Senior Legal Counsel – E&P

About the role

The E&P Legal Department of TotalEnergies in the UAE seeks a Senior Legal Counsel to provide expert advice on high‑value assets, complex contracts and regulatory matters. The role focuses on minimizing legal risk, protecting commercial interests and delivering pragmatic solutions for the company's exploration and production activities.

Key responsibilities

• Advise on existing agreements, assess risks and interpret contractual provisions.
• Lead negotiations with the State, national companies and joint‑venture partners.
• Draft, review and validate new agreements and major contracts in compliance with UAE law.
• Support business‑development teams during commercial negotiations.
• Conduct specialized legal research and prepare strategy briefs for upcoming projects.
• Prevent disputes, defend TotalEnergies in threatened or actual litigation, and manage dispute resolution.
• Monitor new laws and regulations, perform sanction checks and advise internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate with central legal functions at headquarters and ensure internal governance compliance.

Required profile

• LL.B. degree (civil/common law jurisdiction) – preferably with a master’s in petroleum law.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in exploration & production (E&P) law.
• Strong knowledge of petroleum law, international business law, public law, environmental law and company law.

Required skills

• Expertise in drafting and negotiating complex oil‑and‑gas contracts.
• Ability to conduct legal research and produce strategic briefs.
• Proficiency in UAE legal and regulatory framework.
• Experience with sanction screening and compliance procedures.