Legal Counsel

Job Title: Legal Counsel

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced In-House Legal Counsel to join our headquarters in Dubai. The successful candidate will provide strategic legal guidance across the group’s diverse business operations, which may include sectors such as education, real estate, property management, hospitality, school transport, engineering, facility management, technology and investment. This role requires a proactive legal professional who can balance risk management with business enablement, ensuring compliance while supporting growth.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Advisory & Strategy

• Provide expert legal advice to senior management and business units on corporate, commercial, regulatory and contractual matters.
• Develop and implement legal strategies aligned with the group’s business objectives.
• Advise on legal risks and propose mitigation strategies across jurisdictions.
• Deal with correspondence, collate information and write reports, ensuring decisions made are communicated to the relevant stakeholders

Contract Management

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts including but not limited to joint ventures, NDAs, service agreements, leases, contracting and sub-contracting agreements and procurement contracts.
• Ensure contracts are legally sound, commercially viable and aligned with internal policies.

Corporate Governance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with UAE laws and regulations, as well as international legal standards where applicable.
• Support corporate secretarial functions including board resolutions, shareholder agreements, transfer pricing documentation and regulatory filings.
• Maintain registers of shareholders, directors and secretaries, organise board meetings and AGMs, prepare agendas and record minutes.
• Draft all legal documents for new company set-ups including Memorandum and Articles of Association, Service Agreements, Power of Attorneys, etc.
• Register properties at the Lands Dept. and follow up to obtain the title deeds and take handover of the property
• Monitor changes in legislation and assess their impact on the group’s businesses.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

• Manage and oversee litigation, arbitration and other dispute resolution matters. Attend case hearings with the Groups lawyers at Dubai Courts, RERA and Dubai Lands Dept., etc.
• Draft notices and plaints pursuant to the executed contracts
• Liaise with external counsel and regulatory bodies as needed.

Cross-Border & Domestic Transactions

• Support M&A activities, joint ventures and strategic partnerships across multiple jurisdictions.
• Conduct legal due diligence and assist in structuring transactions.

Stakeholder Engagement & Government Liaison

• Collaborate with internal departments including but not limited to Finance, HR, Marketing, Purchasing, Engineering, Operations and Compliance.
• Build strong relationships with external legal advisors, regulators and government entities.
• Build relationships with key influencers in the Government across primary and secondary stakeholders; expand government interaction network and reporting.
• Conduct feasibility study for new partnerships, prepare draft proposals and facilitate partnerships as required.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in law with an active license to practice; Master’s degree or Company Secretary qualification will be preferred

Experience

Minimum 7–10 years of post-qualification experience, with at least 3 years in an in-house role within a multinational or diversified group in the UAE

Jurisdictional Knowledge

Strong understanding of UAE laws and regulatory frameworks; GCC experience is a plus

Language

Fluent in English; Arabic proficiency is an advantage

Industry Exposure

Experience in sectors such as real estate, hospitality, logistics, or investment is desirable

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking with sound commercial judgment
• Excellent negotiation and drafting skills
• High ethical standards and integrity; Discreet and trustworthy with sensitive information
• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure

What We Offer

• Competitive salary along with other benefits
• Opportunity to work with a visionary leadership team providing exposure to high-impact projects across multiple industries
• A collaborative and inclusive work environment

Interested candidates can apply on our website http://fortes.co/Careers