Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Department: Legal

Reports to: General Counsel

Role Overview:

A powerhouse legal strategist who thrives at the intersection of law, business, and innovation. You will be the guardian of the company’s legal interests, the trusted partner to business teams, and the maestro orchestrating contract negotiations and governance formalities. Speed meets precision in this role, steering through a fast-growing environment where fintech dreams come with real-world regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review, draft, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial contracts including service agreements, partnership agreements, technology and licensing arrangements, NDAs, and more.

• Provide clear, concise, and pragmatic legal advice to business stakeholders across departments, enabling quick and risk-aware decision-making.

• Prioritize workload based on business demand, risk level, and commercial criticality, ensuring timely delivery of legal support.

• Act as legal coordinator with business teams, procurement, finance, compliance, and external counsel to secure alignment and smooth execution of commercial initiatives.

• Lead corporate governance activities, including preparing resolutions, drafting Board and Committee minutes, and maintaining corporate records.

• Support organization and execution of Board Meetings, Shareholder Meetings, and Annual General Meetings, ensuring compliance with applicable corporate laws and regulatory expectations.

• Support regulatory compliance and liaise with government bodies where required.

• Manage and mitigate legal risks across commercial transactions, data protection, IP, and service delivery projects.

• Contribute to developing internal policies, playbooks, and templates to improve efficiency and reduce turnaround times.

• Cultivate strong relationships across the organization as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB or equivalent); master’s in law or equivalent jurisdictional qualification preferred.

• Minimum 6–8 years of post-qualification experience, including at least 3 years of in-house exposure.

• Strong background in commercial contracting and corporate governance with hands-on drafting experience.

• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.

• Ability to navigate high-pressure environments, multitask, and prioritize with business judgment. • Solid understanding of regional corporate, commercial, and regulatory frameworks.

• Detail-focused with strong organizational skills and a solutions-driven mindset.

• Demonstrated capability to work independently while collaborating effectively in a cross-functional environment.

Added Advantage:

• Experience in FinTech, payments, financial services regulations (CBUAE, ADGM, DIFC, etc.) or emerging technology sectors.

• Exposure to licensing processes, regulatory filings, reporting obligations, and working with regulators or supervisory authorities.

• Working knowledge of data protection laws, digital wallet and payments frameworks, or supply-chain finance structures.