In-House Legal Counsel Officer
Proten International
Job DescriptionsProvide practical legal advice on corporate, commercial, regulatory, labour, tax, and operational matters across the company's business pillars.Advise the CEO and senior management on the legal implications and risk profile of key business decisions, transactions, partnerships, and new initiatives.Interpret and apply relevant Nigerian laws and regulations, includingCAMA, FCCPA, tax, labour, and sector-specific regulations.Prepare legal opinions and risk assessments for proposed transactions, business lines, and market entries.Monitor changes in legislation and regulatory requirements and advise management on their impact and required actions.Conduct periodic legal risk reviews across business units and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, MOUs, SLAs, NDAs, vendor agreements, employment contracts, and other legal documents.Review SLAs and commercial agreements to identify onerous clauses, liability exposure, unfavourable terms, and other contractual risks.Support negotiations with vendors, clients, partners, and other counterparties to secure commercially favourable and legally sound terms.Maintain a central contract register covering key obligations, renewal/expiry dates, and contractual commitments.Standardize and maintain commonly used legal and contract templates.Monitor contractual obligations and ensure potential breaches, disputes, and other exposures are promptly escalated and addressed.Serve as the primary liaison with external lawyers and law firms on litigation, regulatory matters, filings, and specialized legal assignments.Manage external counsel instructions, performance, costs, legal fees, and invoices to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.Coordinate court processes, filings, and litigation matters with external counsel while keeping management informed of developments and potential exposure.Evaluate and recommend external legal counsel based on expertise, track record, service quality, and cost.Ensure timely responses to legal notices, regulatory correspondence, and letters before action.Maintain an up-to-date register of litigation and other legal matters, including status, next steps, and financial exposure..











