Responsibilities:

Corporate, Governance & Shareholder Matters

Draft, review, and manage shareholder agreements, subscription agreements, and related corporate documentation.

Support share issuances, transfers, buybacks, exits, and corporate restructuring projects.

Coordinate board meetings, shareholder approvals, resolutions, and governance documentation across jurisdictions.

Manage subsidiary governance and corporate secretarial requirements with external advisors.

Support M&A, investments, and cross-border corporate transactions.

Commercial Contracts & Inter-Company Arrangements

Draft, negotiate and review international commercial contracts across multiple jurisdictions.

Manage distributor, reseller, vendor, service provider, consulting, and technology agreements.

Draft and maintain inter-company agreements including:

Management Services Agreements

Cost-sharing arrangements

IP licensing agreements

Employee secondment arrangements

Cross-border service agreements

Support business teams on contract negotiations and risk management.

Legal Operations & External Counsel Management

Act as the primary liaison with external law firms globally.

Coordinate legal advice across jurisdictions and manage legal spend efficiently.

Maintain contract templates, legal repositories, and documentation standards.

Build and improve legal processes, approval matrices, and SOPs.

Support implementation of legal technology and contract management systems.

Advisory & Risk Management

Advise management on legal and commercial risks.

Review liability, indemnity, insurance and dispute-related matters.

Assist with compliance, governance and policy implementation across group entities.

Support dispute management and pre-litigation strategy with external counsel.

Required Skills:

Senior in-house counsel from a UAE-based multinational group or a lawyer from a leading UAE law firm.

8–12+ years PQE with strong experience in corporate and commercial law.

Experience in an in-house multinational environment preferred.

Exposure to multiple jurisdictions and cross-border legal matters.

Experience with DIFC entities, holding company structures and international group governance.

Strong drafting and negotiation skills.

Experience managing external counsel and legal budgets.

Ability to operate independently in a lean, high-growth environment.

Strong experience in UAE legal practice, preferably with exposure to both DIFC and UAE mainland corporate structures.