In-House Sole Legal Counsel - Private Investor - Abu Dhabi

In-House Senior Counsel (Arabic Speaking) – Leading Investment Firm Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Language Requirement: Native or Fluent Arabic & Professional English (Bilingual)

About the Company

Our client is a prominent, well-established investment organization based in Abu Dhabi. Managing a diverse portfolio of strategic assets, subsidiaries, and joint ventures, the organization operates across key growth sectors in the region and internationally.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced, bilingual Senior Counsel (Arabic Speaking) to join a dynamic in-house legal team in Abu Dhabi. The successful candidate will provide comprehensive legal support across corporate governance, entity structuring, material commercial contracts, and general corporate matters. This role requires strong commercial acumen, mastery of UAE corporate law, and the ability to seamlessly draft and negotiate legal documentation in both Arabic and English.

Key Responsibilities

• Board & Corporate Governance:
• Draft, review, and finalize Board resolutions, minutes, official decisions, delegations of authority, and associated legal documentation.
• Advise executive leadership and board members on governance best practices, regulatory compliance, and corporate legal obligations.
• Entity Establishment & Constitutional Matters:
• Provide end-to-end legal support for setting up new entities, corporate structures, subsidiaries, Joint Ventures (JVs), and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
• Draft, review, and negotiate constitutional documents, including Memoranda of Association (MOAs), Articles of Association (AOAs), Powers of Attorney (POAs), shareholder agreements, and corporate charters.
• Material Contracts & Commercial Agreements:
• Structure, draft, review, and negotiate major commercial agreements, strategic contracts, supplier arrangements, and key corporate transactions.
• Identify potential legal, regulatory, and commercial risks in contractual arrangements and propose practical mitigation strategies.
• General Corporate & Advisory Support:
• Deliver day-to-day corporate and commercial legal counsel across business units.
• Draft and manage official legal correspondence in Arabic and English with external bodies, government entities, and regulatory authorities.
• Manage external legal relationships, coordinating with and supervising specialist external counsel on complex or domain-specific matters.

Qualifications & Key Requirements

• Education: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or equivalent from a recognized institution; a Master of Laws (LL.M.) or professional legal qualification is advantageous.
• Experience: 7–12+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE) gained within a top-tier law firm, a leading investment firm, a family office, or a major regional corporate enterprise.
• Language Skills:Bilingual fluency in Arabic and English is strictly required, including native-level drafting skills in Arabic for corporate legal documents.
• Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of UAE corporate law, regional legal frameworks, SPV structures, and local regulatory requirements.
• Skills: Outstanding negotiation abilities, strong legal analytical skills, commercial awareness, and the ability to advise senior executive stakeholders effectively.

Contact

Please contact Liam Taaffe at EMEA Legal Recruitment