Senior Corporate Counsel

Confidential Company; Ras Al Khaimah; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Company in the United Arab Emirates is seeking a Senior Corporate Counsel to join our growing legal function. You will report to Senior Management and act as the Group’s main in-house advisor on commercial, transactional and governance matters, working closely with leadership.

You will lead on investments, acquisitions, joint ventures and restructurings, manage external firms, and help build scalable contract templates and workflows while driving digital tools across the function.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with LLB or equivalent and licensure to practise.
• 8–12 years PQE in law firms and in-house roles.
• Proven experience in M&A, investments and complex commercial transactions.
• Strong grounding in UAE corporate and commercial law; GCC exposure is an advantage.
• Experience supporting a group of companies is highly desirable.
• Hands-on experience with legal technology (CLM platforms, legal research databases, AI tools) and a strong interest in modern ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts across the Group’s businesses.
• Lead legal work on investments, acquisitions, joint ventures and restructurings, including due diligence.
• Oversee corporate governance, including board and shareholder matters, resolutions, delegations of authority and statutory compliance.
• Manage external law firms, including scope, quality and fee discipline.
• Build legal infrastructure: contract templates, clause libraries, policies and approval workflows.
• Drive digital transformation of the legal function, including contract lifecycle management, e-signature and AI-assisted review tools.
• Identify and manage legal and regulatory risk, and advise management on compliance in the UAE and wider GCC.
• Support disputes and pre-litigation strategy together with external counsel.

Skills

Commercial judgement

Ownership

Digital mindset

Energy and drive

Stakeholder influence

Drafting excellence

Integrity and discretion

Education

Law degree (LLB or equivalent); licensed or qualified to practise

Job description

Northern Emirates, UAE | Full-time | On-site

Our client is a well-established and growing group of companies in the UAE. The Group is building a lean, modern legal function and is looking for a dynamic, energetic and tech-savvy Senior Corporate Counsel who will report to Senior Management.

You will be the Group’s main in-house legal advisor. You will support the Group on commercial, transactional and governance matters, and work closely with Senior Management on strategic decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts across the Group’s businesses
• Lead legal work on investments, acquisitions, joint ventures and restructurings, including due diligence
• Oversee corporate governance, including board and shareholder matters, resolutions, delegations of authority and statutory compliance
• Manage external law firms, including scope, quality and fee discipline
• Build legal infrastructure: contract templates, clause libraries, policies and approval workflows
• Drive digital transformation of the legal function, including contract lifecycle management, e-signature and AI-assisted review tools
• Identify and manage legal and regulatory risk, and advise management on compliance in the UAE and wider GCC
• Support disputes and pre-litigation strategy together with external counsel

Qualifications and Experience

• Law degree (LLB or equivalent); licensed or qualified to practise
• 8–12 years’ post-qualification experience, ideally a mix of reputable law firm and in-house roles.
• Proven experience in M&A, investments and complex commercial transactions
• Strong grounding in UAE corporate and commercial law; GCC exposure is an advantage
• Experience supporting a group of companies is highly desirable
• Hands-on experience with legal technology (CLM platforms, legal research databases, AI tools) and a strong interest in modern ways of working

Skills and Competencies

• Commercial judgement: Gives practical, business-focused advice that balances risk with opportunity.
• Ownership: Works independently and hands-on in a lean team without relying on layers of support.
• Digital mindset: Embraces new technology and automation to make legal work faster, smarter and more efficient.
• Energy and drive: Brings pace, enthusiasm and a proactive approach to a fast-moving, growing organisation.
• Stakeholder influence: Builds trust with Senior Management, subsidiary leaders and external advisors.
• Drafting excellence: Produces clear, precise legal documents in English. Arabic drafting is a strong advantage.
• Integrity and discretion: Handles sensitive matters with the highest confidentiality.