Legal Advisor
Massy Wood Group Ltd.
Total years of experience :24 years, 10 months
• Build, structure, manage and administer the Company’s legal department from the ground up.
• Provide legal counsel to the Company with a focus on Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Maintenance, Energy Services and assist with the development of Company’s policies and procedures.
• Advise Company and Executive Management on a broad range of statutory legislation and regulatory and compliance matters, including identifying areas of risk and making recommendations for improvement.
• Facilitate and deliver training to over 600 employees as well as contractors in legal compliance/business ethics keeping up to date in developments in the field and devise and maintain Company policies and procedures on all core compliance issues including business acceptance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, insider-trading, economic sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption and anti-money laundering.
• Draft highly complex energy related MSAs and other corporate agreements, negotiation, drafting and reviewing of contracts, Deeds/leases, MOUs, LOIs, NDAs, transaction documents and other legal instruments in a timely manner which included a multi-million dollar EPC contract with bpTT Global.
• Liaise with all relevant stakeholders both internal and external ensuring the core values of safety, people, quality, ethics and passion are met.
• Provide guidance and assistance to the Business Development Unit of the Company in the preparation of Bids for large tenders as well as new acquisitions and mergers.
• Perform legal research for the benefit of the Company and identify potential areas of weakness within the Company and make recommendations for improvement.
• Managing outside counsel when necessary and developing strategy for litigation proceedings.
• Develop an in-house organisation of legal professionals to provide legal assistance to the Company.
• Monitor all legal proceedings and prevent legal onslaught for the Company by anticipating and mitigating potential legal problems within the organisation and developing strategies to avoid costly litigation and reduce potential areas of risk.
• Assist in company secretarial duties and overall responsibility for the legal affairs of the entire Company.
• Train over 750 employees with respect to Company’s compliance policies and procedures in Code of Business Conduct, Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Economic Sanctions, Insider Dealings, Anti-Trust/Competition law, Intellectual Property, Data Protection, Contracts, Procurement, HSE, OSHA and the laws of Trinidad and Tobago pertinent to the operations of the Company.
• Represent the Company on legal matters at meetings, negotiations and court proceedings on a regular basis and manage litigation portfolio and determine appropriate conflict resolution (ADR).
• Monitor legal proceedings in which the Company is involved including instructing, communicating, investigating issues and drafting pleadings with external Attorneys and arbitrators, collating documents from various departments, settlement of matters out of court and being the lead investigator in regards of the Whistle-Blower Procedure for the Company.
• Corporate reporting to both Luxembourg and Brazil with respect to litigation, budget, updates and regular reporting together with collating documentation and information for corporate reporting purposes on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis e.g E-Data; Compliance Certificates etc.
• Management of ISG Trinidad Unlimited; Secretary to the Company’s Pension Plan Management Committee and Employee Home Ownership Plan Committee and President of the Company’s Sports Club.
• Highly technical skills with negotiation, drafting and reviewing of contracts, conveyances/leases (residential properties, goods and services, equipment rental etc.), MOUs, LOIs etcetera and other legal documents in a timely manner.
• Quarterly preparation of corporate secretarial documentation for Board of Directors and Board sub-Committees meetings (HSE and Audit) and assist with legal compliance procedures, initiatives and audits regarding ISO 14001, ISO 9000 and OSHAS18001:2007 certifications and local and international regulatory compliance.
• Evaluate legal and commercial risks for business operations and provide legal counsel, advice and strategy to internal clients as required by the Company which pertains to an array of legal issues.
Advise on complex cross-border legal matters; co-manage billion USD projects; obtain necessary requirements from the Government regarding the building of new plants and obtaining, reviewing and amending the necessary leases/licenses regarding petrochemical plants; general legal opinions.
• Review, research, interpret and prepare both oral and written opinions on a wide range of legal issues and provides legal advice and counsel to internal stakeholders.
• Represent and/or oversee the representation of the company in all judicial and administrative proceedings and in all negotiations with stakeholders, business interest, state and international agencies in order to protect and maintain the interest
of MHTL.
• Member of the negotiating team for the Republic of T&T - successfully concluded the Bi-Lateral Partial Scope Trade Agreement between Panama and T&T; Lead Counsel for the ‘Cruise/Ferry-Airline Hopping’ initiative - led negotiations and drafted Letter of Intent with 7 countries in the Southern Caribbean; Lead Negotiator in the successful conclusion of a Tourism Cooperation Agreement as well as a Bilateral Investment Treaty and Cultural Agreement between the Republic of Guatemala and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (2012).
• Review, research, interpret and prepare both oral and written opinions on a wide range of legal issues and provides legal advice and counsel to internal stakeholders.
• Represent and/or oversee the representation of the company in all judicial and administrative proceedings and in all negotiations with stakeholders, business interest, state and international agencies in order to protect and maintain the interest of the TDC.
• Review all contracts, leases and other legal documents, recommend revisions as necessary and provide the necessary exposure on various legal issues through meetings, seminars and workshops, to contribute to the development of legal awareness within the TDC.
• Strong command and experience in corporate/commercial law, intellectual property and conveyancing; drafting & negotiating an array of contracts, FIDIC, deeds, leases, promissory notes and other legal instruments; extensive legal research; analytical & administrative skills; managing legal risk, mediation, preventing litigation & ensuring good corporate governance compliance.
• Develop and maintain a filing, retrieval and retention system for all records, to provide current and historical reference; maintain and secure a central repository for all legal documents, company records and instruments.
• Train employees, assign work and follow up on work results by planning, monitoring and appraising results to complete the department’s operational requirements.
• Attend all meetings of the board and manage logistics which may include coordinating, preparing and distributing board pre-read materials, meeting agendas, notifications and meeting minutes for the board of directors.
• Reporting on outstanding agenda items and take action to ensure information is provided to the board members in a timely manner.
• Prepare all correspondence for the board - including responses to enquiries or complaints directed to the board.
• Maintain and ensure proper accountability for key corporate documents and records and statutory documentation which are filed in a timely manner with the appropriate authorities.
• Providing advice and keeping board members apprised of governance trends, developments and proper procedures and making recommendations related to corporate governance and board issues by identifying concerns and developmental needs.
• Manage international projects, including the US$2B AUM project at MHTL.
• Provide advice covering legal matters across a number of continents and worked with Allen & Overy LLP (UAE), MAN Ferrostaal AG and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) (Germany), Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & Mc Cloy LLP (New York).
• Draft contracts, MOU’s, Commercial Paper Instruments, Board Resolutions, Shareholder Loan Agreements, Deeds, Leases, Bonds, Wills and other legal instruments relating to investment, intellectual property, employment, corporate and commercial, finance, energy, maritime, conveyancing and other areas of the law as required and instructed by General Counsel.
• Chief Legal & Company representative for CLICO in winding up CLICO (Cayman) liaise and negotiate with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), C.I. Health Services Authority; Thorpe & Alberga Attorneys-at-Law re: CLICO (Cayman).
• Ensure compliance with all statutory legal requirements under my purview.
• Perform corporate secretarial duties at Clico Investment Bank Limited, CL Marine Limited and Caribbean Petrochemical Manufacturing Limited (CPML) as well as assist with other company secretarial services for CLF as well as manage the registration of intellectual property at CPML.
• Conduct complex investigations in relation to the bail out of CLF project management with strong strategic thinking to re-structure CLICO Trinidad.
• Provide advice, support and legal opinions to Managing Director and other senior Executives.
• Performed extensive legal research & formulated opinions and acted as Legal Counsel in various matters both in court and out of court.
Attend various courts at all levels; advise clients on various legal matters including intellectual property; draft and prepare contracts, Claim Forms and Particulars of Claim, Defences, Wills, Deeds, Affidavits, Divorce proceedings, Summons, Notices of Appeal and Motions; performed extensive legal research, legal submissions and arguments.
Interpret and analyse the National Health Service (NHS) Annual Contract for GP’s in England so as to avoid the risk of litigation; receive all medical documentation from Consultants, Clinics and in-house Practice to report on medical conditions using the Read Code System; carry out audits on medical data, create protocols for the surgery’s targets and maintained the patient database.
Maintain and control poor credit reports, overdraft facilities and loan agreements; attend to customer account enquiries; responsible for the control and process of night safe deposits, foreign exchange and cash transactions as both a Treasury and Credit Official.
Oil and Gas Management