Group Legal Counsel

Role Purpose:

Is responsible for the entire legal affairs and regulatory compliance of the organisation and its subsidiaries to ensure that legal and regulatory risks are managed effectively. • Will report directly to the GCEO of the companies with a dotted reporting line to the Group General Counsel. • Will manage all legal matters of the organisation and the provision of legal advice and support to the commercial team (on corporate, commercial, real estate and construction related matters) as well to the support functions (on labour, IT and general operational matters).

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide timely advisory and drafting services with respect to a broad range of areas, such as (i) corporate matters (including group structures and company formations); (ii) general commercial matters (including service and consultancy agreements); (iii)  real estate matters (including leases, sale and purchase agreements, development agreements for commercial, residential and mix used developments); (iv) construction matters (including RFPs, conditions of contract, letters of award, undertakings, bonds and guarantees); and (v) operational matters (such as labour law issues and IT matters).
• Developing legal templates for the organization for its day to day operations.
• Supporting the commercial team in the negotiation of all legal matters.
• Filing cases with the relevant authorities, managing external counsel and reporting internally with regards to all disputes (including debt collection).
• Designing and maintaining adequate policies and processes to mitigate legal risk.
• Maintaining a legal database and accurate records for the organization.
• Manage the establishment of companies domestically as well as internationally.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 to 8 years experience (with some private practice experience preferable) in Corporate, Commercial and Real Estate.
• Fluency in both Arabic and English is a must.
• Possess the right amount of gravitas and influence to ensure the organization’s adherence to applicable laws and regulations
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
• Effective organizational and self-management skills.
• Possess strong business acumen and result oriented.
• Ability to understand protocols and interact with different levels of regulatory authorities when necessary.
• Ability to interact with all levels of staff and management and provide accurate and concise advice.