Immigration Lawyer jobs in United Arab Emirates

Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel - Maritime, Shipping.

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Oil Tanker Shipping

Reporting to: General Counsel / CEO

Overview:

A leading oil tanker shipping firm based in Dubai is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel to lead and manage legal affairs across the business. This role is instrumental in supporting commercial operations, corporate governance, chartering contracts, and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will possess strong English law qualifications and a minimum of 10 years of post-qualified experience within the shipping, energy, or commodities sector.

Key Responsibilities:

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts including time/voyage charters, shipbuilding agreements, pooling arrangements, and sale & purchase agreements.
• Provide legal support on all aspects of shipping operations, fleet management, and commercial transactions.
• Advise senior management on risk, regulatory developments, sanctions compliance, and contractual disputes.
• Lead on any litigation, arbitration, or claims matters, working with external counsel where necessary.
• Ensure compliance with international maritime law, anti-bribery regulations, and sanctions regimes (OFAC, EU, UN).
• Support M&A activity, joint ventures, and financing transactions as required.
• Maintain up-to-date corporate governance documents and liaise with authorities and regulators where necessary.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including operations, finance, and chartering on day-to-day legal matters.

Requirements:

• Common law qualified lawyer, preferably England & Wales qualified.
• Minimum 10+ years of post-qualified legal experience, with at least 5 years in-house in a shipping or maritime-related role.
• Deep understanding of oil tanker operations, maritime contracts, and international trade law.
• Prior experience handling disputes, sanctions, and compliance within a global shipping or commodities environment.
• Excellent communication skills, commercial acumen, and a proactive problem-solving mindset.
• Fluency in English; Arabic or additional language skills are a plus.

Offer:

• Competitive tax-free salary and benefits.
• Opportunity to join a high-growth, globally active shipping firm.
• Strategic legal role with exposure to board-level decision-making.