Legal Counsel

Company Profile:

DMCC is a center of global trade. Headquartered in Dubai, DMCC is the world's most interconnected Free Zone, home to over 25,000 member companies and the leading trade and enterprise hub for commodities. Whether developing vibrant neighborhoods with world-class property like Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the much-anticipated Uptown Dubai, or delivering high performance business services, DMCC provides everything its dynamic community needs to live, work, and thrive. Made for Trade, DMCC is proud to sustain and grow Dubai's position as the place to be for global trade today and long into the future.

Role Summary:

The Legal Counsel supports the Director of Legal and the Legal team, ensuring legal compliance with UAE laws and regulations; support and liaise with DMCC regulatory and legislative stakeholders; all litigation and commercial contracts/non-contentious matters across DMCC as required

Key Responsibilities:

• Primary responsibility for supporting all 4 verticals with a focus on Commodities, Free Zone and Corporate and support on the Property vertical from a strategic risk / legal risk perspective.
• Ensuring that DMCC complies with legislation, regulations and the requirements of professional bodies and other organizations, including assessing the effect on DMCC of any proposed changes to legislation.
• Proactively monitors changes in practice by local regulatory authorities.
• Supporting the relationships with regulatory agencies to ensure efficient and effective development and implementation of DMCCA & DMCC Free Zone strategic initiatives and projects.
• Supporting relationships with LAD, the Supreme Legislative Committee and Executive Council to facilitate implementation of DMCCA's strategic imperatives.
• Liaising with federal authorities such as Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Finance, SCA, Central Bank to ensure that DMCCA's interests are protected and advanced.
• Managing DMCC Legal relationships with UAE notaries & drafting, reviewing, monitoring status of and updating PoAs in place at DMCC.
• Responsible for overseeing effective implementation of legal and regulatory policy framework that incorporates local and international law and best practices (as applicable) into business procedures and processes to support strategic and business objectives.
• Responsibility under delegation for preparing, amending and overseeing the implementation of internal regulations across DMCC and providing opinions and advice on external regulations and how they impact DMCCA.
• Support the implementation and updates of the DMCC Legal Policies and Procedures.
• Primary responsibility for preparation, review and approval of Level 1 to 4 risk contracts including commercial contracts, MoUs, collaboration agreements, NDAs, Services Agreements, etc. generated by DMCC's following BUs and subsidiaries: DGCX/DCCC; Commodities/DACC; Corporate (Marketing, IT, HR, Finance etc.); and Free Zone (BD, Ecosystems, Dispute Centre, Company Registrar, Corporate Sales.
• Supporting DoL and DMCCA in strategic initiatives (transactions, new business platforms, products and services) and projects in DMCCA's role as Free Zone licensing authority, government authority, commodities innovator, master developer, asset manager and community manager across all BUs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor, or master's law degree from a recognized university
• Member of bar or roll of solicitors in UK, USA or Australia is preferred.
• Minimum 4 years experience as a lawyer in a common law jurisdiction or with an international law firm in the Middle East region.
• Work experience or secondment at a government or quasi-government entity an added benefit.

Skills:

• Language Skills: Excellent English language skills (written and spoken). Arabic communication skills (written and spoken) an added benefit.
• Communications skills (listening, verbal and written).
• Teamwork.
• Creative and Critical Thinking.
• Work independently.
• Digital competence.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

About Us

DMCC is a government entity established in 2002 to enhance commodity trade flows through Dubai. We perform a range of roles which continue to position Dubai as the preferred destination for global commodities trade and DMCC as the world's No.1 Free Zone.