Corporate Senior Associate

The Role
The ideal candidate will have a strong corporate background, gained within a large-scale international or regional top tier firm. Due to the varied diet of corporate work we have to offer, applicants will have a broad background encompassing mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, international commercial, employment and corporate restructuring.

The role will be based in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but the candidate will be part of our regional Corporate group and will be involved in matters across the GCC and broader Middle East.

Key Responsibilities

1. Advise clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and equity investments with minimal supervision.
2. Prepare and negotiate transaction documents including share/asset purchase agreements, disclosure letters, joint venture/investment agreements and ancillary corporate documents.
3. Conduct due diligence and draft due diligence reports on legal matters.
4. Work as part of a regional corporate team and support partners and senior associates where necessary.
5. Prepare legal advice and opinions.
6. Work on broader commercial matters as required.
7. Closely work with clients, partners and maintain/develop excellent relationships with clients.
8. Project manage the delivery of services to complex challenging clients.
9. Identify and exploit business development opportunities through managing existing clients and targeting new ones.
10. Ensure projects are executed in accordance with the firm's methodologies, guidance and professional standards.
11. Adhere to budgets and ensure client's expectations are managed.
12. Draft articles and publications.
13. Organised and structured approach to tasks to ensure matters are progressed.
14. Advise on commercial, employment, corporate, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and transactional matters.
15. Handle all corporate legal processes such as mergers, splits, capital increases and decreases, structuring and restructuring, day to day corporate procedures and approvals including drafting minutes and ratifying same, establishment, transformation and liquidation of different forms of companies under the different applicable Saudi laws and be able to deal with the relevant governmental authorities.
16. The ability to do all the above with minimal partner supervision and in both Arabic and English.

Candidate Requirements

1. The ideal applicant will be a qualified lawyer with high degree classification attained from a reputed academic institution.
2. Regional experience is essential.
3. Bilingual (Arabic and English) proficiency (written, drafting skills and spoken) is a must.
4. Have a minimum of 6 years post qualification experience as a corporate lawyer gained within recognised international law firms and/or top-tier local/regional firms.
5. Strong drafting and negotiation skills with a keen attention to detail.
6. Experience of liaising with and co-ordinating advice from foreign correspondent counsel in the Middle East would be an advantage.
7. Have a demonstrated ability to think outside the box whilst assisting varied complex clients across a broad spectrum.
8. Excellent communication skills, a willingness to fully participate in Business Development and overall, a 'can do' attitude.
9. Clear and demonstrable commitment to developing your career in the Middle East.
10. Confidence, initiative and drive to assume responsibility, work independently and take a pro-active and commercial approach to solving issues.
11. A natural aptitude for business development and the ability to foster long term relationships.
12. Experience in drafting pitches and proposal documents.
13. A willingness to assume responsibility and to take a proactive and commercial approach to issues.
14. Have outstanding negotiation and communication skills, in Arabic and English.
15. Experience in the preparation of legal training material and/or delivery of training seminars or lectures would be an advantage.
16. The ability to work both in a team and autonomously.