Senior Real Estate Lawyer

CapeClarke; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

CapeClarke is seeking a Senior Counsel or Real Estate Partner to join its Abu Dhabi practice, offering high‑quality work for an established UAE real estate lawyer and a platform to grow the firm’s Abu Dhabi offering.

You will lead on sophisticated UAE real estate transactions, manage negotiations with developers, investors and institutions, and develop strong client relationships across cross‑border matters.

Qualifications

• Senior Counsel or Partner-level experience in leading international or regional law firms.
• Strong track record in UAE real estate matters.
• Existing UAE experience essential; relocation to UAE not intended for candidates without UAE market experience.

Responsibilities

• Advise developers, investors, sovereign entities, financial institutions and other major clients on UAE real estate matters.
• Lead and negotiate complex real estate acquisitions, disposals, development projects, JVs and investments.
• Advise on commercial leasing, development agreements, property management and asset management arrangements.
• Advise on real estate aspects of corporate transactions, investments and financings.
• Manage sophisticated, multi-party transactions from inception to completion.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective clients.
• Contribute to growth and profile of the Abu Dhabi real estate practice.
• Collaborate with UAE offices on cross-border matters.

Skills

Senior leadership

UAE real estate

Client relationships

Complex transactions

Cross-border work

Job description

A leading law firm is seeking a Senior Counsel or Real Estate Partner to join its growing practice in Abu Dhabi.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established real estate lawyer with a strong UAE track record to join a high-quality platform and play a significant role in the continued growth of the firm's Abu Dhabi practice.

The Role

The successful candidate will advise a sophisticated client base on a broad range of UAE real estate matters, with a particular focus on complex and high-value transactions.

The role will suit a senior lawyer who has established strong relationships in the UAE market and is looking for a platform offering high-quality work, an international client base and the opportunity to further develop a real estate practice in Abu Dhabi.

Key Responsibilities

• Advising developers, investors, sovereign entities, financial institutions and other major clients on UAE real estate matters.
• Leading and negotiating complex real estate acquisitions and disposals, development projects, joint ventures and investment transactions.
• Advising on commercial leasing, development agreements, property management and asset management arrangements.
• Advising on real estate aspects of corporate transactions, investments and financings.
• Managing sophisticated, multi-party transactions from inception through to completion.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with existing and prospective clients.
• Contributing to the continued growth and profile of the firm's Abu Dhabi real estate practice.
• Working closely with colleagues across the firm's UAE offices on cross-border matters.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Senior Counsel or Partner-level experience within a leading international or regional law firm.
• A strong track record in UAE real estate.
• Existing UAE experience is essential — this role is not intended for candidates seeking to relocate to the UAE without prior UAE market experience.
• Experience advising major developers, investors, government-related entities, institutional investors or other sophisticated clients.
• A strong understanding of the Abu Dhabi and/or wider UAE real estate market.
• A strong commercial approach and the ability to manage complex transactions independently.
• An established network of UAE-based clients and contacts would be highly advantageous.

The Opportunity

The successful candidate will join a sophisticated platform with the opportunity to work on some of the UAE's most significant real estate transactions and projects.

For a Partner-level candidate, the role provides an opportunity to leverage an existing UAE client base and play a key role in the further expansion of the firm's Abu Dhabi offering.