Legal Advisor

Roles and responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on daily activities of Abu Dhabi Ports Group/Cluster to safeguard interests and ensure that transactions are conducted in compliance with the applicable law as well as policies and procedures.
• Ensure to review and grant legal approvals for Abu Dhabi Ports Group/Cluster contracts and agreements in order to minimize financial, legal and reputational risks.
• Support to develop and update compliance strategies and establish compliance-related policies, procedures and standards.
• Prepare and present reports to appraise the progress of compliance initiatives and update Abu Dhabi Ports Group/Cluster of significant and new decisions, legislation, emerging trends, risk factors and regulatory rulings that may affect the business or policy.
• Assist in preparing, reviewing and updating Abu Dhabi Ports Group/Cluster legal documents, policies, procedures, and contracts.
• Review, draft and validate all financial, regulatory, governmental, IT and other contractual agreements to ensure that they are in compliance with the legal provisions and uphold the interests of the Abu Dhabi Ports Group/Cluster.
• Provide advice to Lawyers in completing the Legal Due Diligence process for each transaction within the prescribed timeline in order to ensure effective functioning of the Abu Dhabi Ports Group/Cluster Legal Department.
• Maintain an updated and accurate record of all corporate and commercial documents, agreements, property papers and rights agreements etc. including certified copies obtained from various authorities in safe custody.
• Liaise with external lawyers/counsellors to prepare briefs, whenever required, to handle legal matters and solicit advice within their jurisdiction.
• Liaise internally across departments to highlight discrepancies in contractual and legal documentation received from the clients, vendors and other contracting parties.
• Follow up claims / disputes and cases in order to settle according to the rule of law.
  

People Management Responsibilities:

• Support to identify skill gaps and training requirements for the teams to ensure consistent high performance.
  

Strategic Responsibilities:

• Participate in the formulation of the overall Legal strategy and ensure the alignment with group objectives.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the leadership team on legal best practices and trends.
• Lead the strategic planning, development, execution, and evaluation of all legal initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional team to streamline processes and implement best practices to drive operational excellence.

Desired candidate profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Law or equivalent LLM/PHD from a recognized University
• High level of proficiency in English and Arabic
• A minimum of 12-15 years of experience in a similar role
• Proven experience in law practicing in contracts, constructions, projects and relevant industries.
• Extensive knowledge of UAE legal law.
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills to identify and address complex challenges and opportunities and make data-driven decisions.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
• Participate in the formulation of the overall Legal strategy and ensure the alignment with group objectives.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the leadership team on legal best practices and trends.
• Lead the strategic planning, development, execution, and evaluation of all legal initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional team to streamline processes and implement best practices to drive operational excellence.
• Strong analytical and research skills to effectively provide legal solutions.