Legal Counsel – Financial Services

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, commercially focused Legal Counsel to join a regulated financial services organisation in the UAE. The role involves drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, particularly merchant and payment services contracts.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate merchant agreements, payment processing agreements and other commercial contracts.
• Provide legal advisory support on financial services regulations, commercial transactions and contractual matters.
• Collaborate with business, compliance, risk and operations teams to ensure contractual and regulatory alignment.
• Support corporate governance, regulatory requirements and general legal matters.
• Identify and mitigate contractual and commercial legal risks.

Required profile

• Minimum 5 years of relevant legal experience, preferably within a regulated banking, fintech or payments organisation.
• Strong understanding of financial services regulations and the regulatory environment in the GCC, especially the UAE.
• Hands‑on experience in drafting and negotiating merchant agreements and payment‑related contracts.
• Qualification to practise law in a common‑law jurisdiction (UK, US or equivalent) is preferred.

Required skills

• Financial services regulations
• Negotiating commercial agreements
• Contractual matters
• Corporate governance
• Regulatory requirements