VP, Senior Legal Counsel - Wholesale Banking

Job Purpose:

1. The senior legal counsel will lead and provide expert legal support on complex and high-value banking and finance transactions, including bilateral and syndicated loans, structured finance, cross-border and multi-jurisdictional matters, and specialist banking products. Operating with significant autonomy, the role involves drafting, reviewing, and negotiating financing documentation, including LMA-based agreements and security packages, and advising on regulatory and legal risk issues across the bank’s Corporate & Investment Banking, International Banking, and Treasury and Capital Markets divisions. This role requires deep expertise in UAE and international banking laws, financial services regulation, and a proven track record in navigating sophisticated financing structures and regulatory frameworks.

1. As a senior member of the Legal Division, to represent the bank in high-level meetings with clients, regulators, industry bodies, and internal stakeholders. The senior legal counsel will manage external counsel, contribute to legal policy development, and support bank-wide strategic initiatives, including innovation, digital transformation, and emerging technologies. A key responsibility includes mentoring junior legal staff and promoting best practices in legal advice and documentation standards. Strong leadership, commercial acumen, and the ability to deliver under pressure in a dynamic, multicultural environment are essential.

Key Result Areas:

1. Lead and advise on complex banking and finance transactions, including bilateral and syndicated loans, cross-border matters, specialist banking products and services, and multi-jurisdictional projects, across wholesale corporate, institutional, and international banking.
2. Operate autonomously with minimal escalation, demonstrating senior-level expertise, decision-making, and direct oversight of external counsel and consultants.
3. Represent the Legal Division in senior-level meetings with clients, internal stakeholders, regulators, and industry bodies, aligning with the expectations of senior legal counsel.
4. Provide sound legal advice on a wide range of wholesale banking financial products and services, transactions, issues, regulatory matters, and strategic matters across the bank’s Corporate & Investment Banking Group and International Banking Group.
5. Lead legal projects, managing timelines and resources, and collaborating effectively with internal teams, external counsel, and key stakeholders.
6. Contribute to bank-wide initiatives, including AI, digital transformation, innovation, banking and financial products and services, initiatives with active engagement across international offices.
7. Identify legal risks, ensure compliance with applicable banking and financial laws and regulations, and implement risk mitigation strategies.
8. Draft, review, and negotiate financing documentation, including LMA-based agreements and security packages, in line with UAE and international banking laws and best practice.
9. Draft, review, and negotiate financing documentation, including LMA-based agreements and security packages, in line with UAE and international banking laws and best practice. Treasury/capital markets exposure i.e., ISDA, GMRA & CSAs.
10. Monitor legal developments and assess impact on the bank’s financing activities.
11. Contribute to the development and implementation of legal policies, procedures, and templates.
12. Collaborate with business teams and stakeholders to structure innovative, commercially sound, and legally robust solutions.
13. Instruct, manage, and monitor external legal counsel and third-party advisors to ensure quality, efficiency, and alignment with bank interests.
14. Mentor junior legal staff, support professional development, and promote best practices in banking and finance advice and documentation standards.

Operating Environment, Framework and Boundaries, Working Relationships:

1. Operating Environment: Provide legal advice on a wide range of wholesale banking financial products and services, transactions, issues, regulatory matters, and strategic matters across the bank’s Corporate & Investment Banking Group, International Banking Group, and Treasury and Capital Markets. Covers Wholesale Banking presence and non-presence business.
2. Framework: Transactional; Leadership; Senior representation, Documentation, Legislation (laws & regulations); Advisory expertise; Risk management; Regulatory compliance; Strategic initiatives; Project management; Collaboration & teamwork; Risk management; Communication; Problem Solving.
3. Boundaries: Scope of work /role limited to law and role of a legal adviser within the above framework.
4. Working Relationships: Colleagues in Legal Division, Cross-functional teams, external counsel, business units, and stakeholders (Compliance, Credit Management, Credit Administration, Tax).

Problem Solving:

1. Analytical Thinking

• Ability to advise on complex financial structures, a broad array of banking and finance transactions, products and services, and identify legal, regulatory, and commercial risks.
• Apply logical reasoning to legal and commercial issues and conflicts and devise practical solutions.

1. Regulatory & Legal Acumen

• Interpret and apply evolving banking and finance legislation across multiple jurisdictions.
• Anticipate regulatory challenges and propose compliant, commercially viable solutions.

1. Risk Management

• Experienced in identifying legal risks in financing structures, transactions, and banking products, with a strong understanding of risk-based approach.

1. Commercial 

• Provide risk-based advice aligned with legal and commercial objectives, tailored to the audience.
• Navigate high-stakes negotiations to achieve balanced outcomes between parties and stakeholders.
• Align legal advice with business objectives; navigate negotiations to balanced outcomes.

1. Strategic 

• Design bespoke solutions for unique or first-of-its-kind transactions while maintaining compliance with credit policies and legal frameworks.
• Adapt strategies to meet evolving challenges and apply creative solutions to complex legal issues.
• Apply critical thinking and problem-solving with a balanced approach to detail & strategic judgment.

1. Stakeholders

• Engage with regulators, counterparties, and internal stakeholders, external counsel to resolve challenges.
• Communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-lawyers and senior management for informed decision-making.

Decision Making Authority & Responsibility:

1. Deliver timely and decisive legal solutions in complex and fast-paced deal environments.
2. Exercise independent judgment, escalating only in exceptional cases.
3. Balance competing demands while ensuring compliance and transaction integrity.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

1. Experience: Minimum 8–10 years’ post-qualification experience in Core Areas preferably with a top-tier law firm or financial institution.
2. Core Areas: International Banking & Finance; Corporate Finance; Corporate and Commercial; Treasury and Capital Markets; Transaction Banking (Trade Finance and Cash Solutions); Investment Banking; Asset-Based, Structured and Leverage Finance; Financial Markets; Financial Services and Financial Services Regulation.
3. Education: Law degree from a reputable university; admission to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction.(Covering areas: banking and finance, financial services and regulation, international finance and corporate and commercial).
4. Possess strong expertise in banking, finance, and financial services, including relevant legal and regulatory frameworks.
5. Proven track record in complex, high-value financing transactions across multiple jurisdictions.
6. Experience leading legal projects, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholders.
7. Skilled in analysing complex issues and advising with a strategic legal risk focus.
8. Effective collaboration with business units, support functions, external counsel, and key stakeholders.
9. Strong legal drafting and research skills.
10. Problem solving and analytical thinking.
11. Deep understanding of LMA documentation.
12. Skilled in collaborating effectively with multicultural teams.
13. Effective communication and people skills.
14. Agile and proven ability to perform under pressure with composure and focus.
15. Legal practice certificate or licence.

Languages: Fluent in English (Arabic is a plus).