Senior Manager - Legal, Compliance & Secretarial

ABOUT SOLARSQUARE ENERGY:

Solarsquare Energy Private Limited is one of India's fastest-growing residential and commercial rooftop solar companies, committed to making clean, affordable solar energy accessible to every Indian household and business. With a rapidly expanding portfolio of installations, technology-led operations, and a mission-driven team, Solarsquare is redefining the future of energy. As we scale aggressively, we are looking for sharp, proactive legal leadership to help build the institutional frameworks that support our growth.

ROLE OVERVIEW:

The Senior Manager - Secretarial Legal & Compliance will serve as a key strategic partner to the business, providing comprehensive legal counsel across commercial, regulatory, and operational domains. This role demands a commercially astute legal professional who can balance robust risk management with the speed and agility required in a high-growth startup environment. The incumbent will be the primary legal custodian for the company's contracts, disputes, intellectual property, compliance obligations, and people-related legal matters.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM):

- Own the end-to-end contract lifecycle - from template creation, negotiation, and execution to renewal, amendment, and archiving.

- Develop and maintain a centralised contract repository with standardised playbooks and pre-approved clause libraries.

- Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of material contracts including EPC agreements, vendor/supplier contracts, technology licensing agreements, and project finance documents.

- Identify and flag contractual risks proactively; advise business teams on obligations, rights, and exit mechanisms.

- Lead implementation of a Contract Management System (CMS) and drive adoption across departments.

2. Litigation & Dispute Resolution:

- Manage all litigation matters - civil, consumer, and regulatory - including coordination with external counsel, tracking hearing timelines, and periodic escalation to senior management.

- Maintain a litigation tracker with up-to-date status, financial exposure, and strategic notes.

- Develop pre-litigation strategies to minimise court proceedings and protect organisational interests.

- Represent the company before consumer forums, regulatory bodies, and quasi-judicial authorities where required.

3. Recovery Strategies from Customers:

- Design and implement a structured legal recovery framework for dues outstanding from residential and commercial solar customers.

- Evaluate and deploy recovery tools including demand notices, arbitration clauses, SARFAESI/DRT actions (where applicable), and civil suits.

- Collaborate with the Finance and Collections teams to prioritise and execute on high-value recovery actions.

- Prepare standardised legal notice templates and guide internal teams on escalation triggers and timelines.

4. Material Contracts & Branding Agreements:

- Review and negotiate material contracts across business functions - channel partnerships, distribution agreements, software/SaaS tools, bank/NBFC tie-ups, and co-branding arrangements.

- Advise the Marketing and Brand team on legal compliance for advertising content, influencer agreements, campaign disclaimers, and brand licensing.

- Ensure all brand collateral, slogans, and visual identities are legally cleared for use and duly protected.

5. Lease Agreements & Real Estate:

- Draft, review, and negotiate lease agreements for office premises, warehouses, and project sites across geographies.

- Conduct title diligence, verify landlord documents, and ensure enforceability of lease terms.

- Track lease renewal timelines, rent escalation clauses, and exit provisions; maintain a centralised lease register.

- Liaise with local legal counsel for state-specific stamp duty, registration, and municipal compliance requirements.

6. Customer Complaints Management & SOP Development:

- Build a robust Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for end-to-end customer complaint management:

1. Stage 1 - Receipt & Acknowledgement: Define TATs, auto-acknowledgement, and triage criteria.

2. Stage 2 - Internal Investigation: Assign ownership, document findings, and determine liability.

3. Stage 3 - Resolution & Escalation: Define resolution pathways - replacement, repair, compensation, or refund.

4. Stage 4 - Closure & Feedback: Obtain formal closure confirmation and capture learnings.

5. Stage 5 - Regulatory Escalations: SOPs for handling consumer court notices, CPCB complaints, and state regulatory body queries.

- Design a Refund Policy Framework aligned with contractual obligations, consumer protection regulations, and business risk tolerance.

- Collaborate with Customer Experience and Product teams to embed legal guardrails into the complaint management system.

- Track complaint metrics and provide periodic legal risk assessments to leadership.

7. Intellectual Property (IP) & Trademark Management:

- Develop and implement the company's IP strategy - identify, register, and protect trademarks, service marks, domain names, and proprietary technology.

- File and prosecute trademark applications before the Trade Marks Registry; monitor the IP landscape for infringements.

- Draft IP assignment, licensing, and confidentiality agreements; advise on open-source compliance for technology products.

- Handle cease-and-desist actions, oppositions, and IP disputes with external parties.

- Maintain a comprehensive IP register and renewal calendar.

8. HR Legal Collaboration:

- Partner with the HR team to draft, review, and maintain all employment documentation:

1. Employment contracts, offer letters, and confirmation letters.

2. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), Non-Solicitation Agreements, and IP assignment clauses for employees.

3. Separation agreements, full and final settlement documentation, and exit NDAs.

- Advise on employment law compliance - Shops & Establishments Act, Maternity Benefit Act, POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment), PF/ESIC, and labour law matters.

- Support HR in managing employment disputes, disciplinary proceedings, and show-cause notice responses.

- Develop and periodically refresh HR policy documents from a legal compliance standpoint.

9. Company Secretarial & Corporate Governance:

- Manage and oversee all company secretarial functions in compliance with the Companies Act, 2013 and rules thereunder, including maintenance of statutory registers, filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), and annual compliance calendar.

- Plan, convene, and administer Board Meetings, Committee Meetings (Audit, Nomination & Remuneration, CSR, etc.), and General Meetings - prepare notices, agendas, board packs, minutes, and resolutions in accordance with applicable law and Secretarial Standards (SS-1 & SS-2).

- Draft and circulate Board Resolutions, Circular Resolutions, and Directors' consents; maintain a comprehensive resolutions register.

- Manage Director and KMP onboarding/offboarding - DIR-2, DIR-8, MBP-1, appointment letters, and related RoC filings (DIR-12, MR-1, etc.).

- Ensure timely filing of all MCA/RoC forms - AOC-4, MGT-7A, ADT-1, CHG-1, PAS-3, INC 20A, and others - with zero penalty defaults.

- Maintain and update statutory records: register of members, register of directors & KMPs, register of charges, register of contracts, share transfer register, and debenture register.

- Oversee Share Capital management - issuance of shares/debentures/CCDs, share certificates, split/consolidation, transmission, and liaising with NSDL/CDSL for dematerialised securities where applicable.

- Implement and monitor a Corporate Governance framework - draft and update policies (Related Party Transaction Policy, Whistleblower Policy, Code of Conduct, Insider Trading Policy, Risk Management Policy).

- Liaise with statutory auditors, secretarial auditors, and internal auditors for secretarial audit (MR-3), compliance reporting, and corporate governance review.

- Track and implement regulatory updates from MCA, SEBI (if applicable), RBI, and other authorities; communicate impact and required action to senior management.

10. Fundraise, M&A, Joint Ventures & Strategic Transactions:

- Provide comprehensive legal support across all stages of equity fundraising - seed, Series A through growth rounds - including term sheet review, SHA (Shareholders' Agreement), SSA (Share Subscription Agreement), and ancillary transaction documents.

- Lead legal due diligence (buy-side and sell-side) - prepare and manage data rooms, respond to investor/acquirer queries, coordinate with external counsel, and produce legal DD reports.

- Draft and negotiate transaction documents for mergers and acquisitions - LOI, NDA, Business Transfer Agreement, Scheme of Arrangement under Companies Act, and related regulatory filings with NCLT, CCI, and RoC.

- Structure and document Joint Venture (JV) and strategic partnership arrangements - JV Agreements, Consortium Agreements, SPV incorporation, and governance frameworks for the JV entity.

- Manage all FEMA / RBI compliance for foreign investment - FC-GPR, FC-TRS, FDI reporting, pricing guidelines, and ODI filings for any outbound investments.

- Coordinate with SEBI, CCI (Competition Commission of India), and sectoral regulators for transaction approvals and filings where required.

- Advise on ESOP scheme design, grant letters, trust structures, and ESOP-related secretarial compliance during and between fundraising rounds.

- Support the CFO and founders in investor relations from a legal standpoint - information rights, anti-dilution mechanics, drag/tag-along rights, and governance rights under shareholder agreements.

- Manage post-transaction integration from a legal and secretarial standpoint - entity restructuring, statutory filings post-merger, and novation of contracts.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Mandatory:

- LLB (3-year or 5-year integrated programme).

- LLM (Corporate Law / Commercial Law / IPR preferred).

- 10-12 years of post-qualification legal experience.

- Demonstrated experience in a startup, corporate legal team, or top-tier law firm.

Preferred / Advantageous:

- CS (Company Secretary) qualification - ACS / FCS.

- Prior experience in the energy, infrastructure, or clean-tech sector.

- Familiarity with MNRE / CERC / SERC regulatory frameworks.

- Experience with FEMA / RBI foreign investment filings.

- Proven company secretarial compliance experience under Companies Act, 2013.

- Hands-on legal support for at least one equity fundraise or M&A transaction.

WHY SOLARSQUARE?

- Work at the intersection of law, technology, and clean energy - one of India's most exciting growth sectors.

- Direct access and visibility to founders and senior leadership - your legal counsel will shape real business decisions.

- Build the legal function from the ground up - design systems, frameworks, and practices that will scale with the company.

- Competitive compensation, performance bonus, and ESOPs for the right candidate.

- A culture that respects expertise, moves fast, and is deeply mission-driven.