Legal Counsel & Co Sec or Compliance

Legal, Compliance, Governance, Risk & Company Secretarial Team

Major Corporate client

Sydney based

Our client is a major player in the infrastructure and resources sector, active in many countries and parent co to multiple market leading businesses. they have a large and complex business in a dynamic and constantly evolving set of industries.

They are looking for a Lawyer with experience in Transactional, or Governance / Company Secretarial, or Compliance matters to join their dynamic Head office Legal, Compliance, Governance, Risk and Co Sec team. In this role you will not be limited to one stream of work but will support the Legal, Governance, Compliance and Co Sec activities of the business working with several senior lawyers in the team.

Its an excellent opportunity for a lawyer keen to remove the shackles of private practice and to immerse themselves in a complex and interesting business where there are always new projects to get involved in. You will be given as much support and autonomy as you need to succeed in the role - there are obvious career paths for someone successful in this role.

You could also be a legally qualified candidate who is working in a Governance or Compliance team in Big 4 Consulting currently,- again this would offer you access to better work and a more rewarding career path

Reporting in to a Group Manager of Legal and Governance, and working with the General Counsel, the Co Sec team, multiple operational teams across the business, the operating company legal teams and the operational company business units. It is a role with high visibility across the whole business.

Externally you will also work with Consultants and Service Providers and Vendors, managing the relationships

Examples of upcoming projects include:

  1. Development of new/updates to Policies and Procedures for the Group to ensure compliance with legislation changes or market practice (e.g. privacy reforms, AI use etc) – includes analysis of legislation changes and impact to the business

  2. Review of parent company policies and procedures to conduct gap analysis

  3. Annual compliance assurance process with our Operating Companies in accordance with group Compliance Procedure

  4. Transactional support

Experience, Skills and Behavioural Competencies required for this position

  • Law degree and 3-6 years PQE

  • Must have experience in Big Law / Professional Services firms, or experience in a similar role in a Corporate environment.

  • Must have current Practising Certificate (i.e. be a practising lawyer)

  • Ideally the candidate has experience in at least 3 of the following workstreams:

  • Corporate governance and risk advisory

  • Compliance systems

  • Corporate reporting

  • Regulatory risk advice

  • Transactional work

  • ESG regulations

  • Must be able to proactively manage multiple matters independently

  • Given the nature of the role involves highly specialised skills, we are targeting experience across a range of core compliance, corporate governance and transaction work.

Key Accountabilities

  • Group compliance management across all key areas of compliance

  • Group governance management across all business areas (Group policies and procedures and supporting tools)

  • Subsidiary compliance and governance oversight and management

  • Corporate reporting

  • Regulatory research and advice

  • Legal and regulatory monitoring – publication of monthly update for the Group

  • Risk reviews, assurance and reporting

  • Compliance management system improvement

  • Transaction management

  • Trademark/IP management (new applications and renewals plus disputes)

  • Working with key functional members and subject matter experts to support legal and compliance workstreams

Scope to assist with other legal workstreams include:

  • Contract review, negotiation and management supporting a range of business units

  • Group disputes and litigation workstreams

  • Group tendering opportunities and documentation processes

  • M&A opportunities (engagement letters, offers, agreements, conditions precedent)

  • General corporate governance workstreams

    This is a great opportunity for a junior to mid level lawyer to get into a really high functioning Legal team and to gain experience supporting them right across their Legal Compliance, Governance, Risk and Company Secretary functions

Chris Meharg