Vice President Legal

Position Overview: As a Senior Commercial Legal Counsel, you will provide high-level legal and strategic advisory services to the business, ensuring our commercial operations are aligned with regulatory frameworks, risk-management protocols, and growth initiatives. You will partner with cross-functional teams (Finance, M&A, Compliance, Operations) to navigate complex legal issues, drive commercial outcomes, and support business transformation. Key Responsibilities: Legal Strategy & Governance Develop and implement OYO’s legal and compliance strategy for Europe, ensuring alignment with global policies and business objectives. Advise senior management on critical legal issues impacting regional operations and business expansion. Support M&A, restructuring, and new market entry initiatives from a legal standpoint. Oversee all corporate governance requirements, including board and entity management for European subsidiaries. Litigation: Manage and oversee all litigation matters, including disputes, claims, and legal proceedings. Provide strategic advice and representation in court cases. Contracts: Maintain and oversee the legal contracting repository, track key metrics (e.g., contract cycle-time, exposure, disputes) and report to senior leadership on legal KPIs and risk-exposure. Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including lease agreements, service contracts, and vendor agreements. Ensure all contracts comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Handle a large volume of contracts efficiently and effectively. Compliance: Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including employment laws, data protection, and industry-specific regulations. Develop and implement compliance programs and policies. Provide in-house legal counsel for a global technology startup, overseeing corporate and commercial transactions, including negotiating MSAs, OTA agreements, commercial leases, operator agreements, vendor contracts, notices, due diligence and consulting services agreements. Advising business teams on regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation. Mergers & Acquisitions: Lead and manage legal aspects of M&A transactions, including due diligence, negotiation, and integration. Provide strategic advice on potential acquisitions and partnerships. Legal Advice: Provide legal advice and support to senior management and other departments on various legal matters. Act as a trusted advisor to the business. Negotiating and finalizing agreements with key stakeholders, including hotel owners, government agencies and private entities, particularly in housing support services for asylum applicants in the EUROPE. Dispute Resolution: Managing arbitration, mediation, and litigation strategies to resolve contract disputes, lease violations, and vendor-related conflicts efficiently and collaborating with external counsel to ensure compliance with EUROPE and international regulations. Drafting and filing County Court applications in the EUROPE, handling legal proceedings independently until external solicitors' involvement is required. Leading debt recovery initiatives, focusing on effective dispute resolution, financial recovery strategies, and regulatory adherence to minimize company exposure. Mergers & Acquisitions: Lead and manage legal aspects of M&A transactions, including due diligence, negotiation, and integration. Provide strategic advice on potential acquisitions and partnerships. IPO Readiness: Lead legal workstreams related to IPO preparation, including corporate governance, regulatory filings, investor disclosures, and coordination with external advisors. Ensure compliance with listing requirements and securities laws in relevant jurisdictions. Team Management: Lead and mentor the legal team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. Ensure continuous development and training of team members. Qualifications: Education: LLB/LLM from a recognized university. Additional qualifications in business or management are a plus. Experience: Minimum of 12 years of experience in legal roles, with a focus on litigation, contracts, compliance, IPO and M&A. Experience in the hospitality industry is preferred but not a must. Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication and negotiation skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure. Leadership: Proven leadership experience with the ability to lead and motivate a team. Strong strategic thinking and decision-making abilities. What We Offer: A strategic role with visibility and influence across the business. Opportunity to shape legal strategy in a growth-oriented, global environment. Collaborative team, high-impact work, exposure to senior leadership. Competitive remuneration and benefits aligned with experience.