Senior Legal Counsel

Job details

Location: Dubai, UAE, on-site, or remote with agreed availability and travel

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Working closely with: Principals, Board, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and portfolio company leadership

Employment: Full-time

About Stonegate Capital

Stonegate Capital is a family office overseeing family wealth, investments, business interests and assets across multiple jurisdictions. Our legal function supports the protection of capital, disciplined investment execution, effective governance, and the long-term interests of the family.

About the role

We seek an experienced Senior Legal Counsel to manage legal affairs across our family office, investment structures, and portfolio businesses. Based in Dubai or remote (aligned with UAE hours), this role combines senior-level deal execution with direct responsibility for drafting and negotiating commercial contracts under the general direction of senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Deal Execution: Lead legal workflows for acquisitions, private investments, joint ventures, and restructurings—from due diligence to signing and completion.
• Commercial Contracts: Draft and negotiate a wide range of agreements (vendor, employment, licensing, advisory) and manage counterparty negotiations.
• Asset & Fund Support: Review fund subscriptions, agreements, property transactions, bank financing, and loan documentation.
• Governance & Compliance: Manage corporate governance for holding companies and support succession planning. Maintain a practical risk framework covering AML, sanctions, and data protection.
• External Counsel & Budgets: Act as the primary liaison for external law firms. Select appropriate local/specialist counsel, manage instructions, and control expenditure against budgets.
• Disputes & Operations: Manage active claims or disputes toward sound commercial resolutions. Maintain organized contract registers and templates.

Priorities During the First 90 Days

• Onboard & Map Structures: Master the family office setup, portfolio structures, active deals, and existing external adviser relationships.
• Risk Audit: Review all active agreements, disputes, and commitments to flag urgent deadlines, missing paperwork, or immediate legal exposures.
• Build the Legal Register: Create a centralized, prioritized legal matters register tracking ongoing work, owners, deadlines, and budgets.
• Optimize Legal Spend: Evaluate current law firm engagements and propose practical ways to improve coverage and control external costs.
• Improve Operations: Agree on a regular reporting cadence with leadership and roll out basic controls for contract templates and governance.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

• Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales) in good standing.
• 5 to 8 years of post-qualification experience (PQE) with a strong track record in corporate/commercial law and transaction management.
• Strong deal execution skills, including corporate due diligence and drafting complex transaction documents.
• Commercial fluency: Ability to understand how legal terms affect cash flows, investment returns, and liabilities when working alongside investment and finance teams.
• Excellent English and a meticulous eye for detail.

Preferred:

• Prior experience within a family office, private equity firm, or investment holding company.
• Familiarity with UAE / GCC business environments and English-law documentation.
• Arabic language skills are a plus.

Application:

Please submit your CV and any other relevant documents to hr@stonegatecapitaluae.com.