General Counsel - Corporate M&A - Investment Company

General Counsel - Corporate M&A - Investment Company

We are supporting a newly established investment and media holding group based in Abu Dhabi. With ambitious growth plans and an entrepreneurial setup, the group is expanding its senior leadership bench to build out governance, legal, and transactional expertise. The entity is backed by experienced partners with strong sector networks and is positioned to pursue opportunistic investments and strategic partnerships across the UAE and international markets.

As part of its early build-out, the firm is seeking a General Counsel with a strong background in corporate M&A. This is a pivotal role for a professional who can establish internal legal infrastructure and provide strategic counsel on complex transactions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and oversee all corporate legal matters, including M&A transactions, joint ventures, and partnerships
• Advise senior management on structuring, negotiation, and execution of deals in the UAE and abroad
• Draft, review, and negotiate investment agreements, shareholder agreements, and commercial contracts
• Establish and implement governance and compliance frameworks across the group's entities
• Act as primary liaison with external law firms and regulatory bodies
• Build and lead an internal legal function in line with the group's expansion strategy

Candidate Requirements:

• 10+ years of legal experience split between top-tier international law firms and in-house corporate/M&A roles
• Strong technical expertise in cross-border M&A, corporate structuring, and joint ventures
• Proven track record advising senior stakeholders in dynamic, entrepreneurial environments
• UAE or GCC transactional exposure preferred; international deal experience highly valued
• Pragmatic, hands-on mindset with ability to operate in a small but growing setup
• Join a newly created holding group at a formative stage, shaping its legal and governance platform
• Direct exposure to high-level investment strategy and decision-making
• Work closely with experienced partners and investors with strong networks in the UAE
• Opportunity to build and lead the legal function in a fast-scaling organisation

Seniority level: Director
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Legal