Angelique Sluiter started working at Bluewater as Corporate Counsel in 2009 and is currently Senior Legal Counsel. The continuous learning and keeping up with new legal and technical developments strongly appeal to her. 

My background is in corporate law. When I first started here, I didn’t know what an FPSO was. I’ve picked up a great deal of knowledge along the way, both on the business side of the industry as well as legal practice. And I am still learning every day. The sustainability aspects are becoming more important, and the number of renewable energy projects is growing, which has an impact on the business and the projects our department assists with, for example. 

A dedicated team

As Senior Legal Counsel, my focus is on contractual, compliance, more complex corporate legal matters and any other legal issues that might come up. We work closely with several departments, from business development to finance and after sales. When new agreements are being negotiated with clients, regarding new or existing projects, EPC, FPSO, after sales or service agreements, we are asked to set forth our contractual principles, draft agreements, or review contracts. We also need to be ready to advise and assist on claims. The moment something unexpected, such as COVID, comes into play, we examine contracts and determine the best way forward from a legal perspective. We map risks and determine how to deal with them. We can consult with each other and have a dedicated experienced team with different backgrounds.  

Our contracts are often governed by English law, but we need to deal with many other jurisdictions. Sometimes, a client won’t accept English law, for example because they’re a state-owned company. Apart from the legal concerns, you also need to take the business interests and technical elements into account. Taking all these different aspects into consideration makes the work very varied and interesting. Over the past two years or so, I have been working on a project that involves regulations related to export control and international sanctions. Within the department, each colleague might have more knowledge and experience in a different area, but we share our insights on a weekly basis and everyone in the department is always ready to help each other.

Plenty of opportunity to develop

I think it's vital for a legal counsel to talk to people in the business and ‘shop’ for the information you need. That's how you keep up. The diversity of the people on the legal team, as well as companywide, each with their own specific areas of expertise, culture, and background, is an important part of what makes it interesting to work for Bluewater. 

I really appreciated the guidance I received at the beginning of my career here. I can still approach colleagues and discuss any matter that comes up, at any moment, which I find very educational. I think Bluewater is a great place for people who show initiative. If you demonstrate commitment and flexibility, you will receive plenty of opportunity to develop.

Many companies present an attractive image of themselves to the outside world, but once you’ve started working for such a company, the reality is often different. Here at Bluewater, however, the way in which the company presents itself reflects the day-to-day reality.