Duke University School of Law

Louisiana Tech University

Senior Legal Counsel - Middle East at SNC-Lavalin

Skills: Commercial Law · Copyright Law · Cross-border Transactions · Risk Management · Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) · Negotiation · Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC)

SNC-Lavalin

Director, Legal Affairs

Senior Legal Counsel - Middle East

Terraseis specializes in providing onshore seismic geophysical services in challenging environments. As Corporate Counsel, I manage a team of four and report directly to the Chairman of the Board.

Main Responsibilities:

Contracts
•	Negotiating multi-million dollar turnkey oilfield exploration agreements with publicly traded multinational oil and gas clients as well as high value supplier contracts.
•	Drafting, reviewing, and managing a variety of agreements such as general commercial contracts, joint venture agreements, MOUs, and employment contracts.
•	Advising senior management on contract risks and how they might affect the business and recommending policies and procedure to mitigate.
•	Collaborating with and advising the Vice President of Business Development on bids submitted to clients.

Corporate Transactions and Governance
•	Researching and advising senior management on compliance with local and international laws and managing the group’s compliance initiatives.
•	Drafting joint venture agreements, partnership agreements, and company formation documents for the group’s operations in various markets and managing intra-group agreements.
•	Creating standard contract templates and contract policies and procedures to guide project managers and training project staff on those procedures.

Litigation
•	Liaising with and managing external counsel in litigation involving the group.
•	Providing written advice to senior management assessing claims and recommending litigation strategies.

Main Accomplishments:
•	Created the group’s legal function from the ground up as the group’s first in-house counsel and expanded my team to four members.
•	Successfully negotiated the inclusion of contract provisions in a client contract that gained the company over one million dollars.
•	Managed and supported external counsel in successful defense of claims against the group.
•	Created contracting procedures that substantially reduced subcontractor disputes and costs.

Terraseis Group of Companies

Corporate Counsel

Thompson & Knight is an elite full-service international law firm based in Texas and is a leader in energy finance and litigation as well as business transactions.  As an associate, I performed legal research, drafted legal memoranda, drafted and argued motions, and drafted legal briefs.

Main Responsibilities:
•	Researching legal questions and issues ranging from oil and gas royalty contracts to eminent domain law and also drafting memoranda analyzing and recommending a course of action.
•	Drafting motions and briefs in both federal and state trials and appeals.
•	Appearing in court to argue motions, examine witnesses, and present evidence.

Main Accomplishments:
•	Part of the legal team advising and drafting merger documents for two real-estate investment companies.
•	Drafted, argued, and won a motion for summary judgment in a financial contract case.
•	Negotiated favorable settlement of a dispute with a large energy firm.
•	Won a suit for violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and successfully defended the appeal of that judgment to the Texas Court of Appeals.
•	Member of a team that successfully defended anti-trust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Thompson & Knight LLP

Attorney

Global Partners is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that builds clean-water wells in under-served villages, provides job training for widows, and distributes food through the World Food Program.  I reported directly to the Country Manager and advised on compliance and tax issues.

Main Responsibilities:
•	Ensuring compliance with various Afghan laws including labor, immigration, tax, and registration laws.
•	Reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contracts.
•	Preparing project proposals including budgets, timelines, and expected impact.
•	Auditing financial records.

Main Accomplishments:
•	Created and implemented procedures for calculating, withholding, and paying payroll taxes as well as procedures for periodic payment of income taxes.
•	Discovered embezzlement of several thousand dollars by one of the senior accountants.

Brian Andrews