations
• Advise on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and large-scale energy projects
• Manage disputes, litigation, and arbitration matters
• Establish and maintain strong corporate governance frameworks
• Lead and develop the internal legal team and manage external counsel relationships
• Support risk management initiatives across the organization
• Work closely with compliance, finance, HR, and operations teams to ensure alignment on legal and regulatory matters

Key Requirements

• Qualified lawyer (LLB / JD), with additional legal qualifications preferred (LLM or equivalent)
• 15+ years of legal experience, with significant exposure to the oil \& gas / energy sector
• Proven experience operating at General Counsel / Head of Legal / Legal Director level
• Strong knowledge of GCC legal frameworks, particularly UAE regulations
• Extensive experience in commercial contracts, projects, and regulatory compliance within energy
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing legal teams
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence senior leadership