Head of Legal at Google Nigeria

Google is not a conventional company, and we don’t intend to become one. True, we share attributes with the world’s most successful organizations – a focus on innovation and smart business practices comes to mind – but even as we continue to grow, we’re committed to retaining a small-company feel. At Google, we know that every employee has something important to say, and that every employee is integral to our success. We provide individually-tailored compensation packages that can be comprised of competitive salary, bonus, and equity components, along with the opportunity to earn further financial bonuses and rewards.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head of Legal

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

About the Job

• As Regional Senior Counsel at Google, you work on the most exciting legal issues as disruptive technological innovations require creative and proactive legal guidance.
• You’re part of a whip-smart group of in-house lawyers and the projects and cases you take on challenge you to think big and differently. You are collaborative — ready to partner in initiatives that influence all aspects of the business and work with Googlers from all over the company.
• As an integrated part of the team, you proactively assess legal risks and advise on products that will not only move information into the 21st century, but move information law forward as well.
• You are an experienced lawyer who will lead and manage a small team handling a wide range of legal matters for Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). You are a legal generalist, with experience working across several countries in SSA, and a deep understanding of corporate law, intellectual property and technology laws.
• You also have solid experience in handling regulatory issues, negotiating with regulators, litigation and drafting agreements, with a genuine interest in technology.
• You’ll advise the business on its activities, including key legal risks and strategies, while working closely with team members to roll out new products, negotiate key agreements and manage regulatory challenges and litigation as needed.
• You’re an outstanding lawyer who thinks creatively and strategically enjoys taking initiative to address complex issues, and at the same time is eager to pitch in where needed to assist our rapidly growing businesses.
• You will have the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a collegial, fast-paced team environment.
• 20th century laws don’t always solve 21st century problems, and Google Legal crafts innovative approaches for handling some of the toughest legal challenges of the information age. Whether you’re a patent attorney, an intellectual property expert or an engineer headed to law school, Google Legal lets you take on unanswered legal quandaries and create new precedents. Our innovative services raise challenging questions that demand creative and practical answers. We provide those answers by working at the crossroads of the law and new technology, helping Google build innovative and important products for users around the world.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert and strategic legal advice to the company, in particular to Management, Board of Directors, Product, Commercial, PR and Public Policy/Government Relations teams in SSA.
• Set internal governance policies and manage the impact of external factors. Anticipate issues and estimate risks strategically identifying proactive solutions that will eliminate or mitigate such risks.
• Deal with complex, significant matters that cut across legal and related areas.
• Respond promptly and reliably to internal and external requests for advice, specifically with regards to litigation, regulatory inquiries, contracts, commercial regulations, IP, data protection, advertising and consumer protection as needed.
• Assist with litigation and regulatory investigations as needed in cooperation with Google Legal colleagues and external counsel. Represent Google adeptly with regulators and other outside influencers.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• Qualified Lawyer in a Sub Saharan Africa country
• Lawyer with experience in post-qualification litigation, with commercial experience either in private practice or an in-house legal team.
• Experience leading a team, engaging with the business, and building credibility with senior management and relationships cross-functionally.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Qualification in the US or UK
• Experience with a high volume caseload and the ability to distill and prioritize complex and urgent legal issues.
• Experience in handling technology-related litigation and commercial matters, and a deep understanding of the online industry.
• Curiosity about new legal issues and a willingness to work on a broad variety of matters.
• Experience in managing and growing teams and complex processes international setups. Excellent communication and presentation skills with an ability to influence senior audiences.
• Knowledge and understanding of both common law and civil law systems.
• Fluent in or working knowledge of French.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.