Legal Counsel

Elevate

Dubai, UAE

Ref: PP000-43086

Job description / Role

Job Type
Full Time

Job Location
Dubai, UAE

Nationality
Any Nationality

Salary
Not Specified

Gender
Not Specified

Arabic Fluency
Not Specified

Job Function
Legal

Company Industry
Legal Profession

About the role

We are a leading sports, entertainment, and cultural agency operating across the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We partner with rights holders, talent, brands, venues, investors, and government stakeholders to deliver world-class events, commercial ventures, and cultural initiatives.

On an ongoing, part time basis, we are seeking a mid-level lawyer to serve as a trusted, hands-on legal advisor across the full spectrum of our business activities. The role combines broad commercial coverage with sector-specific expertise and requires strong judgement, practical problem solving, and comfort operating at pace in a high-growth, cross-border environment.

Key responsibilities

You will act as a front-line, business-facing lawyer providing end-to-end legal support across UAE and KSA operations. Core responsibilities include drafting, negotiating, and advising on high-value and business-critical agreements; ensuring regulatory compliance across multiple regimes; managing risk; and supporting strategic initiatives.

Your work will include, without limitation, the following:

Commercial contracts: drafting and negotiating a wide range of agreements including sponsorship and partnership agreements, supplier and vendor agreements, teaming agreements, master service agreements, introducer agreements, MOUs and NDAs.

Sports and entertainment sector: advising on rights acquisition and exploitation and team/club partnerships, esports arrangements, naming rights agreements.

Regulatory and compliance: ensuring compliance with applicable UAE and KSA laws and relevant free zone regulations; data protection and privacy; anti-bribery and corruption; competition; and sanctions/AML screening in coordination with compliance.

Corporate and governance: supporting corporate secretarial and governance matters, board materials, powers of attorney, policy development, and intra-group arrangements; advising on joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and restructurings; coordinating external counsel on corporate projects and regulatory filings.

Employment: assisting the HR team with employment related matters including employment agreements, consultant agreements, secondments.

Disputes and investigations: managing pre-litigation strategy, settlement and release agreements, cease-and-desist letters, regulatory inquiries, and dispute resolution strategies; instructing and managing external counsel for litigation and arbitration.

Risk management and operations: issue spotting and pragmatic risk allocation; developing playbooks, template suites, and clause libraries; creating and delivering training for commercial teams; embedding compliance by design across deals and workflows.

Stakeholder engagement: serving as a strategic partner to senior leadership and operational teams; collaborating with government entities, rights holders, and sponsors; and representing the agency in negotiations and industry forums.

Candidate profile

Qualifications and experience

7 years+ post-qualification experience at a leading law firm and/or in-house legal team, with preferred experience in sports, entertainment, media, events, or cultural sectors.

Common law qualification preferred (e.g., England & Wales, Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada, South Africa) or strong international training; additional civil law/GCC experience advantageous.

Proven track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements in fast-paced, deal-driven environments.

Experience operating across the UAE and/or KSA, including familiarity with onshore and free zone frameworks; experience with regional regulators and permitting processes is a strong plus.

Prior exposure to sponsorship deals and event delivery contracts is highly desirable.

Skills and attributes

Commercially minded lawyer with excellent drafting and negotiation skills and the ability to deliver crisp, actionable advice.

Strong judgment and risk calibration; comfortable making recommendations under time pressure with incomplete information.

Effective communicator who can influence diverse stakeholders, including senior executives, government partners, and international rights holders.

Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple concurrent matters across jurisdictions and business lines.

Integrity, discretion, and a proactive, ownership mindset suited to a scaling, entrepreneurial organization.

Languages

Excellent written and spoken English required; Arabic proficiency is a strong advantage.

Reporting line

Reports to the CEO; close collaboration with Commercial, HR, Finance, and Compliance functions.

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