Legal Counsel

About the role

We are looking for a commercially‑savvy Legal Counsel to join the Legal team of ADSS, a leading financial institution in Abu Dhabi. The role is hands‑on, requiring independent work and direct interaction with senior business stakeholders to balance legal risk with commercial objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including service contracts, NDAs, procurement and partnership arrangements.
• Advise business units on contract structuring, risk allocation and obligations from pre‑signing through to execution and dispute resolution.
• Manage relationships with external counsel on complex or specialist matters, ensuring cost‑effective and high‑quality advice.
• Provide corporate governance support such as board resolutions, statutory filings and maintenance of corporate records across group entities.
• Monitor regulatory developments in the UAE, ADGM and sector‑specific regimes; assist with licensing, regulatory submissions and correspondence with authorities.
• Support the Compliance function on sanctions and AML regulatory updates, aligning legal advice with compliance frameworks.
• Lead data‑privacy compliance, maintain the data‑protection framework, conduct DPIAs, handle subject‑access requests and negotiate data‑processing agreements.
• Handle pre‑litigation matters, including demand letters, settlement negotiations and coordination with external litigation counsel.

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer with several years of experience in corporate, commercial and regulatory matters, preferably within the financial services sector.
• Proven ability to work independently, engage senior stakeholders and deliver pragmatic legal solutions.
• Strong understanding of UAE federal law, ADGM regulations and international data‑privacy standards.
• Excellent negotiation and drafting skills, with a commercial mindset.

Required skills

• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Regulatory analysis and compliance
• Data‑privacy and protection expertise
• Litigation and dispute management
• Stakeholder communication