Okezi UWEDE-MESHACK

Experience

• 

  COMRADES SCHOOLS

  Sept 2008 - Nov 2008

  TUTOR

  FRENCH TUTOR FOR BASIC 1-9

• 

  Citibank Nigeria Ltd

  Jul 2012 - Aug 2012

  Summer Intern

  I was placed in the Legal Department, where i was reviewing contract documents, Loan agreements, policy reviews, NDAs, and engaged in regulatory compliance policy development and briefing of relevant bank department

• 

  G.O Sodipo & Co

  Aug 2012 - Sept 2012

  Legal Intern

  I was exposed to the inner workings of Chambers, attended client interviews, and reviewed cases on intellectual property law practice

• 

  L& A Legal Consultants

  Dec 2012 - Jan 2013

  Volunteer Research Assistant

  Intellectual Property ResearchTraffic LawDesertification and Afforestation laws

• 

  Zercom Systems

  May 2013 - Jun 2013

  Writing Assistant

  Writing of documents- minutes, memos, proposals, agreements,; quasi-legal office.

• 

  GRACE INFO TECH LTD (LawPavillion)

  May 2014 - Sept 2014

  Legal Intern

  Proofreading of judgments, laws of states and federation. Inputting of laws into the software “Law Pavillion”, analysis of cases into different categories and differentiation of ratio from obita.

• 

  George Ikoli & Okagbue

  May 2015 - Jun 2015

  Legal Intern

  Legal Drafting, company law practice, corporate governance, litigation. As the Leader of the Legal Externs I was responsible for the drafting of weekly timetable of activities among externs

• 

  The ReadyWriter Ink

  Sept 2015 - now

  Researcher

  Providing research assistance, research topic development, executing research tasks, proofreading, editing and data analysis, newsletter edit and creation, concept development, content contribution and research analyses

• 

  Makanjuola Esan & Co

  Jan 2016 - Oct 2016

  Legal Counsel

  Advocacy; settlement of dispute; litigation; debt recovery; incorporation of company

• 

  GE

  Nov 2016 - Nov 2017

  ECDP Legal

  Legal Role: Review, research, update, draft and company secretarial duties, supporting GE Businesses across West Africa.- Supporting the GE Power French Africa deals. Exposure to OHADA and CEMAC Regulations- Supporting the GE Transportation business in Nigerian operations; Public Procurement, Substantive Legislation on rail and transportation matters; Policy advocacy on transportation - Creation of legal entities across francophone Africa

• 

  GE Power

  Nov 2017 - Jun 2024

  Providing end-to-end legal advisory services to the sales, finance and commercial teams on energy projects for the sale of gas turbine technologies and services for customers in Francophone Africa. - Drafted and negotiated transaction documents for the different customers at both initiation and execution stages of onshore and offshore contracts. - Advising on and negotiating standard contract form construction and design contracts – FIDIC and NEC.- Providing practical legal advice to business leaders on flag planting and debt recovery strategies in new French Africa markets.- Identifying, assessing, and managing legal risks on the projects in these countries on contract life cycle management to project related labour and employment cases as well as dispute resolution.- Advised and responded on legal risks on public procurement tenders with country ministries of energy projects.Leading on policy implementation for internal and external regulatory compliance. - Key member of the legal and compliance team that monitor and take actions on internal whistle-blowing policy.- Managed and conducted investigations and executed actions on recommendations from same towards improving internal systems and processes. - Developed and implemented a law and compliance policy on pro-bono efforts using collaborative tools and strategies. - Key member of global equity, diversity, and inclusion team that curates and executes trainings and events on the subject.Management of legal entities within French speaking African Countries. - End-to-end legal operations support on legal entities and audit processes in both English and French African countries: this includes support with AGMs, Board of Directors’ meetings, legal entity creation, POA management, review, and appointment of external counsel.Responsible for the training of sales and commercial teams on key legal and contractual risks Show less - Information Management: managed and deployed a system for requesting, reviewing, updating, and tracking legal entity documentation viz Powers of Attorney, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding; leases, and transaction documents across Africa.- Legal Reasoning: First level review of legal risks on issues in active projects in the region to report to General Counsel for review and escalation where necessary. - Legal entities creation and management: Following M&A activities, I supported on legal entity documentation for the creation and winding up in countries in Africa following the Baker Hughes and GE’s legacy Oil and Gas business merger.- Key member of the team advising on the USD 2 billion Nigerian narrow-gauge railway projects; consulting with external counsel on legal opinion issuance and legal support on tendering requests.- Legal advise on shared services business with exposure to Healthcare, transportation and oil and gas businesses Show less

  • Lead Counsel

    Sept 2019 - Jun 2024

  • Junior Counsel

    Nov 2017 - Sept 2019
• 

  ExxonMobil

  Jul 2024 - now

  Counsel

  Regulatory advisory, commercial legal advisory.