Moreeliec Pena
Sydney,NSW
Summary
Dynamic Corporate Legal Counsel with extensive experience at Hanwha Energy Australia, excelling in contract negotiation and regulatory compliance. Proven track record in drafting complex agreements and managing corporate governance, while effectively mitigating risks. Adept at collaborating with stakeholders to achieve strategic legal outcomes and enhance operational efficiency.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Corporate Legal Counsel
Hanwha Energy Australia
06.2023 - Current
- Company Overview: Hanwha Energy Australia (HEAU) and its affiliates (Nectr, Qcells and Instyle Solar) are companies owned by Hanwha Group
- Manage all legal matters across HEAU and its affiliates
- Negotiate, draft, and review a broad range of agreements including supplier, aggregation API licenses, distribution, services and energy retail agreements and intercompany services agreements
- Develop and manage contract templates
- Provide advice on consumer law, electricity law, privacy issues, marketing trademark, and corporate issues
- Liaise with external counsels to manage litigations and commercial disputes
- Work collaboratively with all stakeholders across all affiliates
- Hanwha Energy Australia (HEAU) and its affiliates (Nectr, Qcells and Instyle Solar) are companies owned by Hanwha Group
Corporate Legal Counsel
Hanwha Q CELLS Australia
08.2022 - 06.2023
- Draft, negotiate and review commercial agreements with the support of the commercial and technical, including confidentiality, SaaS, partnership, funding, and supplier agreement, that includes: Solar modules and energy storage system supply agreements/frameworks for the C&I and Utility segment
- Manage and update the company’s contracts
- Manage and update Qcells commercial terms and conditions
- Manage purchase agreements for solar panels, energy storage systems, inverters, and accessories
- Draft terms and conditions for promotions or rebates
- General compliance review and advisory for the energy retail business, to include: Development, management and implementation of the divisions governance policies and protocols
- Ensure all legal and compliance activities are proactively communicated and actioned
- Draft and manage contracts with outsourcing suppliers such as Billing/CRM service provider, BNPL financing supplier
- Manage and advise on employment contracts and related issues
- Develop, implement, and maintain compliance policies, procedures, process, and risk management strategies to ensure Qcells compliance with all applicable laws and regulation
- Investigate, monitor, and report on legal and compliance issues
- Support the different stakeholders in privacy and consumer law matters
- Provide advice about warranty claims
- Mitigation and management of corporate risk including compliance with legal obligations as part of the risk management framework
- Work collaboratively with stakeholders in other affiliates
- Liaise with external counsels to manage litigations and commercial disputes
Contracts Lead (Engineering & Projects, Maintenance, Production, Exploration, Subsurface & Biomass)
Oil Search Limited (currently Santos)
03.2020 - 07.2022
- Prepare and execute contract documents, including the preparation of internal approval documentation, as required
- Provide advice to the stakeholders on contract strategy, pre-qualification, tendering and administration and close out of contracts, in accordance with established policies
- Review and manage contractor’s performance in compliance with the contracts and assist with compliance with operational requirements
- Carry out negotiations with contractors to secure the preferred outcomes, based on the best overall value to the Company
- Ensure procurement and contracting policies are adhered to, business deadlines are met
- Resolution of contractual issues which have the potential to pose a risk to the business
- Training, delegation and supervision of direct reports
Contracts Specialist (Drilling, Exploration & Subsurface)
Oil Search Limited
07.2018 - 03.2020
- Assist in the development of contracting strategies, analysing and assessing alternative contracting strategies and contracting work breakdown structures as part of optimizing the overall execution strategy
- Draft, review and negotiate drilling & exploration contracts
- Manage a portfolio of various agreements types by leading low to medium value negotiations, and supporting senior team members in higher value negotiations, providing strategic input into the development, implementation of contracts
- Manage the administration in support of portfolio management by compiling agreement documentation, recommendation for award and managing call offs, changes requests and amendments
- Provide post-award contractual advice and support to multiple contract owners and internal/external stakeholders during the ongoing lifecycle of the portfolio of contracts by reporting on performance and managing contractor relationships to minimise commercial risk
- Identify and create opportunities for cost reduction and value adding in all agreements relating to the provision of goods and services
Corporate Lawyer
WaterNSW
09.2017 - 06.2018
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial and supply contracts
- Provide advice on matters such as Water Law, Property Law, and Contract matters
- Provide advice and support in disputes including, when instructed, preparation of documentation and representing WaterNSW in negotiating resolution of disputes
- Develop legal advice/information kits to explain WaterNSW’s compliance responsibilities and conduct training sessions and workshops on legal issues affecting employees’ performance of their duties
- Draft complex legal documents and contracts consistent with clients’ instructions and ensure that documents and contracts are legally enforceable
Leader of Regulatory and International Affairs, Office of the General Legal Counsel
Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA)
Caracas, Venezuela
01.2016 - 05.2017
- Company Overview: Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA) and its subsidiaries, are corporations owned by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- I have worked in various teams, units, subsidiaries and practice areas since commencing my role at PDVSA
- Drafted, reviewed and negotiated commercial contracts
- Negotiated Joint Operating Agreements and Unit Operating Agreements
- Provided expert and strategic legal opinion, ensured compliance under the different legislation and drafted agreements in relation to new projects in Aruba and Curacao
- Drafted and negotiated natural gas and condensates supply agreements
- Drafted and negotiated amendments to current gas licences
- Drafted correspondence to various parties and other professionals regarding PDVSA Gas’ agreements and matters
- Proposed negotiation strategies for supply of natural gas to Colombia, Curacao, Aruba and Trinidad & Tobago to managers
- Liaised with technical experts regarding various projects
- Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA) and its subsidiaries, are corporations owned by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
- I have worked in various teams, units, subsidiaries and practice areas since commencing my role at PDVSA
General Legal Counsel
PDVSA Engineering & Construction, S.A.
Caracas, Venezuela
01.2015 - 12.2015
- Provided astute advice on a range of construction and commercial law matters
- Drafted and negotiated guarantee agreements
- Proposed contractual strategies aligned with the applicable law for current and upcoming projects
- Drafted and negotiated commercial leases
- Drafted and negotiated Non Disclosure Agreements, Joint Venture Agreements, EPC (turn-key) and EPCM agreements
- Supervised a team of 9 Lawyers nationally
- Mentored junior Lawyers
- Updated contracts for the oil and construction sectors to comply with their respective conventions and regulations
Legal Counsel, Exploration and Production
Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
Caracas, Venezuela
06.2011 - 12.2014
- My practice predominantly involved commercial matters and providing commercial legal advice
- I was also the Secretary of the Financing Committee of PDVSA
- Drafted and negotiated a Conceptual and Basic Engineering Services Agreement
- Drafted and negotiated Confidentiality and the Licence Agreements for the projects in the Orinoco Oil Belt, Mixed Companies and overseas affiliates
- Drafted and negotiated the Equipment Purchase Agreement for Land Drilling Rigs Packages
- Assisted international affiliates in Europe and USA
- Drafted and conducted negotiations regarding acquisitions of assets and settlement agreements
- Set up financial strategies
- Coordinated with external lawyers and other parties
- Extensive international travel
Legal Counsel, International Affairs Department, Office of the General Legal Counsel
Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
Caracas, Venezuela
01.2010 - 06.2011
- Drafted and negotiated long term and spot contracts for the sale of crude oil and its by-products
- Assisted in the day-to-day business of the Trade and Supply (CyS) unit with long term and spot supply agreements, guarantees and freight agreements
- Led the team working on arbitration matters with values of between US$1 - US$3 billion
- Initiated and conducted settlement negotiations
- Researched precedents and points of law
- Liaised with legal, technical and environmental experts
- Extensive international travel
Secondee
Curtis Mallet, Prevost & Colt, LLP
New York, USA
01.2008 - 12.2009
- Company Overview: (Secondment from Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A)
- Working under the supervision of George Kahale III, Chairman
- Supervised, assisted and coordinated with external counsel for judicial and international arbitration proceedings
- Coordinated strategies with external counsel and the different departments of PDVSA to be presented to the General Legal Counsel
- Participated in multidisciplinary roundtables for the discussion and drafting of arbitral briefs
- Extensive international travel
- Translated documents
- (Secondment from Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A)
Legal Counsel, International Affairs Department, Office of the General Legal Counsel
Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
Caracas, Venezuela
10.2006 - 12.2007
- Maintained and ensured compliance of the legal corporate governance structure of the national and international subsidiaries
Junior Editor
Thomson Reuters
03.2003 - 08.2006
Education
Master of Laws and Legal Practice -
University of Technology
Sydney, Australia11.2005
Master of Laws -
University of Technology
Sydney, Australia11.2002
Bachelor of Laws -
University Santa Maria
Venezuela07.2000
Skills
- Contract negotiation
- Legal drafting
- Regulatory compliance
- Risk management
- Corporate governance
- Litigation oversight
Affiliations
- Legal Association of Venezuela
- Law Society of NSW
Languages
- Spanish, Native speaker
- English, Fluent
- French, Basic
Hobbies and Interests
- Reading history and fiction
- Running
References
Upon request
Phone
AU, 0416 255 669
Admission
- 04/01/06, Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales
- 10/01/01, Admitted to the Lawyers’ Social Security Institute of Venezuela (Inpreabogado)
Languages
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
French
Elementary
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Corporate Legal Counsel
Hanwha Energy Australia
06.2023 - Current
Corporate Legal Counsel
Hanwha Q CELLS Australia
08.2022 - 06.2023
Contracts Lead (Engineering & Projects, Maintenance, Production, Exploration, Subsurface & Biomass)
Oil Search Limited (currently Santos)
03.2020 - 07.2022
Contracts Specialist (Drilling, Exploration & Subsurface)
Oil Search Limited
07.2018 - 03.2020
Corporate Lawyer
WaterNSW
09.2017 - 06.2018
Leader of Regulatory and International Affairs, Office of the General Legal Counsel
Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA)
01.2016 - 05.2017
General Legal Counsel
PDVSA Engineering & Construction, S.A.
01.2015 - 12.2015
Legal Counsel, Exploration and Production
Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
06.2011 - 12.2014
Legal Counsel, International Affairs Department, Office of the General Legal Counsel
Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
01.2010 - 06.2011
Secondee
Curtis Mallet, Prevost & Colt, LLP
01.2008 - 12.2009
Legal Counsel, International Affairs Department, Office of the General Legal Counsel
Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
10.2006 - 12.2007
Junior Editor
Thomson Reuters
03.2003 - 08.2006
Master of Laws and Legal Practice -
University of Technology
Master of Laws -
University of Technology
Bachelor of Laws -
University Santa Maria
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