RHJ
RHJ International SA (RHJI) is a Belgium-based, holding company listed on Euronext Brussels and focusing on creating long-term value for its shareholders by acquiring and operating businesses.
RHJI was created as a Euronext-listed company in 2005 at a time where the company’s holdings were primarily focused on the industrial sector in Japan. Over the past years, the company has expanded its investments over other continents and has transformed itself to a financial services holding company. The acquisitions in 2010 of Kleinwort Benson and KBC Asset Management are milestones in this transformation process and these companies are the cornerstone for RHJI’s future strategy.
RHJI employs around 45 people spread over Brussels, Zurich, London, Tokyo and New York.
For its Belgian entity, RHJI is looking for a corporate legal counsel who has experience with corporate matters for listed companies.
The legal team
You will join RHJI’s legal team, consisting of: the General Counsel (who is also RHJI’s COO), primarily based in Zurich, and 2 legal counsels based in London. You will report to the General Counsel.
Corporate Legal Counsel
Functieomschrijving
You will mainly be focusing on corporate law questions relating to the Brussels-based listed holding company and you will give legal support in transactions in and outside of Belgium.
As a legal counsel, you will provide high quality legal advice to the business and you will manage complex legal issues:
• You will be in charge of the legal support to a number of acquisitions and divestitures of portfolio companies on a worldwide level. This involves analysis of legal issues, drafting of contracts, due diligence work, set up of appropriate corporate structures, etc.
• You will handle corporate-law questions (including corporate governance issues) related to the listed holding company, such as preparing documents for and providing legal support to the Board of Directors and the Shareholders’ Meetings (with assistance of outside legal experts).
• You will handle other legal issues occurring in the context of the Brussels-based activities and holding-related issues (e.g. relating to employment law, tax, regulatory, etc.).
Together with the General Counsel, you will assess business objectives, identify potential legal exposures, propose optional, creative approaches to business issues and provide legal risk management support.
Your main focus will be on corporate law (including corporate housekeeping of a stock listed company, compliance, M&A projects,…) and commercial law (negotiation, drafting and review of all types of agreements).
Finally you will provide general legal support to foreign affiliates.
Profiel
You have obtained a Belgian Master in Law.
You have 4 to 8 years experience in corporate law and M&A. You have worked in a top law firm or blue chip international company and have dealt with corporate matters related to listed companies.
You have mother tongue fluency in English and ideally you master other European languages, particularly French. Superior legal drafting skills in English are critical.
You are a true professional who can work autonomously.
You have the maturity and authority to be respected and you take responsibility in complex legal matters.
You are smart, thoughtful, able to quickly grasp the legal issues and make the right analysis. At the same time, advice to the internal clients will be concise, to the point, pragmatic, solution-oriented and practical.
Aanbod
RHJI pays a competitive salary, to be complemented with a bonus, which can be very substantial in case of good performance.
In addition, the Legal Counsel will enjoy the usual fringe benefits, such as a company car, extra legal pension plan and medical insurance.