Legal Counsel
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Square Yards Dubai is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to manage contentious matters including customer claims, vendor disputes, and labour disputes in the UAE. The role requires 5+ years of UAE legal experience with strong knowledge of litigation and dispute resolution.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Manage customer complaints, claims, and disputes across the company's business lines, from initial demand through to resolution
- Draft and respond to legal notices, demand letters, and settlement correspondence
- Advise the business on liability exposure arising from workmanship, delays, defects, variations, handover, and contractual non performance
- Represent or instruct external counsel before relevant forums (Dubai Courts, DIFC Courts, RDC, arbitration)
- Negotiate and document settlements that minimise cost and reputational risk
- Handle disputes with suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors
- Manage labour and employment disputes with employees, including terminations, end of service entitlements, and complaints before MOHRE and labour courts
- Advise on UAE labour law compliance and represent the company in conciliation and litigation proceedings
- Manage and instruct external law firms, controlling cost and quality of legal spend
- Maintain a dispute register and provide regular reporting to management
Requirements
- Minimum 5+ years of legal experience in the UAE
- Demonstrable experience handling contentious matters — customer/commercial disputes, vendor disputes, and labour disputes
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent legal qualification
- Strong working knowledge of UAE litigation, dispute resolution, and labour law frameworks
- Ability to manage disputes independently and instruct external counsel effectively
Full Job Posting
About the Role
- Square Yards is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to manage and resolve the full spectrum of contentious matters arising across our operations in the UAE.
- The successful candidate will take ownership of customer claims, vendor disputes, and employee/labour matters, acting as the primary in house point of contact for litigation, dispute resolution, and liaison with external counsel.
- This is a hands on role suited to a commercially minded lawyer who can manage disputes end to end while protecting the company's legal and reputational interests.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage customer complaints, claims, and disputes across the company's business lines, from initial demand through to resolution.
- Draft and respond to legal notices, demand letters, and settlement correspondence.
- Advise the business on liability exposure arising from workmanship, delays, defects, variations, handover, and contractual non performance.
- Represent or instruct external counsel before the relevant forums (Dubai Courts, DIFC Courts, RDC/Rental Disputes Centre, and arbitration as applicable).
- Negotiate and document settlements that minimise cost and reputational risk.
- Handle disputes with suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors, including non delivery, defective materials, payment, and performance issues.
- Review and strengthen vendor and subcontractor agreements to reduce future dispute risk.
- Manage recovery actions and defend claims brought by vendors.
- Manage labour and employment disputes with employees, including terminations, end of service entitlements, and complaints before MOHRE and the labour courts.
- Advise on UAE labour law compliance and represent the company in conciliation and litigation proceedings.
- Support HR on disciplinary matters, settlement agreements, and risk mitigation.
- Manage and instruct external law firms, controlling cost and quality of legal spend.
Mandatory Requirements
- Minimum 5+ years of legal experience in the UAE.
- Demonstrable experience handling contentious matters — customer/commercial disputes, vendor disputes, and labour disputes.
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent legal qualification.
- Strong working knowledge of UAE litigation, dispute resolution, and labour law frameworks.
- Ability to manage disputes independently and instruct external counsel effectively.
Good to Have
- Ability to liaise directly with police and local authorities, including the Land Department and the Department of Economic Development (DED).
- Familiarity with real estate and construction / fit out industry practices.
- Bilingual capability (English and Arabic), with the ability to handle Arabic language proceedings and documentation.
- Experience appearing before or managing matters in DIFC Courts, RDC, and arbitration (DIAC).
Key Competencies
- Commercial and pragmatic approach to dispute resolution.
- Strong negotiation, drafting, and stakeholder management skills.
- Sound judgement on when to settle versus litigate.
- Ability to manage a high volume of matters across multiple business lines.
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