Senior Legal Counsel

SOFEC serves the offshore energy industry, offering mooring and fluid transfer systems for floating oil and gas production and storage facilities across the world. SOFEC provides turnkey turret, spread mooring, tower yoke, and marine terminal systems. SOFEC’s ultimate parent company is a publicly traded Japanese entity, MODEC, Inc.

We are seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to support in risk assessment of legal issues and development of strategies to manage identified risks within proposals, established subcontracts and contracts, and overall business operations of SOFEC.

Position will report to the General Counsel of MODEC International, Inc. (“MII”), SOFEC’s parent company.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Draft, review and negotiate, formulate creative contractual solutions on a win-win basis aligned with client’s and SOFEC’s requirements/norms for a wide range of international commercial contracts, including, but not limited to, client contracts/subcontracts/consortium/joint venture terms and conditions to ensure conformance with applicable laws and identify deviations from accepted SOFEC risk policy, generally accepted industry practice or any unusual business or significant legal risk.

• Must be able to work closely with key stakeholders to identify and mitigate risk in areas such as tax (including PE risk), tariffs, currency risk, sanctions, IP protection, guarantees, compliance, etc.
• Provides practical legal guidance with an appreciation for the various concerns of team members, including technical, commercial, business development, project execution and risk management.
• Judges the merits of disputes, works with the appropriate outside counsel as requested, and senior/executive managers, including MII’s General Counsel, to define a strategic defense and agreed settlements of disputes where warranted.
• Works with the SOFEC Commercial Director and Contracts Manager to review, update and approve SOFEC’s standard pro forma terms and conditions for contracts/subcontracts/purchase orders, and provides input, as necessary, to SOFEC risk and contract procedures and strategies.
• Obtains input, as necessary, with respect to SOFEC’s overall legal function, including, but not limited to, reporting requirements, SOFEC’s standard pro forma terms and conditions, compliance issues and other matters as may be requested by MII’s General Counsel.
• Develops, oversees, manages and provides necessary legal support to the SOFEC Contracts Manager and Contracts Administrator.
• Plans and leads all necessary legal and contracts training within SOFEC.
• Some international travel and frequent on-line meetings that fall outside normal working hours will be required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• U.S. law degree and, at a minimum, must be licensed to practice in good standing in Texas, U.S.A.
• A minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in various legal/contract positions of increasing difficulty, including, but not limited to, a broad-based general corporate background and/or law firm experience. Legal and contracts background in the international upstream energy business sector is required.
• Well versed/experienced in contracts governed by the laws of England and Wales.
• Well versed/experienced on intellectual property matters.
• Must possess excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English.
• Exposure to technical operations in the offshore energy business is a plus.
• Must demonstrate the ability to handle multiple tasks and changing priorities in a fast-paced global environment.

MODEC International, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.