Junior Associate General Counsel

Job description

Company Description

Aboitiz Foods is an integrated regional food and agribusiness company dedicated to creating a high-performance culture anchored on our time-honored values of Integrity, Teamwork, Innovation, and Responsibility. Through the collective strengths of our subsidiaries, Pilmico and Gold Coin, we believe in sustainably feeding Asia’s growth from mill to meal.

We are constantly improving and optimizing our processes by integrating the value chain around Asia. We leverage our sector expertise and capabilities to deliver quality every time. With our world-class technology and culture of constant innovation, we devote ourselves to serving you better.

At Aboitiz Foods, we embrace change and inspire innovation, leading the way in food and agribusiness solutions. Join us as we shape the future of food in Asia and build a culture where, together, we nourish the future.

Job Description

The  Junior Associate General Counsel supports the Aboitiz Foods Philippines Legal and Compliance team in contributing to the attainment of Aboitiz Foods strategic objectives through thorough and effective application of legal principles in the planning, execution, review and continuous improvement of Aboitiz Foods plans, programs, and initiatives.

The Juniuor Associate General Counsel has the following responsibilities:

Land Management

• Reviews documents, such as, but not limited to, titles, tax declarations, certifications  by various government entities, in relation to the conduct of the legal diligence of  properties that the Company wants to acquire;
• Provides legal opinion and summarizes the risks involved in the properties if the Company decides to purchase the same;
• Recommends to the Farms Project Team and Company’s Management on how to decrease, if not eliminate, the risks in relation to the properties;
• Assist in contract drafting and negotiation for the sale of the properties;
• Oversees and manages the reclassification and conversion of the properties purchased  by the Company to ensure that the same may be used for the identified purpose.
• Reviews documents submitted to various government agencies in support of application  for land use reclassification and conversion;
• Oversee and manage the issuance of owners’ certificates of titles over properties acquired by the Company; and in connection therewith, ensure that the documentation of the Company’s transactions with land is complete and adequate to support the Company’s application for registration of acquired properties;
• Maintain good relations with key government stakeholders to the Company’s land conversion and/or land registration initiatives;
• Ensures that the Company is shielded from potential liability(ies) or such liability(ies)  are within industry parameters and/or existing limits set by the Board of Directors or  responsible officer(s) of the Business Unit (BU), and the drafts of documents are in  accordance with the mandate given by the Board of Directors or responsible officer(s)  of the BU (Requesting Unit) and applicable laws, rules, and regulations;
• Conducts research in preparation for proposal and negotiation of the terms and  conditions, or revisions thereof, contained in the documents prepared or reviewed by  the AEV Contracts Team, as the case may be, during conferences and meetings with the  other party(ies) thereto and ensure that the Group’s interests are consistently  advanced;
• Attends conferences, meetings, and discussions with the BU (Requesting Unit)  concerning the terms and conditions set forth in the Documents;
• Assist in conducting orientation and providing training on documents review and  negotiation to the other team members of the Company;

Contract Management

• Prepares drafts of documents based on the standards of COE Corporate and Commercial  Projects and the requirements of the Food Group, and in accordance with the existing  corporate charter and by-laws of the Group, and applicable laws, rules, and regulations;
• Reviews, revises, and modifies the draft of documents prepared by the different teams  submitted to TLC Team for review and rendition of opinion to ensure that risks are  eliminated;
• Ensures that the Group is shielded from potential liability(ies) or such liability(ies) are  within industry parameters and/or existing limits set by the Board of Directors or  responsible officer(s) of the BU, and the drafts of Documents are in accordance with the  mandate given by the Board of Directors or responsible officer(s) of the BU (Requesting  Unit), and applicable laws, rules, and regulations;
• Conducts research on behalf of the TLC Officer in preparation for proposal and  negotiation of the terms and conditions, or revisions thereof, contained in the  documents prepared or reviewed by the Lex team, as the case may be, during  conferences and meetings with the other party(ies) thereto and ensure that the Group’s  interests are consistently advanced;
• Attends conferences, meetings, and discussions with the BU (Requesting Unit)  concerning the terms and conditions set forth in the Documents;
• Assists the COE Corporate and Commercial Projects Team in establishing acceptable and  uniform standards for the Documents and a systematic and uniform method of review  of the Documents;
• Conducts orientation and provides training on documents review and negotiation to the  other team members of the Group, as necessary.

Legal Compliance Management

• Develops a good understanding of each business unit in Philippines, its strategies, its  environment, competitive pressures and differentiating factors, and to use that  knowledge to advise the management of the new laws, regulations or updates that  impact or influence the business strategies and operations directly or indirectly;
• Provides guidance and monitors the compliance of Aboitiz Foods with the  applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including monitoring of the timeliness of  obtaining/renewing necessary permits and licenses by the concerned  operations/department team leaders, and provides management report on the Group’s  compliance;
• Coordinates with relevant government and other external networks, such as the  Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reforms, Department of  Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Board  of Investments, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Department of Trade and Industry  (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Energy (DOE),  Bureau of Customs (BOC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Labor and  Employment (DOLE), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and other  government and regulatory bodies;
• Monitors, and as necessary, coordinates compliance activities of the COE Legal and  Compliance Team and business units to remain abreast of the status of all compliance  activities and to identify trends;
• Assists in identifying potential areas of compliance vulnerability and risk; proposes  corrective actions and oversees the implementation for resolution of problematic issues,  and coordinates with the business units to provide general guidance on how to avoid or  deal with similar situations in the future;
• Provides an assessment of the current legal trends that expose Aboitiz Foods to risks or provide it opportunities to ensure that Aboitiz Foods Philippines senior leadership stays up to date on the legal development;
• Assists in developing, initiating, maintaining, and revising policies and procedures for  the general operation of Aboitiz Foods Philippines Compliance Programs and its  related activities to prevent illegal, unethical, or improper conduct.
• Oversees the day to-day operation of the Programs;
• Engages in active and continuing dialogue/collaboration with the Business Partners and  external counsels to promote sharing of knowledge, experience and expertise among  the legal practitioners in the Aboitiz Feedall Legal Team so that existing as well as emerging legal and regulatory issues, risks, threats or trends relating to Aboitiz Foods Philippines are properly identified, managed and best legal practices are implemented  group wide;
• Assists the in leading a rapid and effective response to situations where significant  unanticipated legal threats to the group arise, makes recommendations on the nature  and timing of actions to be taken, with defined responsibilities, and as appropriate  overseeing the effective execution of those actions;
• Assists in ensuring that Aboitiz Foods Philippines senior leadership is kept fully abreast  of the changes and impact of relevant legal knowledge, developments and  requirements, providing appropriate oral and written interpretations as necessary;
• Works/coordinates closely with the Aboitiz Feedall Legal and Compliance functional  team leaders (corporate secretarial, tax, contracts, labor and litigation) to ensure that  the Team is fully aware of government affairs and developments that have impact on  Business Units (BUs) and the Legal Team’s current practices and processes;
• Collaborates with and assists the Aboitiz Feedall Legal and Compliance functional team  leaders to develop some real knowledge and understanding of the new laws and  regulations, updates and changes of current laws to allow Aboitiz Feedall Legal and Compliance to take on a more effective, proactive and business-based approach to its  legal advisor role to the business units.

Litigation Management

• Manages litigation and other modes of dispute resolution involving Aboitiz Foods Philippines by implementing legal strategies to meet the company’s objectives and/or  minimize the adverse impact of the legal action to the company;
• Coordinates and oversees the successful provision of services rendered by external legal  counsel and other relevant firms or advisors employed to represent Aboitiz Foods Philippines and to protect the Group’s interests and evaluate the same based on the  requirements of the company;
• Provides a timely review of draft pleadings prepared by external legal counsel in cases  involving Aboitiz Foods Philippines;
• Take up direct management/handling of cases identified for in-house handling, whether civil, criminal or administrative.

Labor

• Handles delivery of advisory, case/matter management, policy development and  training development services relating to general labor standards, basic occupational  health and safety. Subcontracting arrangements, labor audit, employee discipline,  union and collective bargaining advisory, alien employment regulations, and other  labor and social legislation laws and regulations, all with the objective of ensuring that Aboitiz Foods Philippines is compliant with relevant labor and social legislation and  regulations.
• Manages performance of external legal advisors and counsels engaged to handle labor claims initiated against Aboitiz Foods Philippines, or provide outsourced legal  services in relation to negotiations with labor unions and/or complying with labor and  employment regulations.
• Assists and provides recommendations to Aboitiz Foods Philippines HR in the continuous  improvement of hiring, pre-employment, subcontracting, post-employment and  employee policies and processes.

Other Tasks

• Performs other related activities that may be assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law Degree
• Must have at least 4 years of post qualifying experience
• Strong local network and government relations

License/s:

• Member in good standing of the Philippine Bar.

Additional Information

• REPORTS TO: AVP Legal & Compliance
• Hybrid work set-up, with 3 days of in-office attendance per week required.

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