Assistant General Counsel
Description
Role Overview
As Assistant General Counsel, EMEA Mergers & Acquisitions and Legal Entity Management, you will serve as the primary deputy and strategic partner to the Vice President and General Counsel – Corporate Transactions for Europe, certain counties in the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, with direct ownership of the company’s EMEA legal entity management and simplification strategy. This role is designed to provide senior‑level leverage to the corporate legal function in EMEA while establishing clear accountability for entity governance, rationalization, and operational excellence across the region.
Reporting directly to the Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Transactions and LNG & Gas, you will lead legal support for complex corporate transactions in EMEA, including the commercial agreements and arrangements that support those transactions, and assume end‑to‑end responsibility for the lifecycle management, optimization, and simplification of the company’s EMEA legal entity structure. You will work closely with Corporate Development, Finance, Tax, Compliance, and EMEA business leaders to ensure that transactions and entity decisions are aligned with growth strategy, risk tolerance, and long‑term operational efficiency.
This role has a visible and sustained impact on the company’s transaction velocity, governance posture, and cost and risk profile, and serves as a key succession‑ready leadership position within the Legal function.
Key Responsibilities
Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Transactions
- Act as lead or co‑lead legal advisor on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions in EMEA, from structuring through post‑closing integration.
- Manage and coordinate legal due diligence, with a focus on identifying and mitigating transactional, regulatory, governance, and entity‑related risks.
- Draft, review, and negotiate principal transaction documents, including purchase and merger agreements, equity and asset transfer documentation, transition services agreements, and related ancillary agreements.
- Assist with the commercial aspects of EMEA corporate transactions, including drafting and negotiating supply, distribution, manufacturing, licensing, services, and other commercial agreements entered into in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, carve‑outs, and joint ventures, and advising on assignment, consent, and change‑of‑control issues in existing commercial contracts.
- Partner closely with the Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Transactions to develop transaction strategies, risk positions, and executive‑level recommendations.
- Collaborate with Tax, Finance, HR, and business stakeholders to design efficient transaction and integration structures.
- Oversee and manage external counsel, including local counsel across EMEA jurisdictions, to ensure high‑quality, cost‑effective support and consistent alignment with internal risk and negotiation strategy.
Legal Entity Management, Governance & Simplification (Primary Ownership)
- Own and lead the EMEA legal entity management function, including formation, maintenance, restructuring, consolidation, and dissolution of entities across the EMEA region.
- Design and execute an EMEA legal entity simplification and rationalization roadmap, in partnership with Tax and Finance, to reduce complexity, cost, and risk across the region.
- Establish clear governance standards for EMEA legal entities, including statutory compliance, board and shareholder actions, delegations of authority, and maintenance of corporate records.
- Serve as the central legal point of accountability for EMEA entity‑related decision‑making arising from acquisitions, integrations, divestitures, and internal reorganizations.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate legal, regulatory, and operational risks associated with EMEA entity structure, intercompany arrangements, and local jurisdictional requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement of entity management processes, systems, and vendor relationships to support scalability and audit‑ready compliance.
Strategic Leadership & Advisory
- Function as a trusted advisor to the Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Transactions and senior leadership on EMEA transaction strategy, entity governance, and regional structural risk.
- Develop and maintain standardized playbooks, templates, and decision frameworks for M&A execution and entity lifecycle management.
- Monitor EMEA legal and regulatory developments impacting corporate transactions, commercial arrangements, governance, and entity compliance, and translate them into practical guidance for the business.
- Lead and mentor junior attorneys, paralegals, and legal operations resources supporting M&A and entity management workstreams.
- Contribute to broader Legal function initiatives, including talent development, knowledge management, and cross‑functional process optimization.
Basic Qualifications (You Must Have)
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
- Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- Significant experience in corporate law, with deep focus on mergers and acquisitions, legal entity governance, and transaction‑related commercial agreements.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex, cross‑border transactions and multi‑jurisdictional entity structures in EMEA.
- Strong drafting, negotiation, and executive‑level communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications (We Value)
- Experience in a large, multinational corporate legal department and/or major law firm, including work across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
- Proven ownership of legal entity management programs, including simplification or rationalization initiatives.
- Strong commercial judgment and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
- Track record of influencing senior stakeholders and leading cross‑functional initiatives in a matrixed environment.
- Leadership presence consistent with a senior, succession‑ready role within the Legal organization