Senior Legal Counsel

Purpose of the role:

Primary owner and responsible for real estate department’s legal needs. Supported by legal real estate team. Responsible for all markets (inc. Egypt, KSA, Kuwait, UAE, and Qatar). Real estate matters include drafting and negotiating lease agreements, contractor agreements, resolving lease challenges, dispute advice, management and resolution (i.e., pre-litigation and litigation), and communication with local authorities (eg., municipalities, external counsel, courts, etc.). Internal stakeholders include the following functions/roles: real estate (inc. lease admin, real estate and development), local general managers (i.e., country heads), and finance.

Key responsibility areas:

• Real Estate: delivers real estate KPIs, including negotiation of lease contracts and risk-advice, dispute resolution, and litigation.
• Supports Chief Development Officer, Sr. Director of Real Estate, and other key stakeholders in development strategy creation through legal protection, clear processes for relevant legislation in NSO.
• Supports business decisions with legal information, proactively seeks ways to bring value to business.
• Ensures consistent support for real estate team in contracts approval processes.
• Anticipates issues (“sees around the corner”), estimates risk strategically and identifies pro-active, risk-weighted solutions.
• Provides strategic legal advice to real estate management, including priority areas.
• Drafts documents, in Arabic and English, including lease agreements, fit-out agreements, real estate agreements, settlement and release agreements, waivers, etc.
• Research legal issues in response to internal needs and presents in timely, digestible, solution-oriented format.
• Compliance: sets real estate processes and risk/litigation mitigation strategy. Role models compliance with Americana’s processes, internal policies, code of conduct and core value behaviors.
• Litigation: manages all phases of disputes and litigation (with support from central litigation function), as well as general case management.
• In-house team: supervises legal work of in-house attorneys and staff of the legal department, coaches, mentors the team for KPIs realization in line with Americana culture. Follows and teaches the team to live Americana people practices (throughout Americana people cycle, starting with hiring, on boarding through training, development and when necessary, exit); Coaches the team for personal development, has identified successor/s and is a mentor for cross functional teams to support Americana growth.
• Role models compliance with Americana processes, internal policies, code of conduct and core value behaviors.
• Is accountable for team performance – coaches, mentors the team for KPIs realization in line with Americana culture.

Qualification & Experience:

Education :

• BSc, J.D., LLB, or LLM degree in Law
• MBA is an asset

Experience:

• 4+ years of solid experience at western/international private practice law firm
• Experience successfully leading a team of talented legal professionals in the Middle East
• Experience working on matters of corporate governance and with a board of directors

Knowledge:

• Solid knowledge of real estate agreements, inc. lease agreements
• Solid knowledge of real estate customary practices across the MENA
• Solid knowledge of commercial viewpoint and organizational/operational structures

Skills:

• Arabic and/or French (preferred)
• Ownership mindset
• Proven resources management, people management and leadership skills
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organizational, problem-solving and analytical skills
• Proven efficiency in dealing with complex matters with multiple stakeholders and forces