Senior Legal Counsel

Job description / Role

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United A"rab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group's entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organisation to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day.

We are currently seeking an experienced legal professional to join our Group Legal in the capacity of Senior Legal Counsel.

Overview of the role
The Senior Legal Counsel will act as internal legal counsel and liaise directly with the various companies/businesses of the Al-Futtaim Group. The candidate will be required to have a strong background in real estate related matters, having extensively advised upon, negotiated, drafted and reviewed, property related documentation. He/she will be expected to be conversant with all applicable real estate laws and regulations. In addition, the role will also require broad based, general commercial skills and experience, as the Senior Legal Counsel will be required to provide advice on a variety of matters (not necessarily confined to real estate transactions).

What you will do

- Negotiate, draft, review and advise upon, all required legal and contractual documentation in relation to real estate matters, including leases (commercial, residential and retail), licenses, sales and purchase agreements, facilities management agreements, supply/service agreements, property management agreements, development management agreements, consultancy agreements, guarantees, amendment agreements, assignment agreements, settlement agreements, confidentiality agreements, hotel management agreements, MOUs, LOIs, and all other related and ancillary documents.
- From time to time, to provide advice in respect of more general commercial matters as well as advising on the management and conduct of various contentious matters.
- To provide advice, as and when required, on construction and development related matters.
- Ensure proper compliance by Group companies with all applicable local property laws and regulations. In this regard, the Senior Legal Counsel (with input from local and external legal counsel) will need to be familiar with applicable property laws pertaining to Group businesses operating in the MENA region, South-East Asia, and other regions.
- Provide legal advice and support to companies across the Group in respect of both existing and prospective matters, and to identify, contain and manage exposure and contingent risk.

Requirements

Required skills to be successful

- Reporting directly to the Director (Group Legal - Real Estate & Construction) this position requires the ability to work well under pressure, successfully manage a demanding workload, meet deadlines, and to interact professionally with all levels of internal management and staff, as well as external parties.
- Problem solving
- Decision making
- Strong commercial acumen
- Good negotiation skills
- Able to take on responsibility
- Able to work under pressure and deliver on time
- Proactive and flexible
- Able to handle numerous tasks at one time and prioritize them effectively
- Excellent written and communication skills

What equips you for the role

- Academic and professional legal qualifications (Degree in law, and qualification and admission as a lawyer/attorney/solicitor/barrister in home country).
- Minimum 8 years relevant experience

We're here to provide excellent service but a little help from you can ensure a five-star candidate experience from start to finish.

Before you click "apply": Please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global Talent Acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our Values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence.

As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.

About the Company

Established in the 1930's, the Al-Futtaim Group initially operated as a trading enterprise. Rapid development throughout the 1940's and 50's saw it establish itself regionally as an integrated commercial, industrial and services organisation, positioning itself one of the leading business houses in the lower Gulf region. Today, it operates collectively over 40 companies bearing the Al-Futtaim name, dominates many market segments in the UAE, and has expanded its sphere of operation to include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.

The Group comprises a diverse range of strategically positioned operating subsidiaries and associate companies, structured to give the Al-Futtaim Group the flexibility and versatility to keep ahead of local competition while keeping pace with the ever-evolving global business scenario. The Groups continued investment in world-class systems technology is clear evidence of its commitment to maintain leading edge performance and service delivery.

The success of the Al-Futtaim Group can be attributed to a business approach that combines the ability to change with the traditional values of integrity, service and social responsibility that define its core business philosophy. This, linked with the Groups belief in decentralisation, gives the heads of the operating companies a high degree of functional autonomy and authority, providing the Group with essential flexibility, and individual employees a clearly defined work culture and sense of responsibility.