Human Resources Risk Management
Resume:
Godspower Abamba
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
******.**@*****.***
Objective: Deploying transactional lawyering expertise to solve complex business problems. Professional Experience
Risk & Ethics Analyst
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP [Carthos] Toronto Jun 2023 - Present.
• I manage the ethics, conflicts, and risk concerns at Osler, reporting to the Director Conflicts and Risk Management.
• Provide expertise in risk, independence, and conflict of interest matters through the administration of outside counsel guidelines.
• Conduct consultations with Partners and practitioners, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards regarding the application of professional regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a highly distributed work environment.
• Analyze complex contractual documents, copious legal documents, RFPs, and SOWs.
• Research and apply regulatory standards, including Codes of Professional Conduct.
• Managing, evaluating, and providing expert risk analysis and recommendations, and ensuring compliance with global rules of professional conduct regulating lawyers and subject matter experts
• Contribute to the creation of effective risk management guidance materials and policies for Partners and practitioners by evaluating learning needs of staff and partners, developing and delivering training programs on conflicts, independence, and other risk management topics
• Draft response to legal and compliance queries
• Work with the Partners and Subject Matter Experts on managing individual clients’ engagement risk and conflict provisions/terms.
• Work with the Finance & Accounts team on financial terms, as well as with the Information Security SMEs to spearhead privacy efforts, ensuring compliance with data/technology requirements.
• Draft, analyze and review the Law Firm’s Client Service Terms, engagement contracts, and Letters of Acceptance and Exclusions.
• Manage and evaluate risk, provide expert analysis, and lead internal compliance efforts.
• Superuser and administrator of various technology platforms (intapp Terms/Open/Walls, advanced Workshare, etc)
• Work with the IT teams to maintain software configurations, agreements, files, and records.
• Drive process improvement, compliance, and internal control. Consultant/Contract Specialist
Royal Bank of Canada Bay Street Toronto ON Jan 2023 – Jun 2023
• Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated complex commercial transactions for the Royal bank of Canada.
• Advised on financial services regulation laws, marketing, consumer protection, data protection and privacy.
• Active member of the bank’s Procurement and Global Strategic Sourcing Teams.
• Negotiated supplier agreement with internal business units and external parties.
• Deployed technology platforms, including Ariba, iValua, OneSpan, Docusign, and Microsoft
• Reviewed, negotiated, and drafted transactional papers for the bank.
• Analyzed contracts to ensure they comply with the bank's policies.
• Liaised with internal business partners and external suppliers.
• Negotiated with the bank's suppliers to secure best terms and pricing for the bank.
• Reviewed commercial agreements, SaS, / technology, data protection and privacy terms. Legal Contracts Manager
Oware Law Office North York ON Feb-Oct 2022
• Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated complex commercial transactions for the Royal bank of Canada.
• Advised on financial services regulation laws, marketing, consumer protection, data protection and privacy.
• Accountable for administering clients’ commercial agreements, SaS, / vendor contracts negotiation.
• Attend clients’ Board Meetings, record, transcribe, and send out minutes. 2
• Full range of legal administrative responsibilities, including due diligence, compliance, risk management, client meetings, office management, database administration, and scheduling coordination.
• Preparing paperwork for Consent and Capacity Board, Canada.
• Identifying, allocating, & keeping track of major contractual commitments, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure that the contracts management database is properly set up, updated, and maintained, and ensuring that all contracts and associated paperwork are properly saved.
• Processing end-to-end Immigration Applications.
• Real estate closing, Unity and Teraview documentation.
• Drafting and reviewing legal documents, motion records, minutes, affidavits, pre-trial/mediation, memos, cost outlines, bill of costs, subpoenas, summons to witness, consent and dismissal orders, responses to application for arbitration, case conference summaries) and ensuring that all appropriate documents and forms are correctly filed.
• Drafted several contracts and reviewed complex commercial agreements. Senior Contract Specialist
GAC Motors Jun 2020 – Jan 2021
• Provided legal advisory services to the automobile manufacturing firm.
• Championed legal/regulatory compliance, regulatory filings, and internal control for the firm.
• Prepared documents for Corporate Affairs and government filings, including board resolutions and restructuring papers.
• Prepared a joint venture agreement and Share Purchase Scheme for the sale of 55% shares.
• Drafted, reviewed, and optimized bidding documents, fleet mgt clauses, APGs, finance terms and insurance bonds.
• Negotiated term sheets spanning production, sales, procurement, training, and research.
• Replied enquiries from both internal and external parties about corporate data, legal contracts, privacy, and data protection.
• Attend Board Meetings, take minutes, and process resolutions for filing.
• Drafted a syndicated loan agreement and master agreement between a consortium of banks to advance 3.5B at 4.8% from the intervention fund.
Inhouse Contract Specialist / General Counsel
Miniso May 2017 – Jun 2020
• Organized the 1st Annual General Meeting for the subsidiary.
• Drafted the 1.8 billion debt-to-equity conversion transaction contracts for the Chinese retail giant investment projects across West Africa and increased the company’s share capital from 10 million to 450 million shares by re-denomination and secured the Corporate Affairs Commission’s approval.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the company secretariat, confidential information, and original corporation documents.
• Processed Certificates of Capital Importation for the group
• Prepared the subsidiary’s transaction papers for Miniso M&A, Debt-to-Equity - and IPO project and obtained the government’s approval for the restructuring.
• Carried out research, gathers data, prepare reports, and make presentation to top management.
• Responsible for pre-award and post-award bids and tenders.
• Manage board corporate governance issues, resolutions, and minutes.
• Train colleagues on legal, compliance and company policies when necessary.
• Conduct and complete compliance reports and draft risk assessment responses. Legal Project Manager
BBT Nov 2015 – May 2017
• Provided legal advice on products, innovative programmes, plans, policies, and strategies.
• Legal documentation processes for OEMs’ Supplier Contracts: Fiserv, IBM, Wincor Nixdorf, EMC, Microsoft, Planet, Cisco, Avaya, Tripleplay, Nortel, Wolters Kluwer, Novell and Zafin Labs
• Served as subject matter expert on legal/regulatory compliance.
• Facilitated Wincor Nixdorf International for personnel training at Paderborn, Germany
• Checked the confidentiality / non-disclosure (NDA) agreements, SOPs, WPDs, master framework agreements, arbitration clauses, Saas, and SOWs and resolved vendor claims.
• Provided internal legal support to sales, procurement, and transmission teams through legal risk assessment for BBT for its services to financial institution clients, as their premier transaction platforms vendor
• Reviewed and managed the legal protocols for Personal Data Processing and administration for packaged Applications, Enterprise IT infrastructures, Networks and Communications equipment.
• Drafted privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and governance policies. 3
• Managed company affairs, prepared agendas, attended board meetings and engaged external legal advisors.
• Approved, signed, and sealed official documents, liaised with external solicitors, and defended company rights.
Legal Contracts Administrator / General Counsel
ATA Ltd. Co. Jul 2013 – Nov 2015
• Designed SOPs, RFP, Change Order forms, Confidentiality Agreements (CDAs), Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and project-specific agreements.
• Organize and attend meetings of the Boards of Directors and its Committees.
• Drafted, reviewed, and interpreted SLA’s, non-disclosures, non-circumvention, and other standard form agreements.
• Drafted the firm’s Whistle Blowing policy.
• Drafted the Board’s Corporate Governance Policy Handbook. Associate Lawyer
Castle Law Office Nov 2009 – Jul 2013
• Corporate Commercial Lawyer
• Commercial Arbitration, and Transactions
• Processed end-to-end Immigration Applications.
• Real estate closing, Unity and Teraview documentation.
• Drafted and reviewed legal documents, motion records, minutes, affidavits, pre-trial/mediation, memos, cost outlines, bill of costs, subpoenas, summons to witness, consent and dismissal orders, responses to application for arbitration, case conference summaries) and ensuring that all appropriate documents and forms are correctly filed.
• Drafted and reviewed Material or Data Transfer Agreement (MTA, DTAs).
• Drafted several contracts and reviewed complex commercial agreements. Skills
• Strong understanding of independence and conflict of interest matters.
• Expert in the Implementing Rules of Professional Conduct, and managing conflicts of interest.
• Research and interpretation of regulatory standards of professional bodies.
• Contract Drafting Specialist
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills.
• Legal Compliance, Risk Management, and Internal Control
• Adaptability and agility in fast-paced work environments
• Knowledgeable in Global Privacy Laws (U.S., Canada, EU) Data Protection and Privacy
• SaaS Technology Expertise, Information Security, and Privacy Governance
• Strong commitment to continuous learning and professional development
• Internationally trained Lawyer.
Key Achievements
• Successfully navigated fast-paced work environments, demonstrating the ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Established trusted relationships with clients, becoming a positive and professional advisor known for delivering high-quality work.
• Actively participated in the adoption of digital tools and strategies to drive an innovative workplace. Education
• Federation of Law Societies of Canada
CQ – Certificate of Qualification and Bar Licensee
• York University, Osgoode Hall Law School, Ontario, Canada Master of Laws Degree [LLM] in Canadian Law
• University of Lagos
Master of Laws Degree [LLM] in Business Law
• Delta State University
Bachelor of Laws Degree [LLB] (JD) Law
4
Licenses and Certifications
• Member - (‘Law Society of Upper Canada’) Ontario Bar
• Member - Nigerian Bar
• Certified Compliance Professional
• Certified Project Manager
• Dual-Licensed Attorney
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