Industry: Construction / Infrastructure / Energy

Experience: 25+ Years

Location: Chennai

Role Overview:

We are seeking a seasoned legal professional to lead the legal function for a multinational organisation operating in the Construction, Infrastructure, and Energy sector. The General Counsel will provide strategic legal leadership, oversee complex projects and commercial transactions, manage litigation and arbitration, and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

The role requires extensive experience in large-scale infrastructure and energy projects, EPC contracts, project development, contract negotiations, dispute resolution, and risk management. The individual will act as a strategic business partner to senior management, supporting the company's commercial objectives while safeguarding its legal and financial interests across projects and operations.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Legal Leadership:

- Lead the overall legal function and provide strategic counsel to the Board, CEO, and senior management.

- Align legal strategies with the company's business objectives, project pipeline, and expansion plans.

- Identify legal and contractual risks associated with large-scale construction, infrastructure, and energy projects.

- Support business development, project bidding, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and investment decisions.

2. Projects, EPC & Commercial Contracts:

- Lead the drafting, review, negotiation, and execution of complex EPC, EPCM, turnkey, O&M, concession, construction, supply, and project development agreements.

- Advise on FIDIC-based contracts, claims management, variations, extensions of time, liquidated damages, performance guarantees, indemnities, and contractual risk allocation.

- Provide legal support across the project lifecycle, including tendering, award, execution, commissioning, and operations.

- Advise on subcontracting, procurement, vendor agreements, consortium arrangements, and strategic alliances.

- Support project financing, guarantees, and security documentation in coordination with finance and external advisors.

3. Infrastructure & Energy Projects:

- Provide legal support for infrastructure and energy projects, including power, renewable energy, oil and gas, transmission, transportation, and major civil construction, as relevant to the company's portfolio.

- Advise on project development, land acquisition, right-of-way, permits, licences, environmental approvals, and regulatory interfaces.

- Support public-private partnerships (PPPs), concession agreements, government contracts, and public procurement matters.

- Advise on project structuring, risk allocation, change in law, force majeure, termination, and project close-out.

4. Litigation, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution:

- Lead the strategy for complex commercial disputes, domestic and international arbitration, construction claims, and contractual disputes.

- Oversee disputes relating to delays, cost overruns, defects, payment claims, termination, and performance guarantees.

- Manage relationships with external law firms, counsels, and dispute resolution specialists.

- Evaluate legal exposure, settlement options, and dispute resolution strategies to protect the company's commercial interests.

5. Corporate Governance & Regulatory Compliance:

- Ensure compliance with applicable corporate, commercial, environmental, labour, health and safety, and sector-specific laws.

- Oversee corporate governance, statutory obligations, regulatory filings, and internal legal policies.

- Advise on anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, competition law, data protection, ethics, and internal investigations, as applicable.

- Ensure alignment with the organisation's global compliance framework and local regulatory requirements.

6. Risk Management & Business Advisory:

- Establish robust legal risk management frameworks and contract governance mechanisms.

- Partner with project, engineering, procurement, finance, HR, and business development teams to identify and mitigate risks.

- Review major project bids, contractual commitments, claims, and commercial exposures before approval.

- Develop standard contract templates, approval matrices, and escalation protocols.

7. Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

- Lead, mentor, and develop the in-house legal team across business units and projects.

- Manage external legal counsel, legal budgets, and legal service providers.

- Collaborate with global and regional legal teams across jurisdictions.

- Advise senior leadership on strategic transactions, business restructuring, joint ventures, and other significant commercial matters.

Desired Candidate Profile:

- LL.B. degree from a recognised university; additional qualifications in construction law, international arbitration, or contract management would be advantageous.

- 25+ years of overall legal experience, with substantial experience in construction, infrastructure, energy, EPC, engineering, or project-driven industries.

- Strong expertise in complex project contracts, EPC/turnkey arrangements, construction claims, commercial negotiations, and dispute resolution.

- Proven track record of handling high-value domestic and international projects and managing complex contractual and legal risks.

- Significant experience in arbitration and litigation strategy, including construction and infrastructure disputes.

- Strong understanding of corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and cross-border legal matters.

- Prior experience in a multinational organisation or a large Indian or international infrastructure, engineering, construction, or energy company is preferred.

- Demonstrated ability to engage with Boards, CEOs, project heads, and global leadership teams.

- Strong leadership, commercial acumen, negotiation skills, and executive-level communication abilities.

Key Success Factors:

- Effective management of legal and contractual risks across major projects.

- Strong support for project execution, profitability, and commercial decision-making.

- Timely resolution of disputes and effective management of litigation exposure.

- Robust compliance and governance standards across business operations.

- Effective leadership of the legal function and collaboration with global stakeholders.