Legal Advisor - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Al Maryah Community Bank

Description

Job Purpose

This role assists the CEO of the bank to manage legal risks in relation to the concerned business activities in accordance with group legal policies and procedures. The role holder should be able to work autonomously but should seek the Group General Counsel's input on unusual situations, complex matters, and issues which may pose significant legal, financial and/or reputational risk to the bank.

Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities

Legal Advisory

• Provides legal advice and support to the business while keeping in mind the bank's strategic and business objectives.
• Provides direction and guidance to facilitate bank's compliance with all applicable international and domestic laws, rules, and regulations under the supervision of the Group General Counsel.
• Collaborates with the Group General Counsel to establish, disseminate and implement the bank's Group legal policies.
• Completes legal tasks and projects in a timely manner and responds to legal queries assigned to him/her by the Head of Legal.
• Supports the bank subsidiaries and branches by providing general legal oversight on legal risks associated with the bank Loan Markets products and services.

Litigation

• Supervises and is responsible for the adequate management of litigation or disputes between the business and its customers.
• Represents the bank as and when required before the Notary Public, court experts, courts, and the police to resolve matters in the best interest of the bank.
• Reports relevant litigation matters to the Group General Counsel and provides updates to the relevant stakeholders.

Legal Documentation and Review

• Drafts, reviews and negotiates contracts and other legal documents in order to maximize the bank's legal protections whilst simultaneously minimizing risks.
• Produces and regularly updates standardized legal agreements, contracts and standard terms and conditions for the bank in compliance with international best practices and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
• Works closely with the various business units in launching new products and conducts legal and regulatory due diligence on such products, including identifying risks and mitigants in all applicable geographies.
• Works closely with the Group General Counsel in reviewing the standard terms and conditions used by the business and updates or recommends legal policies and processes in line with best international practices.

Knowledge of External Environment

• Stays abreast of new laws and regulations through continuous legal education, attending professional conferences, and participating in professional associations.
• Provides updates to the bank senior business persons on new legislation and regulatory developments that may have an impact on the bank and advises the bank on how to comply with such new legislation and regulations.
• Stays current on emerging trends in the laws.

Knowledge Sharing

• Works closely and develops a positive professional relationship with the other members of the legal function and shares 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 .

Stakeholder Management

• Liaises with the concerned external authorities such as courts and law firms in coordination with the Group General Counsel to ensure effective resolution of all legal matters affecting the bank.

Learning and Development

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

MIS and Reports

• Ensures that all reports related to own area are prepared in a timely and accurate manner, and meet the bank requirements, policies, and standards.

People Management Responsibilities This role is not currently a people manager - but if such changes present themselves:

• Defines goals and key performance indicators for own reports and ensures effective implementation of the bank performance management process.
• Develops talent within the team by providing guidance and coaching to achieve the defined goals.

Additional Responsibilities

• Additional duties will be added from time to time as per requirements or changes in the company policy; in any event the above is merely indicative.
• Adherence to the company policies, rules and regulations are required.
• Making sure all the information regarding Gulf Finance is kept confidential.

Qualifications:

• Law degree obtained from a reputable university.
• Must be fluent in written and spoken Arabic and English.
• Experience in finance/ banking industry
• Experience and qualifications acceptable to the regulators in Abu Dhabi
• Knowledge of and experience working within the UAE regulatory environment and, preferably, direct experience of managing relationships with various authorities and regulators in the UAE
• Ability to grasp multifaceted areas of law rapidly and accurately and apply sound practical advice to the senior management team.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (verbally and written) including the ability to provide a clear and compelling view of the future of the business see by the legal advisor.
• Able to work under pressure with short deadlines.