Legal Counsel at Shell Petroleum Development Company

As Legal Counsel in the Global Litigation – Sub-Saharan Africa organisation, located in Port Harcourt, Nigeria you will report to the Team Lead – Environmental Litigation, Nigeria.  You will be a key member of the SPDC Litigation Team accountable for managing disputes in litigation, arbitration and other adversarial proceedings including handling regulatory challenges in Nigeria .  Matters cover an extraordinary range of cases of key importance to SPDC businesses, including some highly specialized, complex cases of significant strategic, financial and reputational importance.  The role has a particular focus on matters arising under Nigerian law but given the breadth of the geographic region which the team supports, you will also handle disputes arising under or being conducted in other legal systems.  You must therefore have excellent legal and strategic judgement coupled with strong business partnering, communication and stakeholder management skills. You must collaborate with senior stakeholders across multiple business and organizational lines to handle matters to further business objectives and protect shareholder interests.

What’s the role?

As Legal Counsel you will provide proactive guidance to the businesses supported, seek out and propose appropriate solutions to disputes and litigation and co-ordinate input from multiple business, legal and other functional stakeholders to deliver business strategy.  More specifically your role will include:

• Identifying critical legal issues and strategic business options based on complex and ambiguous data.
• Developing a case management plan for each assigned matter.
• Providing strategic advice on litigation and arbitration procedure and tactics.
• Collaborating with and influencing senior internal and external stakeholders with diverse cultural backgrounds, with ability to adapt style and communication technique for different stakeholders.
• Drawing the attention of management to legal implications of rulings, decisions and case resolutions in a proactive, timely and business-oriented manner.
• Support the Team Lead – Environmental Litigation and Managing Counsel Sub Saharan Africa in the management of some divestment sensitive environmental litigations
• Ensuring significant litigation risks are reported within the Group Control framework, including maintaining matters on the Group-wide matter management database and recommending legal contingencies and provisioning relating to litigation matters.
• Engaging and managing external counsel, including the negotiation and execution of non-hours based alternative fee arrangements (AFAs).
• Driving and promoting Shell’s international arbitration network and developing Shell or industry positions on significant legal issues.
• Monitoring and highlighting significant legal developments.
• Lead any required disclosure exercise as it concerns SPDC in respect of foreign Litigations
• Espousing Shell’s Business Principles and being committed to continuous improvement.
• Adopting a learner mindset to maximise our performance, live our values, grow trust in Shell, inspire and engage.
• Drafting and reviewing pleadings and other court papers, collating evidential materials, preparing witnesses and attending court proceeding.
• Seeking challenge and setting stretch targets for own performance and supporting and developing less experienced lawyers and support staff.
• Encouraging and contributing to a team culture of strong performance, collaboration and an enterprise first mentality.
• Lead some continuance improvement initiatives within the team

What we need from you?

In order to enable Shell’s strategy by resolving complex disputes you will require significant prior experience of managing high-value oil & gas disputes, including drafting pleadings (desirable) and court appearance in the superior courts of record in Nigeria. Furthermore, you will have:

• A Certificate of Call to Bar as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria for a minimum period of 5 years and significant experience in private practice in a top law firm in Nigeria of not more than 10 years.
• A Degree in Law (LL. B Hons.) from a Nigerian University. Possession of a Master’s degree (LL.M) will be an added advantage.
• Significant experience leading, project managing and/or acting as integrator in a team.
• Superb interpersonal skills and ability to work seamlessly with a diverse range of business clients and internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in disputes involving sovereign states or state-owned entities (desirable).
• A well-developed external network within the disputes community in Nigeria.
• Mastery of evidential and court procedural rules in Nigeria
• Learner mindset and ability to work with minimum supervision
• Ability to work in cross-jurisdictional teams.