Senior Legal Counsel, GCF

Role Overview

Senior Legal Counsel, GCF at First Abu Dhabi Bank – FAB, based in Abu Dhabi. The role assists the Head of Legal – Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking manage legal risk across all geographies where FAB operates in relation to FAB Global Corporate Finance activities.

Role Purpose

Provide comprehensive legal advisory, documentation review, and risk management support to FAB's Global Corporate Finance business while ensuring compliance with FAB Group legal policies, applicable laws, and international best practices. Work autonomously while escalating unusual situations, complex matters, and issues posing significant legal, financial, or reputational risk to the Head of Legal – Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Advisory

• Provide legal advice and support to the business aligned with FAB's strategic and business objectives.
• Provide direction and guidance to facilitate FAB's compliance with all applicable international and domestic laws, rules, and regulations.
• Collaborate with the Head of Legal – Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking to establish, disseminate, and implement FAB Group legal policies.
• Complete legal tasks and projects in a timely manner and respond to legal queries assigned by the Head of Legal – Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking.
• Support FAB subsidiaries and international branches by providing general legal oversight on legal risks associated with FAB Global Corporate Finance products and services.

Legal Documentation and Review

• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and other legal documents to maximize FAB Group's legal protections while minimizing risks.
• Produce and regularly update standardized legal agreements, contracts, and standard terms and conditions for FAB in compliance with international best practices and applicable legal requirements.
• Assist the business in launching new products and conduct legal and regulatory due diligence on such products, including identifying risks and mitigants in all applicable geographies.
• Structure, draft, review, and negotiate transaction documentation for bilateral and syndicated loans across project finance, structured and leveraged/acquisition finance, fund finance, real estate finance, and asset finance transactions, debt restructuring, and other complex lending arrangements, including all ancillary documentation thereto.

External Environment and Regulatory Intelligence

• Stay abreast of new laws and regulations through continuous legal education, attending professional conferences, and participating in professional associations.
• Provide updates to FAB Group senior business persons on new legislation and regulatory developments that may impact FAB Group and advise FAB on how to comply with such new legislation and regulations.

Knowledge Sharing

• Work closely with and develop positive professional relationships with other members of the legal function.
• Share legal knowledge and best practices with legal colleagues, including providing formal and informal training sessions at the direction of the Group General Counsel and Head of Legal – Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking.

Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with concerned external authorities such as courts and law firms to ensure effective resolution of all legal matters affecting FAB.
• Assist the Head of Legal – Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking and work with external counsel and the business in relation to Global Corporate Finance transactions.

Learning and Development

• Function as a subject matter expert and provide input on learning and development initiatives including training content to ensure value addition and relevance.

Reporting and Compliance

• Ensure that all reports related to own area are prepared in a timely and accurate manner and meet FAB Group's requirements, policies, and standards.

People Management

• Define goals and key performance indicators for direct reports and ensure effective implementation of FAB performance management process.
• Develop talent within the team by providing guidance and coaching to achieve defined goals.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in law.
• Master's degree in law (preferred).
• English law qualification.
• Minimum of 8 years Post-Qualification Experience (PQE).
• Experience in a reputed bank or law firm.
• At least 2 years in a similar role.

Additional Information

• Relevant experience in debt capital markets and Islamic finance is a strong advantage.