Legal Director

Confidential Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Company in Dubai, UAE (DIFC) seeks a Legal Director to lead the legal function of a luxury real estate and fund management platform. The role covers real estate development, group corporate transactions and regulatory compliance across the GCC and international markets.

You will advise leadership and boards, structure funds and investment vehicles, and supervise disputes, with responsibility for governance, policy design and file management across multiple jurisdictions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years post-qualification experience at a leading international law firm or in-house.
• Proven experience with DIFC and DFSA regulations, licensing, authorisation and ongoing compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the group legal function across real estate development, corporate transactions and fund management.
• Advise senior management and boards on governance, strategic transactions and legal risk across GCC, Europe and other markets.
• Oversee legal matters across the development lifecycle including land acquisition, joint ventures, development agreements and contracts.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Drafting

Communication

Regulatory compliance

Education

Qualified lawyer with international experience

Job description

Legal Director, Real Estate Group and Fund Management Platform

Location: Dubai, UAE (DIFC)

About the role

A leading international luxury real estate developer is looking for a Legal Director to lead the legal function across the Group. The role also serves as Legal Director for the Group’s DIFC-based, DFSA-regulated investment and fund management platform.

You’ll be the senior legal adviser to the leadership and the boards of both entities. That covers real estate development, corporate transactions, fund formation and wind-down, and regulatory compliance across the GCC, Europe and other international markets.

Key responsibilities

Group legal leadership (real estate development)

• Lead and develop the legal team, setting legal strategy, policies and risk frameworks across the Group.
• Advise senior management and the board on corporate governance, strategic transactions and legal risk.
• Oversee legal matters across the development lifecycle: land acquisition, joint ventures, development agreements, construction and consultancy contracts, off-plan sales and handover.
• Structure and negotiate joint ventures, branded-residence partnerships, shareholder agreements and financing arrangements.
• Manage disputes, litigation and arbitration, and select and supervise external counsel across jurisdictions.

Legal Director, fund management platform (DIFC)

• Act as the senior legal lead for the fund management platform, making sure it complies with DIFC laws and DFSA rules.
• Lead the establishment of funds and investment vehicles: fund structuring, PPMs and offering documents, constitutional documents, LPAs, subscription agreements and side letters.
• Lead fund liquidation and wind-down: realising and distributing assets, regulatory notifications, deregistration, and coordinating with liquidators, administrators and auditors.
• Advise on co-investments, SPVs, real estate investment structures and investor onboarding (KYC/AML).
• Maintain DFSA licences and authorisations, handle notifications, filings and regulatory correspondence, and support supervisory reviews.
• Work closely with Compliance, the MLRO, Finance and Investor Relations on governance, conflicts of interest and investor reporting.
• Support fund boards and investment committees as legal adviser or company secretary.

Governance and compliance

• Make sure both entities meet corporate, regulatory and listing obligations wherever they apply.
• Design and roll out legal policies, delegations of authority and contract management processes.
• Advise on AML/CFT, sanctions, data protection and anti-bribery matters.

Requirements

Essential

• A qualified lawyer with 10+ years’ post-qualification experience, gained at a leading international law firm and/or in-house.
• Proven experience with DIFC and DFSA regulations, including the licensing, authorisation and ongoing compliance of regulated firms.
• Hands-on experience establishing and liquidating funds: structuring, documentation, regulatory approvals and wind-down.
• Strong real estate, corporate and commercial transaction experience.
• Experience advising boards and senior executives, and leading or managing a legal team.

Preferred

• Bilingual in English and Arabic, written and spoken.
• Knowledge of English law or an English-law qualification (England and Wales).
• Experience with real estate funds, private equity or asset management platforms.
• Exposure to ADGM/FSRA, CMA (Saudi Arabia) or other GCC regulatory regimes.
• Experience in luxury or international real estate development.

Skills and attributes

• Sound commercial judgement and a pragmatic, business-focused approach.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and communication skills.
• Able to work across several entities, jurisdictions and stakeholders.
• High integrity, discretion and attention to detail.