Counsel/Sr. Counsel, Commodities and Regulatory

POSITION OVERVIEW

The position will be based in Houston, Texas and report to the Managing Counsel-Commodities and Regulatory. The Counsel/Senior Counsel will work as a team member and independently to advise the Trading Group on all marketing/trading matters in connection with the Company’s overall gas procurement and transportation strategy as well as its power operations. Additionally, the Counsel/Senior Counsel will negotiate all commercial agreements relating to the Trading Group, as well as other general commercial and corporate matters. The Counsel/Senior Counsel will also play an integral role in providing regulatory advice to ensure the effective mitigation of regulatory risks from the FERC, CFTC, DOE and other applicable agencies. The Counsel/Senior Counsel will be expected to deliver timely and quality legal services, manage outside legal resources effectively and develop strong relationships in a hard-working, fast-moving and ever-changing business environment.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Provide day-to-day legal support and advice to the Company’s commodity traders, marketers, schedulers, and others located in the Houston office
• Provide regulatory advice on all matters impacting the Company’s marketing and trading operations
• Provide related regulatory advice with respect to the Company’s financial trading activities
• Manage inquiries and data requests received from regulators (e.g., FERC, CFTC, DOE, etc.)
• Negotiate marketing/trading agreements (including NAESBs, ISDAs, EEIs, bespoke long-term agreements, asset management agreements, etc.), including related credit support documents (annexes and master netting agreements)
• Negotiate and manage interstate/intrastate transportation and storage agreements and related issues (e.g., precedent agreements, OBAs, Interconnect Agreements, capacity releases, etc.)
• Support a variety of commercial transactional functions led from the Company’s Houston, London and Singapore offices
• Participate in other day-to-day legal and business projects as necessary
• Provide commercial transactional support for the Company’s interstate pipelines
• The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.

 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Knowledge

The Counsel/Senior Counsel will have experience working with commodity marketing/trading operations and have a working knowledge of the operational aspects of the natural gas upstream, midstream, downstream, LNG business, including transactions involving interstate and intrastate pipelines. The Counsel/Senior Counsel will have knowledge of the Natural Gas Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act, the Energy Policy Act, the Commodity Exchange Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and FERC, CFTC and DOE regulations pertaining to the Trading Group. Further, the Counsel/Senior Counsel will have experience in drafting and negotiating a variety of customized and industry standard agreements related to the purchase and sale of energy commodities and derivatives, pipeline transportation and storage, and other agreements related to the marketing and trading of natural gas.

 

Skills:

• Working knowledge of the commodity marketing/trading business, with a focus on the regulatory aspects
• Familiarity with intrastate and interstate pipeline regulations from an infrastructure/pipeline perspective a plus
• Awareness of the ERCOT power markets a plus
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact with various levels within the Company
• Ability to think critically, solve problems independently and exercise excellent judgment and common sense
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are required
• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to work independently and as a team member, while managing a diverse and demanding workload
• Strong business acumen coupled with exceptional analytical skills
• Ability to effectively work with and manage outside counsel
• Impeccable ethics and integrity
• Must be willing to travel, as necessary

 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and JD degree
• Qualified to practice law in Texas or another state in the USA

Experience:

• Relevant years of experience within the commodities marketing/trading practice at either a top law firm or an in-house legal department of a major energy company with sophisticated trading operations
  • Counsel - Three (3