Senior Legal Counsel, Sharjah, UAE

Job Purpose

Assists the Legal Department in all legal work pertaining to Air Arabia and its Subsidiaries to ensure the securing and protection of the Company’s assets, as well as legal and contractual rights. This includes but not limited to: commercial contracting, litigation and arbitration formalities, licensing, and projects coordinating.

Carries responsibilities with utmost confidentiality and in alignment with law and regulations to ensure Company’s corporate image is positively reflected and maintained.

Key Result Responsibilities

1. Extends support to Air Arabia Group & Subsidiaries by providing legal advisory and consultations on all issues related to risks, law, and regulations including contracts, service level agreements, complaints, disputes, etc.

2. Acts as an ambassador in deliverables as per the legal function objectives within the scope of his/ her role.

3. Develops and maintains effective legal & regulatory risk control frameworks and processes in accordance with Air Arabia Group standards and business objectives.

4. Effectively manages the legal risk by providing valid and accurate legal advice and proper guidance on regulatory compliance matters.

5. Analyzes and develops thorough commercial recommendations and due diligence based on the requirements of the department/line manager/subsidiary.

6. Drafts, initiates, reviews and edits contracts of different nature & templates to be signed between Air Arabia/Subsidiaries and external parties according to agreed terms and conditions.

7. Ensures necessary information, documents & signatures from both parties as well as legal aspects are being covered to minimize the risk on the company and its subsidiaries.

8. Represents AA Group in relationships with business partners and external parties: suppliers, vendors, subcontractors and law firms to facilitate work-flow and operations pertaining to legal and contracting day-to-day activities.

9. Takes a leading role in structuring joint ventures/mergers (as needed), managing licenses and establishments’ formation/renewal formalities of company and its subsidiaries in all hubs: contracts, agreements, trade licenses, etc.

10. Coordinates with Corporate Affairs Head, Commercial Managers, Subsidiaries and Government Departments to ensure smooth processing.

11. Provides supervision to external specialized legal parties hired by the Company such as External Counsels and Law Firms to ensure all legal cases and disputes are being addressed and managed effectively.

12. Supervises the In-house workflow of all litigation formalities and mechanisms; reviews notices, collates/reviews evidences and proofs from different sources to be considered for legal actions.

13, Follows up on decrees and final decisions to ensure successful implementation. Generates function-related reports for all hubs when and as needed, and summary on final status of cases.

14. Develops strong inter-relationships with all management and staff; attends internal/external meetings and activities of legal nature. Adopts clear logical approach in analyzing legal cases to ensure smooth operations and secured results.

Qualifications (Academic, training, languages)

• Must be Qualified Lawyer, preferably in Commercial or Corporate law
• Bachelor’s degree in law or equivalent from a recognized university; Masters degree is preferred.
• Professional membership of Legal associations
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Advanced Excel and PowerPoint)
• Excellent business writing and reporting skills.
• Fluent in English and Arabic Languages.

Work Experience

• 7+ years of experience as a lawyer or legal counsel in a multinational organization or law firm. He/she must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in IP (Intellectual Property), preferably in Airline industry; experience with low cost airline is considered a plus.
• UAE/Country experience and knowledge of UAE/Country regulations, litigation and arbitration mechanism is a must.
• Worked closely with senior level attorneys in a law firm or corporate legal environment.
• Proven good skills pertaining to managing court cases and disputes formalities, documents, and follow up.
• Experienced in initiating, drafting, and managing contracts of various nature.
• Previous experience dealing with Government Affairs and/or Airport Authorities is an advantage.
• Proven strong skills in analyzing data, identifying pitfalls and recommending effective solutions from legal aspect.
• Cost-oriented, possesses effective persuasive, negotiation, problem solving and decision making skills.
• Employs knowledge, technical expertise, and interpersonal relations to support in executing new initiatives and achieve company’s objectives.
• Demonstrates the ability to contribute and successfully deliver against business strategy and set KPIs.