Assistant General Counsel

Black Pearl

Dubai, UAE

Ref: RP174-693

Job description / Role

Employment: Full Time

Our client, an international law firm, is currently looking for Assistant General Counsel (UK & ME) which will be based in Dubai, UAE. In this role, your will provide direct assistance and report to the General Counsel. Additionally, you will be responsible for internal regulatory duties as well as external client work and compliance innovation.

Key responsibilities:

Directly responsible to the (UKME) General Counsel (GC) for:
• Taking the lead on client matters in the ME under the supervision of the GC, focusing on regulatory compliance advice (anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and corruption, local penal code violations, cyber laws and international financial sanctions), risk assessments and financial crime investigations;
• Independently managing Middle East claims, day-to-day compliance issues and sensitive investigations;
• Leading the enterprise risk management process across the ME with the GC, linking back into London, including developing and implementing risk control systems, developing innovative new risk software with GD&D, selling that risk system and consultancy to clients and designing and rolling out a risk and compliance culture programme in the UK;
• Understanding, evaluating and driving compliance, risk and operational culture improvements across the ME region, including regular travel between offices;
• Working with the GC to prepare management and board compliance and risk reports quarterly;
• Identifying, reviewing and co-developing innovative new software in the risk and compliance space from the risk systems described above, to integrated project management, to CARM (Compliance and Risk Management Unit);
• Overseeing at least one significant risk and compliance project for a client each year and advising on an ongoing basis on international financial sanctions and/or anti-bribery and corruption;
• Co-ordinating and overseeing ME practice audits and assisting the GC and Risk Partner to launch and maintain a revamped 2017 practice protection programme across UKMEA practices; and
• Firm contract review and managing the firm's legal procurement for the UKMEA Region

Internal Regulatory Responsibilities:
• Designing, implementing, maintaining and monitoring effective compliance programmes for the UKME region.
• Leading improvements and changes to our standard terms of business to improve commercial and regulatory protection for the firm in response to risks across all parts of the UKME Region.
• Managing the effective compliance of the all ME offices, reporting directly to the Managing Partners of those offices and designing with the GC effective compliance programmes for those offices.
• Supervising the review of client terms.
• Assessing and managing ISO compliance programmes for the firm, particularly the legal quality and risk management ISO standards.
• Responding to regulatory audits and assisting the GC with regulatory and internal investigations arising across the ME.
• Promoting a positive compliance and risk culture across all offices in the UK.
• Identifying regulatory risks to the business, reporting those to the GC and formulating an effective response to those risks, including operating the firm’s risk register and department risk log.
• Monitoring the ME regulatory environment and planning and implementing responses to change when needed (both in terms of internal compliance precedent updates and firm wide policy revisions).
• Providing complex legal advice to the firm, its partners and business support departments, on behalf of the GC.
• Designing, implementing and managing projects directly or through the officers and analysts of the Global Risk Department together with the GC.
• Developing and setting and annual compliance and risk strategy for the firm together with the GC.
• Providing regulatory compliance advice to the business including advice on sanctions, AML, ABC, SRA, DPA and FSMA advice and design, implement and manage related compliance programmes.
• Represent the firm before and build and maintain close working relationships with its regulators and within the legal risk profession.

External Client Work and Compliance Innovation:
• Providing fee earning support for clients on compliance issues ranging from international financial sanctions, to anti-bribery and corruption, to anti-money laundering, to the modern slavery act and more.
• Leading client investigation matters on matters of financial crime – AML, ABC and Fraud
• Representing and developing the Compliance and Risk Management Unit both with clients and within the firm.
• Representing the firm on seminars, lecture and thought leadership initiatives to promote CARM and our risk management expertise.
• Identify new opportunities for risk software, develop that software and deploy it internally and with our clients.

Requirements

To be considered for this role, you must meet the following requirements,
• Minimum of 5 years experience in a similar position in the Middle East
• Must be a qualified solicitor with at least 10 years PQE
• Must be fluent in Arabic (Written and spoken)
• Must have previous experience working in a top-tier international law firm or international in-house team
• Must have extensive experience with the responsibilities of this role, mentioned above
• Excellent interpersonal and communicative skills
• High academic achievement (GPA/grades)
• Must be a key influencer with an understanding of how to implement change and drive risk culture in professional service firms.

Candidates who are interested must mention their academic scores in their application.

About the Company

Black Pearl is a human resources and recruitment agency that provides a holistic business and talent solution in a progressive, dynamic, and efficient way.

We pride ourselves as a unique black pearl and strive to delight our clients with a personalized partnership that helps them propel towards success.

Whether you need to find top talent, your next great job opportunity, or a consulting solution for managing your business, engaging employees, evolving your work culture, planning your people strategy, or resourcing challenges, we can help.

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Assistant salaries in UAE

Average monthly compensation
AED 4,500

Breakdown available for industries, cities and years of experience