Legal Manager

Job Purpose:

This role will primarily assist the Head of Legal, Corporate Governance & Board Affairs and work with other team members to manage legal risk in all geographies where the Bank operates in relation to relevant business activities in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures. The job holder should be able to work autonomously but should seek the input from the line manager and other team members on unusual situations, complex matters and issues which may pose significant legal, financial and/or reputational risk to the Bank.

Key Responsibilities:

• Primary Focus: Provide legal support across banking, treasury, wealth management, virtual assets, custody, stablecoin issuance and redemption, escrow, payments and fintech, including advising on retail and corporate lending, trade finance, structured products, treasury documentation (ISDA, GMRA, repo, hedging), and digital asset regulatory frameworks (VARA, CBUAE, SCA, FATF, etc.).
• Draft, review, negotiate and execution of contracts with vendors, partners, clients, ensuring alignment with company policies and legal standards to maximize the Bank’s legal protection while simultaneously minimizing risks.
• Prepares and regularly updates standardized legal agreements, contracts and standard terms and conditions for the Bank in compliance with international best practices and applicable legal requirements.
• Assist with reviewing the standard terms and conditions used by the business and updates or recommends legal policies and processes in line with best international practices.
• Stays current on emerging trends in the laws and regulations through continuous legal education.
• Provides updates on new legislation or regulatory developments that may have an impact on the business and its implications.
• Works closely and develops positive professional relationships with other team members and shares legal knowledge and best practices with team members.
• Works with external law firms to support the Bank.
• Provide assistance on corporate governance matters, ensuring adherence to all statutory requirements and industry best practices.
• Carry out legal research and prepare for notes/reports on all documents, agreements and legislation, etc.

Key Skills, required Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) or equivalent. Master’s degree in Law(LLM) is a plus
• 5-10 years of post-qualification legal experience in the UAE, within a banking/financial institution or Fintech environment (preferably with a digital bank).
• General in-house legal experience, with an emphasis across banking legal advisory to various bank departments to include, treasury (ISDA, GMRA, repo, hedging),wealth management, virtual assets, escrow, payments and fintech, retail and corporate lending, trade finance, structured products, digital asset regulatory frameworks
• A good understanding of the regulatory environment in the UAE and as applicable to Digital banks.