Group General Counsel

About the role

The Group General Counsel will provide strategic legal support to the organisation, its subsidiaries and joint ventures across a range of sectors including manufacturing, fintech, retail and food & beverage. The role involves advising senior management on corporate, commercial and regulatory matters while mitigating legal risk.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the group holding structure and oversee legal matters for subsidiaries in multiple industries.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts such as shareholder agreements, joint‑venture agreements, service agreements, NDAs and financing documents.
• Advise on corporate structuring, incorporation and restructuring in UAE mainland, DIFC, ADGM, DMCC and other offshore jurisdictions.
• Support due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiation and execution of M&A deals, including preparation of transaction documents.
• Monitor changes in UAE laws and financial regulations; ensure compliance with Central Bank, SCA, ESCA and data‑protection regimes.
• Assist in obtaining licences for payment services, digital wallets, crypto and virtual‑asset activities.
• Provide governance advice, draft board resolutions, minutes and corporate policies, and identify legal risks.
• Guide internal dispute‑resolution strategies and coordinate with external counsel for arbitration and litigation.
• Protect intellectual property, draft SaaS, software licensing and API agreements, and advise on emerging technologies such as blockchain, AI and open banking.
• Ensure compliance with UAE Data Protection Law, GDPR (where applicable) and cyber‑security requirements.

Required profile

• At least 60 months (5 years) of experience in corporate, commercial and regulatory law.
• Proven experience handling M&A transactions, corporate governance and compliance in UAE mainland and free‑zone environments.
• Familiarity with licensing processes for payment services, digital wallets, crypto and virtual‑asset providers.
• Ability to work with senior management on strategic decisions and risk mitigation.

Required skills

• Open banking
• DIFC ADGM legal frameworks
• Governance risk management
• Intellectual property technology law
• Litigation dispute resolution
• Regulatory compliance
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Corporate commercial law
• UAE companies law
• Data protection, privacy and cyber law
• Blockchain