Senior Legal Counsel

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel to provide legal advice and support across Knight Frank’s MENA business. Based in Dubai, the role reports to the Partner, Head of Legal and covers commercial contracts, real estate consultancy agreements, tendering, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, risk management and dispute resolution.

Key responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and support to business teams across MENA on commercial, contractual, regulatory and corporate matters.
• Review, draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including real estate consultancy agreements, client service agreements, NDAs, MoUs and FIDIC construction contracts.
• Assess contractual and commercial risks associated with tenders, RFPs and client engagements, and advise on liability, indemnities, warranties, insurance and dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Monitor changes in UAE and Saudi Arabian laws, conduct gap analyses and recommend actions to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Advise on corporate governance, entity management, trade licence issuance, regulatory filings and corporate restructuring.
• Support internal functions such as HR, Finance, Tax, Operations and Procurement on relevant legal matters.
• Manage relationships with external legal advisers, coordinate instructions, monitor progress and control legal costs.
• Assist in dispute resolution, including negotiations, mediation, arbitration and coordination with external counsel.

Required profile

• At least 10 years of relevant legal experience within the MENA region, with substantial experience in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
• Qualified lawyer admitted to the bar or equivalent professional qualification in a recognised jurisdiction.
• Strong working knowledge of UAE and Saudi Arabian laws, especially commercial contracts, corporate governance and regulatory compliance.
• Proven experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex commercial and construction contracts, including FIDIC agreements.
• Experience supporting dispute resolution and managing external counsel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Arabic is a plus.
• High integrity, discretion and ability to manage confidential, commercially sensitive matters.

Required skills

• Legal drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts.
• Risk assessment and mitigation for tenders and client engagements.
• Regulatory compliance monitoring and gap analysis.
• Corporate governance and entity management.
• Dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration.