The Head of Legal serves as the chief legal advisor for operational and commercial matters, ensuring the organization acts in full compliance with local and international laws. This role manages the internal legal team, handles external counsel relationships, and mitigates legal risk across all business units.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Contracting: Oversee the drafting, vetting, and negotiation of complex commercial agreements, vendor contracts, partnership deals, and customer terms.
Regulatory & Statutory Compliance: Establish internal compliance frameworks to ensure adherence to corporate governance, data privacy (e.g., GDPR/DPDP), employment laws, and industry-specific regulations.
Litigation Management: Direct legal strategy for disputes, claims, and court proceedings, managing external law firms to control costs and outcomes.
Risk Management & Advisory: Advise executive leadership and department heads on potential legal exposure, regulatory changes, and corporate strategy.
Team & Operations Leadership: Lead, mentor, and manage the in-house legal team while optimizing the annual legal department budget.
Corporate Governance: Support the Board of Directors with corporate secretarial functions, filings, board resolutions, and shareholder matters.
Candidate Profile & Qualifications
Education: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited institution. Master of Laws (LL.M.) is a plus.
Bar Admission: Active license to practice law / enrollment with the relevant Bar Council.
Experience: 8–15+ years of legal practice, with a strong mix of top-tier law firm and in-house corporate legal leadership experience.
Core Competencies: Commercial drafting, dispute resolution, regulatory advisory, strategic negotiation, and team management.