Senior Associate - Corporate M&A and Private Equity

About the role

A client of ARC Legal Recruitment, which works with international law firms and in-house legal teams across the GCC, is looking to appoint an experienced Associate or Senior Associate to its Middle East practice, based in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The role sits within a highly regarded transactional team advising on complex, high-value M&A and private equity transactions across the UAE, the wider Middle East and international markets.

Key responsibilities

• Advise a sophisticated client base including multinational corporations, financial institutions, private equity investors and sovereign wealth funds.
• Handle public and private M&A transactions, private equity investments, acquisitions and exits, and cross-border joint ventures and strategic investments.
• Manage significant aspects of transactions, working directly with clients, coordinating with international colleagues and supervising junior lawyers.
• Deal with corporate restructurings and disposals and complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions across a range of sectors.

Required profile

• Approximately 5-7 years' post-qualification experience in corporate M&A and private equity, gained in a major US, Magic Circle or international law firm.
• Experience with a leading international or highly regarded corporate law practice.
• Strong track record of advising on complex, high-value transactions.
• Excellent academic background.
• Fluency in English is required; Arabic is welcomed.
• Previous Middle East experience is advantageous but not essential.

Required skills

• Drafting, negotiation and transaction management.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to build trusted client relationships.

What we offer

• Direct client exposure and meaningful responsibility on significant regional and cross-border transactions.
• Structured professional development and long-term career progression.
• A highly competitive remuneration package.