Advocate

Legal Head / Legal Counsel

Department: Legal
Location: Raipur
Reporting To: Management / CEO
Experience: 712 Years
Qualification: LL.B. Mandatory; LL.M. Preferred
Professional Requirement: Valid Bar Council Enrolment

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and credible Legal Head / Legal Counsel who can take complete ownership of the legal matters of the Company and its Group Companies.

The person will be responsible for managing and monitoring litigation, arbitration, tribunal matters, consumer cases, legal notices, contracts, legal compliance and legal risk, while coordinating with Management, internal departments, external advocates and government authorities.

We are looking for someone who can understand the business, give practical legal advice and protect the Company's interests, rather than only handling court appearances.

Key Responsibilities

1. Litigation & Court Matters

• Manage and monitor all ongoing and new legal cases of the Company.
• Handle/coordinate civil, commercial, criminal, labour and industrial matters.
• Maintain complete records and status of all cases.
• Track hearing dates, orders, filings and limitation periods.
• Ensure timely action on every legal matter.
• Regularly update Management on important cases and risks.

2. Tribunal & Regulatory Matters

• Handle and coordinate matters before High Court, District Courts, Commercial Courts and relevant Tribunals.
• Experience/exposure in NCLT/NCLAT, NGT, DRT/DRAT, Labour/Industrial Tribunal and other statutory forums will be preferred.

3. Arbitration & Dispute Resolution

• Manage arbitration proceedings, notices, claims, counterclaims and replies.
• Handle commercial disputes with customers, vendors, contractors and business partners.
• Advise Management on settlement, negotiation and dispute-resolution strategy.

4. Consumer Matters

• Manage Consumer Forum/Consumer Commission cases.
• Prepare/review replies, applications and other required documents.
• Coordinate with external counsel wherever necessary.

5. Legal Notices

• Review notices received by the Company.
• Draft and issue legal notices on behalf of the Company.
• Ensure timely and appropriate responses to notices from employees, customers, vendors, authorities and other parties.

6. Contracts & Agreements
Review, draft and negotiate:

• Vendor and supplier agreements
• Service agreements
• Lease/rent agreements
• Purchase and commercial agreements
• MoUs and NDAs
• Employment-related agreements
• Consultancy agreements
• Settlement agreements
• Other business contracts

The candidate should be able to identify commercial and legal risks before a contract is signed.

7. Legal Compliance

• Monitor applicable legal and statutory requirements.
• Coordinate with HR, Finance, Operations, Plant, Admin and other departments for legal compliance.
• Maintain a legal compliance tracker/calendar.
• Identify compliance gaps and advise Management on corrective action.
• Review legal implications of new business activities, projects and transactions.

8. External Advocate Management

• Coordinate and brief external advocates and law firms.
• Select the appropriate advocate for specialised matters.
• Monitor case strategy, appearances and progress.
• Ensure external advocates receive complete information and documents on time.
• Review legal fees and bills in coordination with Management/Accounts.

9. Legal Risk & Management Advisory

• Provide practical legal opinions to Management.
• Identify potential legal risks before they become disputes.
• Advise on business decisions from a legal risk perspective.
• Support Management in negotiation and settlement of disputes.
• Conduct/review legal due diligence for important transactions, properties, projects and agreements.

Professional Credentials We Are Looking For

The candidate should have strong professional credentials and a good standing in the legal fraternity.

Mandatory

• LL.B. from a recognized institution.
• Valid Bar Council Enrolment.
• 712 years of relevant experience.
• Strong litigation and corporate/commercial legal experience.
• Experience in arbitration and dispute resolution.
• Experience in labour/industrial and consumer matters.
• Strong drafting and contract-review skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple legal matters.

Preferred

• LL.M. or relevant specialization.
• 10+ years of experience.
• Experience with established corporate/industrial groups.
• Experience in Steel, Power, Mining, Manufacturing, Logistics, Infrastructure or similar industries.
• Exposure to High Court, NCLT/NCLAT, NGT, DRT/DRAT and other specialised forums.
• Experience managing external advocates/law firms.

Professional Standing / Face Value

The candidate should have a strong professional image and credibility.

Preference will be given to a person who has:

• Good professional reputation in the legal fraternity.
• Experience representing reputed corporate/industrial organisations.
• Strong courtroom and legal practice experience.
• Good communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to confidently represent the Company's interests before authorities, courts and other stakeholders.
• Good negotiation and settlement skills.
• Professional integrity and confidentiality.
• A mature and credible personality suitable for dealing directly with senior Management.

Important: Professional standing should be assessed through the candidate's actual experience, track record, references and reputationnot merely through personal contacts.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be someone who can become the single-point owner of the Company's legal function.

We are not looking for a person who only attends court hearings. We need someone who can:

Understand the business Identify legal risks Advise Management Manage litigation Coordinate external advocates Ensure compliance Prevent future disputes.

The candidate should be professionally credible, commercially practical, confident, well-connected within the legal profession and capable of taking independent responsibility for the Company's legal matters.