Company Secretary & Functional Head - Legal - Automobile

We are currently looking for a senior professional for the role of Company Secretary and Functional Head Legal with an overall experience of minimum 20 years in an manufacturing environment. The person will be responsible for secretarial, legal, litigation, compliance, license permit, IPR management, MIS etc. A background in IBC / NCLT processes for insolvency and subsequent takeover of the company would be preferred. This role will report to the MD.

Key Objective / Overall Job Responsibility :

1. Secretarial :

a. Work closely with the Chairman of the Board of Directors and both JV partners to ensure that Board meetings are held as per the scheduled timelines and legal requirements

b. Review company's corporate governance adherence and provide recommendations to senior management to ensure compliance with corporate governance statutes and foster a culture of corporate governance within the company

c. Collate data from all functions required for board meeting and share agenda of discussion with the board members

d. Maintain the official records of the company including offices / subsidiaries/ affiliates to ensure timely reporting to the board and regulatory authorities as required

e. Prepare minutes of the meeting and share minutes with stakeholders and board members on time informing about decisions on business strategies and action plans

f. Ensure process compliance as per corporate governance requirements

2. Litigation :

a. Interpret applicable laws, rulings (including precedents) and protect business interests by ensuring minimum legal exposure arising from current and future legislations

b. Ensure timely response and action to all queries by legal authorities

c. Manage legal cases pertaining to civil and criminal litigations with support from the legal resources, Group Legal of both JV partners and legal consultants

d. Develop and lead legal strategy to manage all litigation and ensure reduction in number of litigations and cases per year to avoid effects of legal risks on the organization

e. Conduct legal research and case study for all litigation cases and investigations, share information with team and advocates to effectively resolve issues.

f. Identify loopholes in contracts and legal documents while studying cases, and ensure availability of robust proofs and legal documents and vet all documents before filing a petition to avoid legal actions on the organization

3. Compliance, Licence, Permit and IPR Management :

a. Ensure that all compliance policies and procedures are in place and all business activities are in compliance with the defined policies

b. Read through multiple regulatory websites to build awareness and stay updated of changes happening in regulatory framework and further form a view on the new judgements

c. Ensure all licenses and permits related to the operation of the TBSL are procured and renewed on time

d. Address compliance related complaints and ensure all investigations are conducted in transparent and effective way

e. Act as a business partner to give inputs on compliance and legal perspective to all stakeholders and support them in effective decision making, considering all rules and regulations

f. Manage all IPR registrations of brands and related issues effectively and efficiently.

g. Monitor market closely for trademark infringement and initiate legal action in case of copyright issues

4. Contract Management :

a. Support MD in establishing legal policies aligned to company's strategic goals

b. Ensure standardization of contracts and legal related documentation across lines of business and all functions through centralized templates

c. Vet all contracts and agreements on-time to mitigate legal risks and minimize liabilities to the company, prioritizing according to need

d. Ensure agreements contain all solutions to the potential disputes and risks and address expectations of the other party

e. Draft and review undertakings, settlement documents, notice letters and special agreements to avoid potential liabilities

f. Support the business as a legal expert cum business advisor and contribute to effective decision making

g. Support local business teams to effectively deal with local legal issues, statutory and regulatory approvals, show cause notices and litigation if any

5. MIS and Documentation :

a. Update agreements and contracts according to change in laws and incident happening and liability awareness

b. Update MIS for all litigation cases to intimate concerned stakeholders