We are seeking a skilled and proactive Legal Counsel to manage the day-to-day legal, commercial, compliance, and regulatory landscape for our JMG Beirut office. Operating under the strategic direction of the Head of Legal and collaborating closely with our local External Legal Advisor, the Legal Counsel will support the Group's legal and corporate governance functions across its operations. The successful candidate will provide legal support for our diverse electro-mechanical portfolio, including power generation, solar systems, elevators, and HVAC cooling solutions whilst ensuring robust risk management, smooth corporate governance, and precise commercial contract drafting.
Key Responsibilities
- Commercial & Contracts: Draft, review, negotiate, and manage local commercial contracts, vendor agreements, sales and yearly service and maintenance agreements for diesel/gas generators, sales and installation agreements for vertical transportation (elevators/escalators) and HVAC industrial cooling systems, lease-to-own and purchase agreements for greenfield hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems and service level agreements (SLAs) amongst others.
- Banking & Finance: Assist in reviewing and managing bank credit facilities, corporate guarantees, and transactional finance documents to support ongoing operations.
- Supplier & Distributorship Relations: Review and manage complex international distributorship and supply agreements with our primary global manufacturing partners.
- Corporate Governance & Corporate Secretariat: Assist the Group Company Secretary in handling board-related matters, prepare board packs, draft minutes of meetings, and maintain corporate statutory registers.
- Compliance & Regulatory Licensing: Monitor local legislative changes, handle corporate regulatory licensing, and ensure the business complies with all Lebanese labor, tax, and municipal laws.
- Internal Advisory & Support: Provide day-to-day business-focused legal guidance to the operational teams in Lebanon under the guidance of the External Local Legal Advisor and the Head of Legal.
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation Management: Act as the primary internal contact point to coordinate tasks and litigation management with external lawyers or local advisors when necessary. Co-manage and coordinate with external counsel on recovery actions against outstanding debtors, as well as handling civil or criminal legal actions initiated by or against the company.
Qualifications & Experience Requirements
- Education: Bachelor of Laws (Licence en Droit) from an accredited Lebanese or recognized international university.
- Bar Status: Admission to the Beirut Bar Association or Tripoli Bar Association (fully admitted/passed the stage apprenticeship period).
- Experience: 5 years+ of post-graduate experience in a corporate in-house legal department or a reputable business law firm in Lebanon.
- Language Skills: Complete fluency in Arabic and English (written and spoken) is mandatory. Proficiency in French is highly desirable due to the nature of Lebanese commercial and administrative laws.
- Key Skills: Strong understanding of Lebanese corporate law, the Code of Obligations and Contracts, and commercial banking procedures.
Knowledge & Skills
- Strong understanding of contract law and commercial agreements.
- Good knowledge of corporate governance and company secretarial practices.
- Familiarity with regulatory compliance requirements.
- Excellent drafting and legal writing skills.
- Strong organizational and document management abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously.
- High attention to detail.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Excellent English and Arabic communication skills.
Key Competencies
- Sound judgement and professionalism.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
- Commercial awareness and practical mindset.
- Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
- Integrity and confidentiality.
- Ability to prioritize and work under pressure.
