Director - Legal - Dubai Holding Land Estates

Dubai Holding; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 780,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Career development opportunities

Collaborative work environment

Job summary

Dubai Holding seeks an experienced solicitor/barrister to act as the primary legal adviser to DHLE’s business units on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters. You will deliver pragmatic legal guidance to support strategic decision-making and growth, including due diligence and negotiation of complex agreements.

You will provide regular risk assessments and updates to the Head of Legal, ExCom, and EMC, while mentoring junior lawyers and shaping policies and templates across the

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with solid knowledge of corporate and commercial laws in UAE.
• Proven ability to provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice.
• Experience in real estate, hospitality or infrastructure sectors preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal adviser to DHLE’s business units on corporate and commercial matters.
• Lead or participate in negotiating legal documents and review of agreements.
• Provide timely legal risk assessments and updates to senior management and ExCom/EMC.

Skills

Legal drafting

Strategic thinking

Risk assessment

Cross-functional collaboration

Prioritization

Education

Qualified as Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales or equivalent)

Job description

About the Job:

Headline role: Serving as the primary legal adviser to DHLE’s business units on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, delivering pragmatic, commercially focused legal guidance that supports strategic decision-making and business growth.

Reporting: Providing regular briefings, legal risk assessments and strategic updates to the DHLE Head of Legal on current and emerging matters affecting the business. Preparing and contributing substantive legal input for reporting to the Executive Committee (ExCom) and Executive Management Committee (EMC), as applicable.

Policies, procedures and processes: Leading the ongoing development, review and streamlining of all corporate and commercial precedent documents, templates and standard-form agreements to ensure consistency, legal accuracy and alignment with current laws and best practice.

Strategic: Providing strategic legal input and advice on legacy matters and complex business issues, including preparing and reviewing documents presented to Dubai Holding (DH) senior management and attending meetings and calls with DH leadership to advise on legal queries, risks and proposed courses of action relating to such matters.

Pre-contractual: Playing a key role in the negotiation of legal documents for corporate and commercial transactions, including taking instructions from senior business stakeholders, leading or participating in negotiation sessions, identifying and clearly communicating legal risks arising from proposed deal terms, and ensuring that key risk issues are either appropriately mitigated in the transaction documents.

Contractual: Reviewing, drafting and negotiating a wide range of agreements proposed to be entered into by DHLE, including memoranda of understanding, joint venture agreements, shareholders' agreements, asset and share purchase agreements, and other corporate transactional documents. Reviewing and advising on documents to be entered into with Government authorities, including the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Empower, Etisalat and du.

Corporate Structure: Overseeing and managing all applicable corporate structures and constitutional documents, including instructing DH Legal Services and external advisers as required. Advising the business on all matters relating to relevant verticals’ corporate structures, including incorporations, dissolutions, changes in shareholding and board composition. Managing DHLE’s international projects and coordinating with local counsel in those jurisdictions to ensure compliance with applicable local laws.

Intellectual Property Portfolio: Managing and protecting DHLE’s intellectual property portfolio, including overseeing trade mark registrations, renewals and enforcement actions, and liaising with external IP counsel and internal brand and marketing teams as required.

Internal Governance: Supporting DHLE’s governance framework by providing timely and accurate information to the Governance, Audit and Compliance functions regarding ongoing and historic legal matters. Ensuring that business teams are directed to engage with Governance on relevant matters and that appropriate approvals and sign-off processes are followed.

Legal and regulatory updates: Proactively monitoring legal and regulatory developments in Dubai and the wider UAE, assessing their potential impact on DHLE’s business operations, and providing timely updates and practical recommendations to the business, including any required amendments to standard practices, procedures or contractual terms.

Mentorship and support: Providing day-to-day guidance, mentorship and technical support to junior lawyers within the legal team, including reviewing their work product, assisting with complex legal queries and fostering their professional development.

About You:

• Qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister in England and Wales and/or other relevant common law jurisdiction.
• Thorough knowledge of corporate and commercial laws and practices in Dubai and the UAE, including familiarity with free zone regulations and federal commercial legislation.
• Minimum 10 years of post-qualification experience, with significant exposure to corporate and commercial transactions in a reputable law firm and/or in-house legal team, ideally within the real estate, hospitality or infrastructure sectors.
• Ability to work in a collaborative, multicultural and multilingual team environment.
• Strong legal writing and drafting skills.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to provide commercially pragmatic legal advice.
• Strategic thinking and decision-making skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously and prioritise effectively under time pressure.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify potential legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Ability to conduct due diligence on real estate transactions and assess legal implications.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal stakeholders

About the Benefits:

At Dubai Holding, we're committed to nurturing the success and well-being of our colleagues. Join our dynamic and diverse team, and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes competitive compensation, career development opportunities, and a collaborative work environment. We strongly believe in creating an empowered workforce that will help us build a connected city for tomorrow. We are committed to attracting the brightest minds and nurturing the most pioneering candidates who desire to make a great impact on the future of Dubai.