Legal Counsel - Moorings & Anchors

Acteon, a company specialising in marine energy and infrastructure services, provides unique offerings in survey, engineering, foundations, moorings, and decommissioning. By harnessing advanced technology and industry expertise, Acteon delivers innovative and cost-effective strategies to its customers and the offshore energy sector. Acteon's capability extends from engineering the seabed to delivering sustainable energy systems on the surface, all with a commitment to excellence.. We pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment that encourages professional growth and development.

The Moorings & Anchors business line, branded as "InterMoor", is a global provider of life-of-field mooring solutions to the offshore energy sector (both offshore renewables and oil and gas), offering a complete package of services across all marine environments. This includes permanent moorings, mobile mooring, tow-out and hook-up, mooring EPCI projects, mooring engineering consultancy, and decommissioning of mooring systems.

We are seeking a skilled and motivated In-House lawyer to support the business line, primarily the UK and Norway regions. The ideal candidate will hold a valid practising certificate in England & Wales or Scotland and preferably have experience in the offshore oil and gas sector. Reporting into the Head of Legal - Moorings & Anchors, the role requires a proactive legal professional who can provide legal advice that arise within the UK and Norway regions (or elsewhere as directed by the Head of Legal), including property, employment, litigation, IP, M&A, as well reviewing commercial contracts of clients and supplier, including Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) contracts, Transportation and Installation (T&I) contracts, offshore services contracts, rental agreement and sales contracts, and engineering agreements.

Duties & Main Responsibilities

Contract Advice and Support:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide variety of commercial contracts and agreements, utilizing both Intermoor standard templates and industry standard templates (such as LOGIC, BIMCO, IMCA, and to a lesser extent FIDIC, and NEC), including rental contracts, sales contracts, offshore service contracts, T&I and EPCI contracts, framework agreements, master agreements, subcontracts, collaboration agreements, procurement agreement, vessel charter agreements, MOUs, LOAs, NDAs, and the like.
• General legal and contractual advice on contracts, agreements, and transactions to identify and mitigate potential legal and contractual risks.
• Attending meetings with clients and major suppliers to negotiate and arrive at acceptable terms and conditions of contract.
• Taking the lead to identify and advise tender teams on steps to mitigate potential contractual and commercial risks.
• Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams, including insurance, tax, corporate, operations, procurement, and treasury, to ensure thorough review of tenders and bids.
• Preparing legal and contractual risk summaries, outlining deviations from standard contracting principles, and presenting to the management team, including Gate Reviews.
• Following, implementing, and promoting Moorings & Anchors' contracting principles.
• Supporting and advising Contract Manager colleagues on contractual issues.

Legal Advisory & Compliance:

• Deliver clear, practical legal advice across a broad range of topics that arise in the UK and Norway regions of the business line (or elsewhere as directed by the Head of Legal), including but not limited to matters relating to property, employment, litigation, IP, HSE investigations etc.
• Support the rollout of new legislation across the UK and other relevant jurisdictions, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards.
• Lead the resolution of disputes, managing claims and litigation processes with a strategic and solution-oriented approach.
• Coordinate and oversee external legal support, taking the lead when engaging external counsel or consultants as needed.
• Act as a compliance ambassador, fostering a culture of integrity and ethical conduct across the Business Line.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for compliance-related matters within the UK and Norway, escalating issues to the Head of Legal as appropriate.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including tender, sales, operations, procurement, tax, and finance on legal and contractual matters.
• Ensure adherence to internal approval and compliance processes, acting as a gatekeeper to verify that all relevant procedures are followed consistently.
• Coordinate, draft, update, and implement legal templates and policies, ensuring they remain current and aligned with business needs and lessons learned.
• Draft and refine general terms and conditions, along with other standard contract provisions, to support consistent and effective contracting practices.

Dispute Resolution:

• Providing legal support and guidance on claims arising under various contract types, as well as on other legal disputes or litigation within the Moorings & Anchors UK and Norway businesses.
• Work closely with external counsel when necessary to handle complex legal disputes.

Corporate Governance:

• Collaborate with the Group Company Secretarial team to support corporate governance and corporate management activities.
• Ensure compliance with corporate policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee the internal approval process in accordance with the Business Line Delegation of Authority Framework and Contracting Principles.

Training and Development:

• Provide training sessions to staff on legal and contractual matters to enhance legal and contractual understanding.
• Foster a culture of legal awareness and actively contribute to the development and sharing of legal knowledge within the Business Line.
• Staying up to date with changes to legislation and case law, particularly in relation to laws, rules and regulations that directly affect the Business Line.

Stakeholders and Reporting:

• Liaising with the business leaders and support functions.
• Reporting and updating Head of Legal on key legal issues and risks, including lessons learnt and improvement areas for the business.
• Communicating with and managing certain third parties such as external counsel, contract lawyers, experts, and/or auditors in line with legal services procurement processes (including providing feedback on legal panel performance).

Travel:

• Occasional business travel may be required, including visits to the Intermoor office in Norway, and other Business Line locations.
• Travel may also be necessary to support client relationship management and participate in contract negotiations.

Required

Key Competencies:

• Risk Management: Skilled in identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risks.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to align legal advice with strategic goals and deliver proactive, business-oriented solutions.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, accessible language.
• Problem-Solving Abilities: Strong analytical mindset and a pragmatic approach to resolving legal challenges efficiently and effectively.
• Interpersonal Skills: Proven ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams and external partners.
• Ethical Judgement: High ethical standards, with the discretion and integrity to manage sensitive and confidential information.
• Project Management: Experienced in managing multiple legal projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery.
• Negotiation Skills: Confident negotiator, capable of representing the company's interests and securing favourable outcomes in contractual discussions.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to handle a diverse range of legal matters in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Proactivity: Demonstrates initiative by identifying areas for improvement and implementing effective solutions that enhance processes and business outcomes.
• Ownership and Independence: Works autonomously with confidence, taking responsibility for assigned tasks.
• Team Collaboration: Experience working collaboratively within a legal team and across departments to support overall business objectives.
• Technology Proficiency: Familiarity with legal research tools, document management systems, and other relevant technology.

Experience / Qualifications:

• Minimum of 4-year PQE as an in-house lawyer or private practice.
• Strong expertise in contract and commercial law, with a solid understanding of legal frameworks relevant to international business.
• In-depth knowledge of industry standards contracts, such as LOGIC, BIMCO, and IMCA.
• Experience in managing disputes and working with external legal counsel.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills with the ability to convey legal concepts to both legal and non-legal stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Qualified solicitor with a current practicing certificate in England or Scotland (or other common law jurisdiction).