Litigation Associate

DSK Law; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

DSK Law seeks a Senior Litigation Associate to handle complex commercial disputes before UAE onshore courts, with ownership of matters from instruction to judgment and enforcement. This is a senior, Arabic-language, fee-earning role working directly with clients alongside licensed advocates.

You will run cases end-to-end, develop strategy, draft pleadings in Arabic, and manage enforcement proceedings, with English used for international reporting.

Qualifications

• 5+ years post-qualification experience in UAE onshore litigation.
• Fluent Arabic with proven legal drafting in Arabic—essential.
• Experience handling onshore matters with limited supervision.

Responsibilities

• Run a caseload of commercial and civil disputes from instruction through judgment and enforcement, with day-to-day conduct under partner supervision.
• Draft memoranda of claim and defence, pleadings, submissions, and expert-response memoranda in Arabic to UAE court standards.
• Develop case strategy and prepare evidence bundles and instructions for the firm's licensed advocate(s).
• Manage court-appointed expert proceedings and submissions, including expert reports.
• Advise clients on prospects, strategy, costs, and settlement, translating legal analysis into commercial recommendations.
• Handle enforcement of judgments, including execution proceedings and recognition of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.
• Support business development and maintain client relationships.

Skills

Fluent Arabic

Arabic legal drafting

English for client-facing work

Education

Law degree

Qualified to practise in UAE

Job description

We are seeking a Litigation Associate to handle complex commercial disputes before the UAE onshore courts (Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal, and Court of Cassation) and related enforcement proceedings. This is a senior, Arabic-language fee-earning role in which you will run matters end to end and deal directly with clients, working alongside the firm's licensed advocates who carry rights of audience before the courts.

This is a role for a lawyer who wants ownership of cases. On the substantial majority of our matters, the Senior Litigation Associate builds and drives the case — strategy, drafting, evidence, and expert proceedings.

Key responsibilities

• Run a caseload of commercial and civil disputes from instruction through judgment and enforcement, with day-to-day conduct under partner supervision.
• Draft memoranda of claim and defence, pleadings, submissions, and expert-response memoranda in Arabic to the standard required by the UAE courts.
• Develop case strategy and prepare evidence bundles and instructions for the firm's licensed advocate(s) appearing before the courts.
• Manage court-appointed expert proceedings, including drafting submissions to the expert and supporting or challenging expert reports.
• Advise clients on prospects, strategy, costs, and settlement, translating legal analysis into clear commercial recommendations.
• Handle enforcement of judgments, including execution proceedings and, where relevant, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards.
• Support business development and maintain client relationships.

Required qualifications and experience

• Law degree and qualification to practise, with 5+ years' post-qualification experience in UAE onshore litigation.
• Fluent Arabic with proven legal drafting in Arabic— essential and central to the role.
• Strong working knowledge of the UAE Civil Transactions Law (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985), the Civil Procedure Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2022), the Law of Evidence (Federal Decree-Law No. 35 of 2022), and the Commercial Transactions Law.
• Demonstrable track record of running onshore matters with limited supervision.
• Experience managing court-appointed expert stages and enforcement proceedings.
• Professional English for client-facing work and reporting to international clients.