Corporate Counsel - UAE

About the role

This role supports corporate governance and entity administration across the Group's UAE entities, including ADGM HoldCo, other free zone companies and mainland (DED-licensed) entities. It covers corporate changes, annual regulatory reporting, powers of attorney and document legalization.

Key responsibilities

• Maintain statutory records for ADGM HoldCo and other UAE free zone and mainland entities.
• Prepare board resolutions, shareholder resolutions and minutes for UAE entities.
• Manage corporate changes across free zone (ADGM, DIFC, DMCC, JAFZA) and mainland (DED) companies, including share transfers, changes of shareholders/directors/managers, amendments to Memorandum and Articles of Association, trade name and business activity changes, and registered address changes.
• Manage UAE license renewals and annual regulatory reporting, including UBO filings, Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) notifications and reports, and AML/CFT registration (e.g. goAML) for applicable DNFBP entities.
• Draft, execute and manage Powers of Attorney (general and special) for group signatories and subsidiaries.
• Coordinate document legalization and attestation, including MOFA attestation, notarization, apostille and embassy legalization, for use within the UAE and internationally.
• Coordinate with free zone and DED authorities, corporate service providers and registered agents.
• Support intercompany agreements and group restructuring documentation.

Required profile

• Minimum 3 years of hands-on corporate legal experience, having personally prepared statutory filings, board resolutions and corporate governance documents for a UAE or ADGM entity.
• Hands-on experience managing corporate changes for free zone and mainland companies, such as share transfers, director/shareholder changes, MOA/AOA amendments or trade license activity amendments.
• Experience with UAE annual compliance filings, including UBO filings, ESR notifications and AML registration.
• Experience drafting and managing Powers of Attorney, including coordinating notarization and execution.
• Experience with document legalization, including MOFA attestation, notarization and apostille.

Preferred qualifications

• Knowledge of the common law system.
• Experience managing corporate service providers.
• Confidentiality with multiple UAE free zones (e.g. ADGM, RAKEZ) in addition to mainland DED processes.

Required skills

• Precision and organization
• Corporate law fluency
• Regulatory filing discipline
• Document management