Legal Counsel - Hospitality Vertical

About the role

The Legal Counsel acts as the legal partner to Modon's hospitality vertical, giving commercially grounded advice that supports growth, protects the group's assets and ensures agreements reflect the brand and operating standards. The role covers the existing portfolio, new developments and international expansion, and works closely with investment, finance, development, procurement, asset management, operations and HR teams. It is the second legal headcount within the hospitality team.

Key responsibilities

• Hospitality and brand agreements: draft, review and negotiate hotel management, franchise, operating, technical services and brand licensing agreements, plus pre-opening, shared services, systems and distribution agreements, side letters, novations and non-disturbance arrangements; advise on owner and operator rights, fees, brand standards, performance tests, capex, insurance, renewal and termination; support operator transitions and owner approvals.
• Corporate, transactions and real estate: support incorporations, restructurings, intercompany arrangements, constitutional documents and shareholder agreements; support acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and investments, including due diligence and transaction documents; review leases, usufruct arrangements, development and construction contracts and asset transfers.
• Commercial contracts and intellectual property: draft and negotiate tenders, procurement, FF&E and OS&E supply, professional services, outsourcing, F&B concessions, IT and SaaS contracts; advise on trademarks, brand and content licences and software IP, coordinating registrations with specialist counsel; support data protection, guest data, confidentiality and cybersecurity terms.
• Disputes, compliance and risk: assess contractual disputes, claims and incidents, manage pre-litigation and arbitration with external counsel, prepare notices and settlement documentation, preserve evidence and track deadlines; support licensing, regulatory, anti-bribery, sanctions and employment compliance reviews.
• Legal processes and stakeholder support: develop templates, playbooks and policies, support contract management and obligation tracking, coordinate external counsel's scope, fees and budgets, and maintain matter records and reporting.

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer with 4-6 years' post-qualification experience in private practice, in-house or both.
• Hands-on drafting and negotiation of hotel management, franchise and brand licence agreements.
• Strong corporate and commercial foundation, including transactional and real estate experience.
• Fluency in English and Arabic; French and civil law experience preferred.
• UAE or Middle East experience, including cross-border matters, is advantageous.
• Experience coordinating with local and international external counsel.

Required skills

• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness, attention to detail and professional integrity.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and judge when to escalate.