Associate - GMAC Finance (Dubai)

0550 FF UAE; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Dubai seeks an Associate for the Global M&A and Capital (Finance) practice. The role covers project, leveraged, acquisition, fund finance, general corporate finance, Islamic finance features, and derivatives, with a strong international dimension and opportunities to engage with high-profile clients.

The ideal candidate has 2 years PQE in England & Wales terms (or equivalent), a solid finance foundation, and interest in developing within a leading global firm in

Qualifications

• 2 years PQE in England & Wales or equivalent.
• Committed to pursuing a legal career in the UAE.
• Solid foundation in general finance, fund finance, and lending.
• Experience with banking & finance seats during training.
• Exposure to LMA-style documentation.
• Willingness to travel within the MENA region.

Responsibilities

• Work on a wide variety of finance transactions across core areas (finance, fund finance, lending, derivatives).
• Draft and negotiate transaction documents.
• Liaise with foreign counsel and clients.
• Contribute to business development and client events.
• Provide support to the MENA GMAC team.

Skills

Financial analysis

LMA documentation

Legal drafting

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

England & Wales qualification

Job description

Role Summary

We have advised clients in the MENA region for over 30 years and have been on the ground for over 10 years. During this time we have established the firm as a leader in the legal market, acting on many of the best deals and winning over key regional clients. After another strong year, the MENA Global M&A and Capital (Finance) practice has a solid pipeline of work for the most high‑profile and highly sophisticated clients in the region. As a result, we are looking to recruit an Associate to join the Global M&A and Capital (Finance) practice in Dubai. Quality of candidate is far more important than PQE level, seniority, etc. We will recruit those who display sufficient talent. Our finance team in MENA covers a wide range of finance work. Core areas include project finance, leveraged and acquisition finance and private debt / direct lending, general corporate finance, fund finance and derivatives, as well as restructuring and insolvency work (and Islamic finance features in all such areas). The majority of the finance team clients are commercial banks, sovereign wealth funds, financial investors, such as private equity houses and alternative capital providers, corporates and financial institutions.

The successful candidate (2 years PQE in E&W terms or equivalent) will work across all areas of the finance practice outlined above and should ideally have solid foundation knowledge and experience across the team’s core areas. Islamic finance experience will be a distinct advantage owing to the type of transactions consummated in the MENA region. Most of the work will have a significant international dimension (bringing with it real visibility across our network), and will range from some of the largest and most complex transactions to smaller deals which provide greater responsibility.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

• Working on a wide variety of transactions for a range of clients
• Working on full scale of matters across general finance, fund finance, syndicated/ corporate lending, Islamic finance, project finance, and derivatives
• Negotiating and drafting transaction documents
• Liaising with foreign counsel
• Involvement in the highest profile transactions in the market, not only regionally but globally
• Contributing to developing and deepening relationships with existing key clients
• Actively participating in business development / client events
• To provide general support and assistance to the MENA GMAC team as required

Key Requirements

• 2 years PQE in England and Wales terms (or equivalent)
• Committed to pursuing a legal career in the UAE
• Strong technical skills and grasp of finance concepts; at least one substantial banking & finance seat during training
• Transactional management experience including exposure to LMA-style documentation.
• Experience working on transactions (involving facility agreements, security documents, CPs, conditions precedent, guarantees, notices, legal opinions and ancillary finance documents) from initial instructions through signing/closing (ideally beyond doing discrete aspects / due diligence / document reviews)
• Strong foundational understanding of general finance, fund finance, and syndicated/ corporate lending
• Exposure to or some experience of Islamic finance, project finance, and derivatives
• Strong academic record and qualifications
• Strong technical and commercial background
• Highly effective communicator (both oral and written)
• Able to work effectively as part of a team
• Confident, self‑motivated and committed to providing excellent client service
• Able to manage a high degree of responsibility of work demands
• Enthusiastic participant in business development activities, including networking, organising and delivering seminars, attending conferences and publishing as well as proactive involvement in knowledge management

The candidate must be willing and able to travel across the MENA region and further afield as and when required. Freshfields is a global law firm with a long‑standing track record of successfully supporting the world’s leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments on ground‑breaking and business critical mandates. At Freshfields we seek to create a better future for our clients, our people and the communities in which we work. Our global teams bring together individuals with different experiences, skills and strengths in a culture where we support all to belong, engage and excel.