Legal Counsel

Overview

We re seeking a Legal Counsel with a focus on compliance and regulatory matters to join Laing O Rourke s Legal team. The role has two key aspects: (i) providing support to the Civil Works Alliance on the Sizewell C new nuclear power plant project, and (ii) supporting Laing O Rourke s wider compliance team on other projects. For the first 9-12 months, you ll primarily support the Civil Works Alliance on the Sizewell C project, typically spending three-four days a week with the CWA (from their London office) and one-two days a week supporting the wider compliance team. Your primary base will be London, with occasional travel to Suffolk. After 9-12 months, as compliance becomes embedded in the Sizewell C project, you ll shift focus to Laing O Rourke s central compliance team. The role then becomes permanent, based mainly at our Dartford head office, with one to two days a week still supporting Sizewell C. This is a great chance to grow your career on a nationally significant energy project while gaining broad corporate compliance experience.

Responsibilities

1. Contractual Advisory & Compliance
   • Help create processes, procedures, policies and necessary documentation to embed the requirements of the project contract into day-to-day operations of the CWA. For example, relating to data and data protection; competition law; export control; modern slavery; anti-bribery & corruption; gifts & hospitality; corporate & social responsibility policies; information technology; conflicts of interest; confidentiality; and ensuring that project contract requirements are flowed down into supply chain contracts and that policies and procedures ensure supply chain compliance.
   • Ensure compliance with project contract requirements, applicable laws, industry regulations, and any other project-specific requirements.
   • Advise project teams on legal issues, potential risks, and mitigations.
2. Risk Management & Dispute Resolution
   • Identify potential legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
   • Manage compliance-related disputes and claims that may arise during the project.
   • Serve as a point of contact for dispute resolution processes, collaborating with external counsel as necessary.
3. Stakeholder Collaboration
   • Collaborate with internal CWA functions (e.g., Governance, Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, Commercial and Legal) to ensure legal alignment with business objectives.
   • Work with the Client, alliance participants and other external stakeholders, including clients, subcontractors, and government agencies, to manage compliance and regulatory requirements effectively.
4. Documentation & Record Management
   • Oversee the preparation, documentation, and storage of all relevant legal agreements and correspondence relating to compliance and regulatory matters under the project contract.
   • Maintain accurate records to ensure easy retrieval for audits, dispute resolution, and compliance checks.
5. Regulatory Monitoring & Policy Development
   • Monitor UK compliance and regulatory law developments and ensure project compliance.
   • Develop and implement internal policies and guidelines to enhance legal compliance and risk management practices.
6. Training & Guidance
   • Provide training and resources to project teams on compliance and regulatory requirements under the project contract and the CWA s applicable policies, procedures and processes.
   • Serve as a legal reference, offering guidance to ensure team alignment with contractual terms and legal standards.

Experience & Qualifications

• Expertise in compliance and regulatory matters from a UK perspective.
• Proficient in risk management, with experience in dispute resolution.
• Ability to work independently and handle complex legal matters effectively.
• Clear and concise communication to explain complex legal issues to non-legal team members and stakeholders.
• Ability to align legal advice with the project s long-term objectives.

Desirable

• Experience of working on high-value energy/infrastructure projects is desirable, but not essential.
• Qualified solicitor in the UK, with a focus on compliance and regulatory matters.
• 3 years of post-qualification experience.

Don t match all the criteria? We are open and always happy to hear from people with transferable skill sets and a commitment to learning.

About us: We are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.

Certainty, reliability, quality - this is what our clients want. And at Laing O Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O Rourke s story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term health conditions and disabilities through the "Offer an interview scheme." This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know prior to interview what adjustments are required as well as discussing how we can support you in the workplace.

Contact: resourcingteam at laingorourke dot com