Legal Counsel (UAE National) Commercial Bank of Dubai

Job Purpose:

To support the Legal Department by leading high-quality legal advice and transactional support across the Bank s Wholesale Banking Group, Transaction Banking Group, and Treasury Group, including the supervision of drafting and negotiating finance, security, and treasury documentation in accordance with the Bank s risk appetite, policies, and applicable legal and regulatory requirements; and further drives legal innovation and process efficiency through continuous development of legal tools, know-how, and policy frameworks.

Principal Accountabilities:

Legal Advisory

• Provide comprehensive legal advice on transactional and regulatory matters related to financing, capital markets, structured investments, derivatives, and treasury activities.
• Support business units including Institutional Banking, Financial Institutions, Syndications, Debt Capital Markets, and Treasury Groups by advising on legal risks, structuring issues, enforceability, and regulatory compliance.
• Deliver legal support for product development and strategic business initiatives, including market expansion and jurisdictional entry.
• Advise on treasury-related transactions, including structured derivatives, securities lending, repos, netting and collateral arrangements, and ISDA-based enforceability matters.
• Offer legal advice on strategic investments and corporate initiatives (e.g., joint ventures, partnerships, shareholder arrangements) to ensure the Bank s legal interests are protected.

Legal Documentation

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of finance-related documentation including syndicated/ bilateral/ club facility agreements, security documents, trade finance, asset finance (aviation/shipping), real estate, Islamic finance, and project finance agreements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate finance, investment and treasury-related documents, including those based on ISDA, ICMA, LMA, and BAFT templates.
• Draft, review, and negotiate corporate-related transactional documentation including MOUs, SPAs, shareholders' agreements, side letters, and joint venture agreements.
• Lead the engagement and supervision of external legal counsel in cross-border and complex transactions, ensuring delivery of high-quality legal opinions, documentation, and advice in accordance with Bank policy.

Legal Practice Development

• Contribute to the enhancement of legal knowledge management, including development of legal playbooks, templates, clause banks, and contract automation tools aligned with GenAI platforms.
• Maintain and update standard documentation and terms in line with changing laws, regulations, and judicial precedents.
• Participate in policy and procedural reviews to improve legal department efficiency and legal risk mitigation.
• Continuously stay abreast of legal, regulatory, and market developments affecting the Bank and disseminate key changes to stakeholders in a timely and comprehensible manner.