Legal Counsel – Commercial Trading & Shipping

About the Role

We are seeking a proactive and commercially-minded Legal Counsel to join our client's established regional legal team in Singapore. Reporting directly to the Head of Legal, you will serve as a key business partner to their global trading desks, shipping teams, and regional processing facilities.

This is a dynamic, high-visibility role ideal for a mid-level legal professional looking to handle a broad blend of operational commercial contracts, shipping and charterparty agreements, trade disputes, and regional expansion projects across the APAC region.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial & Trading Contracts: Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a wide range of international physical commodity trading agreements, Sales & Purchase Agreements (SPAs), supply chain/logistics contracts, and standard industry trading terms.

• Shipping & Maritime Operations: Provide pragmatic legal support on maritime matters, including time/voyage charterparties, bills of lading, vessel fixture notes, demurrage/laytime claims, and cargo quality/shortage disputes.

• Dispute Resolution & Claims Management: Manage pre-litigation commercial disputes, trade claims, and shipping arbitrations (e.g., LMAA, SIAC, FOSFA/GAFTA) in close coordination with external panel counsel.

• Operational Advisory: Act as a daily advisor to trading, operations, and logistics desks across APAC, offering commercial legal guidance to mitigate operational and counterparty risks.

• Corporate & Regional Expansion: Assist senior leadership with corporate governance, joint venture setups, cross-border M&A projects, and regional regulatory compliance.

Key Requirements

• Educational & Legal Qualification: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or equivalent legal qualification from a recognized university. Admission to the Singapore Bar or another common law jurisdiction is advantageous but not strictly mandatory.

• Experience: Minimum 3 to 6 years of PQE / relevant legal experience, ideally gained within an in-house legal team at an international commodity trading firm, shipping company, or logistics enterprise, OR from a reputable international law firm's shipping/commercial practice.

• Domain Expertise: Strong working knowledge of physical commodity trade structures, Incoterms, charterparty terms, and international shipping law.

• Regional Language Capabilities: Strong proficiency in written and spoken English. Proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia and/or Mandarin is an advantage to effectively review documentation and communicate directly with operational teams, local plants, and external counterparties across Indonesia and Greater China.

• Soft Skills: Commercially astute, hands-on, and capable of working independently in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple stakeholders.