Corporate Secretary

Company Secretary & Legal Counsel Corporate Secretarial, Governance & Legal Affairs Department Legal & Corporate Secretarial Reporting To COO Location Kochi / Bangalore Employment Type Full-Time, Permanent Experience Required 4–7 years post-qualification (CS LLB) Qualification Company Secretary (ACS/FCS, ICSI) and LLB (mandatory) About the Role Saints & Masters is seeking a qualified Company Secretary with an LLB to lead the organisation's corporate secretarial function, governance framework, and legal affairs. The role combines statutory compliance, corporate governance, commercial contracting, and legal advisory while supporting strategic initiatives including mergers, acquisitions, fundraising, and corporate restructuring. The successful candidate will work closely with the leadership team, Board of Directors, investors, and external legal advisors to ensure the organisation maintains the highest standards of governance and regulatory compliance while enabling business growth. Key Responsibilities Corporate Secretarial Compliance: Ensure compliance with the Companies Act, 2013, FEMA, and other applicable corporate laws across the organisation and its group entities. Board & Governance: Plan and manage Board, Committee, and Shareholder meetings, including agendas, minutes, resolutions, and statutory records. Regulatory Filings: Ensure timely filing of statutory forms and returns with the MCA, RoC, and other regulatory authorities. Corporate Governance: Strengthen governance practices and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements. Contract Management: Draft, review, negotiate, and manage commercial contracts, customer agreements, vendor agreements, NDAs, MSAs, and other legal documents. Legal Advisory: Provide practical legal advice to leadership and business teams on corporate, commercial, and regulatory matters. Mergers & Acquisitions: Support mergers, acquisitions, investments, and corporate restructuring, including due diligence and transaction documentation. Litigation Management: Coordinate litigation and dispute resolution matters with external legal counsel and maintain legal records. Policy & Risk Management: Develop and implement legal and governance policies while identifying and mitigating legal and compliance risks. Corporate Records: Maintain statutory registers, secretarial records, legal documentation, and oversee secretarial audits. Required Qualifications & Skills Qualification: Bachelor's degree in law (LLB); an LLM or additional certification in corporate/securities law is an advantage. Experience: 4 to 7 years of relevant post-qualification experience in corporate secretarial and legal roles, preferably in a mid-to-large organisation or a merger/acquisition environment. Technical Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of the Companies Act, 2013, FEMA, Contract Act, and other relevant corporate and commercial laws. Technical Knowledge: Hands-on experience with MCA/RoC filings, board process management and secretarial compliance software/tools. Skills: Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills, with the ability to explain legal risk in business terms to non-legal stakeholders. Skills: High degree of integrity, confidentiality, and attention to detail, given the sensitivity of board and statutory matters. Skills: Prior experience supporting a merger, acquisition, or corporate restructuring is highly desirable.