Senior Legal Counsel- Litigation (Emiratized Role)

Now it’s your time to join the #1 bank in the Middle East and one of the most prestigious financial companies in the region. Shaking up the world of banking requires a lot of smarts and skill. We’re looking for the brightest and best to help us reach our goals and we’ll also help you reach yours. Your success is our success as you grow stronger in your career. Join us and leave a legacy of your own, as a pioneer in both the company and the industry.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Core Responsibilities

Legal Advisory

• Provides legal advice and support to the business while keeping in mind the FAB Group’s strategic and business objectives.
• Provides direction and guidance to facilitate the FAB Group’s compliance with all applicable international and domestic laws, rules and regulations.
• Collaborates with the Head of Legal to establish, disseminate and implement the FAB Group’s legal policies.     
• Completes legal tasks and projects in a timely manner and responds to legal queries assigned by the Head of Legal.
• Supports FAB’s subsidiaries and international branches by providing general legal oversight on legal risks

Litigation                    

• Supervises and is responsible for the adequate management of litigation or disputes between the business and its customers in the UAE and abroad.
• Represents FAB and its subsidiaries before the notary public, court experts, courts, and the police to resolve matters in the best interest of the FAB Group.
• Reports relevant litigation matters to the Group General Counsel and Head of Legal  and provides updates to the relevant stakeholders.

Legal Documentation and Review

• Drafts, reviews and negotiates contracts and other legal documents in order to maximise the FAB Group’s legal protections whilst simultaneously minimising legal risks.
• Produces and regularly updates standardised legal agreements, contracts and standard terms and conditions for the FAB Group in compliance with international best practices and applicable legal requirements.
• Assists the business in launching new products and conducts legal and regulatory due diligence on such products, including identifying risks and mitigants in all applicable geographies.

Knowledge of External Environment

• Stays abreast of new laws and regulations through continuous legal education, attending professional conferences, and participating in professional associations.
• Provides updates to the FAB Group’s senior business persons on new legislation and regulatory developments that may have an impact on the FAB Group and advises on how to comply with such new legislation and regulations.

Knowledge Sharing

• Works closely and develops a positive professional relationship with the other members of the legal function and shares legal knowledge and best practices with legal colleagues, including providing formal and informal training sessions at the direction of the Group General Counsel and Head of Legal.

Stakeholder Management

• Liaises with external law firms and relevant authorities (such as courts) to ensure the effective resolution of all legal matters affecting the FAB Group.

Learning and Development

• Functions as a subject matter expert and provides input on learning and development initiatives including training content to ensure value addition and relevance.

Reporting

• Ensures that all requisite reports are prepared in a timely and accurate manner, and meet the FAB Group’s requirements, policies, and standards.

.People Management Responsibilities(where applicable)

• Defines goals and key performance indicators for direct reports and ensures effective implementation of the FAB performance management process.
• Develops talent within the team by providing guidance and coaching to achieve defined goals.

Specific Accountability

• Under the responsibility of the Head of Legal – Commercial & Technology, the role holder is in charge of:
• managing litigation in accordance with the Group Legal Policy,
• preparing reports on litigation for the Group General Counsel to share with relevant senior management,
• continually seeking to further improve litigation reporting and innovative ways to unlock and share the lessons to be learned from litigation,
• managing the Litigation Panel and the law firms on the panel to ensure the quality service provided to FAB is of the highest standard.
• Employment advisory matters for the UAE and other GCC countries.
• Monitoring the UAE’s official Gazette and similar publications so as to prepare updates to the Group Legal Department on new UAE laws and regulations.
• Acts as the key contract within Group Legal, and independently handles:
• employment related litigation in the UAE,
• bankruptcy related litigation in the UAE,
• disputes and litigation related to National Housing Loans and similar ADHA programs,
• disputes related to FAB trademarks in the UAE as well as all international locations.
• Leads on the allocation of UAE court notifications to the relevant FAB business areas.
• Interacts with relevant internal stakeholders in support of the Litigation practice.
• Takes any action that benefits the Litigation team and the team’s practice.

#LI-MA3

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in law.
• Excellent Arabic language communication and drafting skills.
• Ability to read, write and communicate in English is beneficial but not mandatory.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum of 7 years’ relevant experience in a reputed bank or law firm, with at least 2 years in a similar role
• Familiarity with banking products / services
• Familiarity with UAE laws and regulations