Legal Associate jobs in United Arab Emirates

Black & Grey HR is hiring a Legal Advisor for a prominent Food & Beverage company that operates under one of the UAE s most respected conglomerates headquartered in Abu Dhabi UAE. This is a strategic legal role designed for a commercially astute legal professional who thrives in a highimpact fastpaced FMCG environment. The ideal candidate will act as a key business partner balancing legal risk regulatory compliance and commercial growth objectives across regional and international operations.
Key Responsibilities:
Legal Advisory & Commercial Contracts
Deliver clear practical legal advice to senior management and crossfunctional teams across procurement operations finance HR and commercial divisions.
Draft review and negotiate a wide range of contracts including distribution franchise licensing joint ventures procurement and servicelevel agreements.
Lead contract lifecycle management ensuring templates are standardized and riskmitigated.
Support M&A JV and restructuring projects including due diligence documentation and deal structuring.
Litigation Arbitration & Dispute Resolution
Manage external counsel and lead dispute resolution strategy across civil commercial labor and arbitration matters.
Monitor active litigation cases ensuring alignment with business goals and financial implications.
Advise internal stakeholders on settlement strategy risk exposure and legal recourse options.
Governance Compliance & Regulatory Affairs
Ensure compliance with local and regional laws (UAE GCC) covering corporate food safety data privacy labor law and ESGrelated regulations.
Review and improve internal policies SOPs and compliance frameworks to reduce legal and reputational risks.
Act as the main legal interface for regulatory authorities and government entities.
Support internal audits and ensure readiness for external regulatory inspections.
Strategic Legal Partnering
Embed legal risk assessments in commercial decisionmaking.
Participate in executivelevel discussions around new projects expansions partnerships and technology rollouts.
Stay ahead of emerging legal trends especially in areas like ESG crossborder trade data governance and competition law.
Requirements
Candidate Requirements
Education: LLB from a recognized university; LLM or specialized certification (e.g. in Commercial or International Law) is a strong plus.
Licensing: Qualified to practice law; Bar admission in home jurisdiction preferred.
Experience: 4 8 years of postqualification experience.
Minimum 3 years in the GCC; at least 1 year in the UAE.
Proven experience in an FMCG manufacturing or industrial environment.
Strong background in both inhouse and law firm settings is advantageous.
Languages: Bilingual proficiency in Arabic and English (mandatory legal drafting & negotiation).
Skills:
Mastery of UAE/GCC corporate commercial and regulatory law.
Strong drafting negotiation and communication skills.
High integrity with businessfirst legal judgment and commercial acumen.
Confident working with senior leadership and external stakeholders.
Able to manage ambiguity prioritize effectively and handle pressure.
BenefitsWhat s on Offer
Attractive taxfree compensation
Performancebased bonuses & benefits
Opportunity to work with a regional F&B leader
Exposure to crossborder legal matters & corporate strategy
Ready to make your mark in one of the region s most dynamic sectors Apply now and become the legal backbone of a leading enterprise that values legal excellence commercial savvy and ethical leadership.
Candidate Requirements - Education: LLB from a recognized university; LLM or specialized certification (e.g., in Commercial or International Law) is a strong plus. - Licensing: Qualified to practice law; Bar admission in home jurisdiction preferred. - Experience: 4 8 years of post-qualification experience. - Minimum 3 years in the GCC; at least 1 year in the UAE. - Proven experience in an FMCG, manufacturing, or industrial environment. - Strong background in both in-house and law firm settings is advantageous. - Languages: Bilingual proficiency in Arabic and English (mandatory legal drafting & negotiation). Skills: - Mastery of UAE/GCC corporate, commercial, and regulatory law. - Strong drafting, negotiation, and communication skills. - High integrity, with business-first legal judgment and commercial acumen. - Confident working with senior leadership and external stakeholders. - Able to manage ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and handle pressure.