In-House Legal Counsel

The In-House Legal Counsel at Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, is a pivotal role designed to provide comprehensive legal advice to the company on corporate, regulatory, and contractual matters, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations regarding municipal, state, and federal licenses, environmental permits and authorizations, contracts, labour matters, union relations, property regularization, beach concessions, legal reports for the head office and any other legal matter that may be part of the business.

Main responsibilities include:

- Operating Licenses and Permits (Municipal, State, and Federal):
- Manage the obtaining, renewal, and compliance of operating licenses and permits, processing them before municipal, state, and federal authorities (operating licenses, land use, construction, etc.).
- Oversee the work of external consultants, maintaining proper control of license expiry dates.
- Environmental Permits and Authorizations (Municipal, State, and Federal):
- Process, renew, and constantly monitor environmental permits and authorizations before SEMARNAT, PROFECO, and municipal, state, federal, and other authorities.
- Oversee the work of external consultants.
- Monitor compliance with environmental regulations and manage environmental reports or audits when necessary.

PROFECO Management:

- Address requirements, complaints, or procedures initiated before the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (PROFECO).
- Advise on compliance with consumer protection regulations and coordinate responses to inspections or administrative procedures.
- Prepare and review adhesion contracts, notices, and documentation required by PROFECO.

Contracts:

- Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts, leases, service agreements, supplier agreements, and other relevant agreements, ensuring that contracts comply with Mexican legislation and protect the company's interests.
- Adapt head office contracts and ensure compliance with contractual policies in operations.

Labour and Union Matters:

- Support the Human Resources department on individual and collective labour law matters, including hiring, termination, compliance with the Federal Labour Law (LFT), internal policies, and social security.
- Coordinate and manage relations with external advisors and unions, negotiating collective agreements and address labour disputes.
- Represent the company before labour authorities and in jurisdictional proceedings in conjunction with external advisors.

Property Regularization:

- Coordinate and supervise processes for the regularisation and proper titling of the company's real estate, including title review, deed execution, registration in the Public Registry of Property, and resolution of tenure conflicts.
- Advise on the acquisition, sale, or lease of real estate, ensuring proper legal due diligence and compliance with applicable regulations.
- Organise and safeguard the documentary archive of property registrations, titles, and other annexed documents.

Beach Concessions:

- Manage the obtaining, renewal, and compliance of ZOFEMAT concessions and other permits related to the use and exploitation of beaches.
- Maintain relations and ensure compliance with federal, state, and municipal authorities regarding beach concessions.
- Advise relevant departments on the use, exploitation, and legal protection of concessioned areas.

Regulatory Compliance:

- Stay updated on legislative and regulatory changes applicable to operations in Mexico and Quintana Roo.
- Develop and implement internal policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance.

Litigation Management:

- Manage and coordinate with external advisors the legal defense of the company in administrative, labour, civil, environmental, consumer protection, real estate, and concession litigation, managing external lawyers when necessary.

Requirements

- Bachelor of Laws degree, duly qualified and with a valid professional license in Mexico.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience as an in-house corporate lawyer or in a law firm, managing municipal, state, and federal licenses, environmental permits, contracts, labour matters, consumer protection, property regularization, and beach concessions in Mexico.
- Experience in dealing with municipal, state, federal, environmental, labour authorities, PROFECO, ZOFEMAT, and unions.
- Solid knowledge of applicable Mexican legislation (LFT, Municipal, State, and Federal Laws, General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection, Federal Consumer Protection Law, ZOFEMAT regulations, Property Laws, water use, etc.).
- Advanced English (oral and written).
- Proficiency in IT tools and document management systems.
- Residency in Cancun, Playa del Carmen or availability to relocate to the area.

Benefits

- Competitive salary and benefit scheme above the law
- Private Health Insurance
- Life insurance
- Saving Found and food coupons.