Team size: Nine

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The legal team at First E&P have conducted negotiations for all contracts related to a drilling campaign for an offshore shallow water field (inclusive of a drilling rig, a conductor supported platform, submersibles, umbilicals, risers and flowlines and support vessels).

We also managed the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) changes, related contracts, and the establishment of the Host Community Trust Fund.

Further, we were involved as part of the purchaser’s legal team in the successful negotiations of a major divestment transaction by an international oil company of its local entity.

How have you attempted to bring the legal department closer to your business colleagues?

I have introduced measures where we have lawyers in the business work and sit directly with the operational teams of the business. This ensures the lawyers have firsthand information on all issues that may arise from an operational standpoint, effectively reducing disputes against the business and fostering a very close relationship between lawyers and other business colleagues, where they all become and see themselves as one team.

In general, what would you like to see change about the external law firms you use?

I would like to see scenarios where law firms develop bespoke methods of billing arrangements and move away from the traditional hourly rate billings to more fixed lump sum, milestone based, or hybrid types of billing arrangements. These type of billing arrangements assists the legal functions of mid-size independent E&P operators to effectively manage their legal budgets.

What are some of the main legislative or regulatory changes that have impacted you?

Without doubt, the main legislative and regulatory change that has impacted me and my legal team is the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act which has completely changed the way we do business via the introduction of new regulatory agencies, the introduction of new license regimes and new fiscal regimes, all leading to a more dynamic industry with interesting times ahead as we navigate the new changes and how it impacts the business environment.