Legal Advisor

Black & Grey HR is hiring a Legal Advisor for a prominent Food & Beverage company that operates under one of the UAE's most respected conglomerates headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is a strategic legal role designed for a commercially astute legal professional who thrives in a high-impact, fast-paced FMCG environment.

The ideal candidate will act as a key business partner balancing legal risk, regulatory compliance, and commercial growth objectives across regional and international operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Legal Advisory & Commercial Contracts: Deliver clear, practical legal advice to senior management and cross-functional teams across procurement, operations, finance, HR, and commercial divisions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts, including distribution, franchise, licensing, joint ventures, procurement, and service-level agreements.
• Lead contract lifecycle management, ensuring templates are standardized and risk-mitigated.
• Support M&A, JV, and restructuring projects, including due diligence, documentation, and deal structuring.

Litigation, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution:

• Manage external counsel and lead dispute resolution strategy across civil, commercial, labor, and arbitration matters.
• Monitor active litigation cases, ensuring alignment with business goals and financial implications.
• Advise internal stakeholders on settlement strategy, risk exposure, and legal recourse options.

Governance, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs:

• Ensure compliance with local and regional laws (UAE, GCC) covering corporate, food safety, data privacy, labor law, and ESG-related regulations.
• Review and improve internal policies, SOPs, and compliance frameworks to reduce legal and reputational risks.
• Act as the main legal interface for regulatory authorities and government entities.
• Support internal audits and ensure readiness for external regulatory inspections.

Strategic Legal Partnering:

• Embed legal risk assessments in commercial decision-making.
• Participate in executive-level discussions around new projects, expansions, partnerships, and technology rollouts.
• Stay ahead of emerging legal trends, especially in areas like ESG, cross-border trade, data governance, and competition law.

Requirements:

• Candidate Requirements: Education - LLB from a recognized university; LLM or specialized certification (e.g., in Commercial or International Law) is a strong plus.
• Licensing - Qualified to practice law; Bar admission in home jurisdiction preferred.
• Experience - 4-8 years of post-qualification experience.
• Minimum 3 years in the GCC; at least 1 year in the UAE.
• Proven experience in an FMCG, manufacturing, or industrial environment.
• Strong background in both in-house and law firm settings is advantageous.
• Languages - Bilingual proficiency in Arabic and English (mandatory for legal drafting & negotiation).

Skills:

• Mastery of UAE/GCC corporate, commercial, and regulatory law.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.
• High integrity, with business-first legal judgment and commercial acumen.
• Confident working with senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Able to manage ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and handle pressure.

Benefits:

Attractive tax-free compensation, performance-based bonuses & benefits, opportunity to work with a regional F&B leader, exposure to cross-border legal matters & corporate strategy.