Legal Manager
Ejadah Asset Management Group
Total years of experience :26 years, 7 Months
Key Responsibilities:
Agreements & Contracts:
• Prepare, negotiate and modify (if needed) agreements and contracts covering various aspects of business; agreements include shareholder agreements, service agreements, Put option agreements; JV agreements, credit facilities agreements, portfolio pledge agreements, non-disclosure agreements, security services agreements, management agreements, sale and purchase agreements etc.
• Explain contractual terms and conditions to managements and their exact legal implications for the organization; ensure that company’s interests are protected in agreements and contracts.
• Prepare and update standard contracts pertaining to business operations, ensure compliance with norms, and safeguard from risks.
• Verify that contracts, agreements and other legal documents adhere to company policy and government regulations; detect non-conformances (if any), notify the top management and take corrective measures.
Legal Advisory Services:
• Collaborate with the company’s external legal counsel to examine legal issues and provide advice to management on actual and potential lawsuits.
• Review all legal cases within the Group and draft detailed reports, advise top management regarding legal procedures and options available in each case, and recommend course of actions.
• Evaluate legal risks and compliance issues, formulate and establish a Compliance and Risk Management framework for the company.
• Maintain current knowledge of laws and regulations with a direct implication for the organization, notify any changes in regulation across the organizational hierarchy, and ensure full compliance.
• Render legal counsel to the departments and management regarding business and operational issues, new investments, establishing new business entities and branches.
HR Policy & Employment Laws:
• Formulate and update HR policy handbook, draft employment contracts, ensure employee/labour regulations are complied with, develop code of conduct and handle legal issues related to termination of employees.
• Resolve employee disputes and represent the company before government entities such as Ministry of Labour and the Labour Dispute Section in General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs regarding specific cases.
• Ensure employee data is protected as per regulatory norms, and advise HR regarding employee benefits, liability regarding transfer of employees between branches, and represent the company before court where former employee has filed a claim against the company.
Real Estate Transactions:
• Provide legal support to the Real Estate Department regarding negating and drafting agreements such as Subscription Agreements, Sub-leases, Service and Maintenance agreements Commercial real estate leases, Purchase and Sale Agreements, Licenses
• Oversee drafting and finalizing contracts relate to acquisitions, lending, real estate financing, leasing and development and closing of real estate transactions.
Key Responsibilities:
Legal Advisory Services:
• Carried out research and studies on landmark cases, precedents, rules and regulations, amendment to applicable laws, and kept management informed accordingly.
• Monitored services provided by external legal counsel, reviewed on-going litigation with them, devised the legal strategy to be deployed in specific cases, and provided information on cases to top management and the internal Legal Department.
• Mitigated legal risks by proactively taking measures to resolve potential issues that could pose legal problems, and reduced associated legal costs.
• Ensured adherence to the Legal, Risk and Compliance framework, reviewed risk management mechanism and identified risk, and implemented risk mitigation measures in conjunction with other departments.
• Established policies and procedures in line with legal best practices, and advised top management regarding ramifications of policies.
• Responsible for managing trademark related issues such as registering trademarks with authorities, renewals, and taking legal actions against infringements.
• Provided advice on corporate governance issues to ensure statutory reporting and compliance, protect interests of shareholders and investors, and build public trust.
• Key governance issues advised on included license renewals, appointment of authorized signatories, issuance of power of attorney, coordinating trade/commercial registration renewals for branch/representative offices.
• Provided interpretations of policies and regulations to management and stakeholders, organized trainings on legal aspects of business and informed about changes in regulatory environment.
• Managed legal issues related to property (residential and commercial), provided advice to landlords and tenants, and handled disputes with Rent Committee.
Legal Document Drafting:
• Protected company interests during contractual negotiations and ensured favourable terms and conditions were included in the finalized contracts.
• Drafted and edited various types of legal documents/agreements and had them notarized (for registration/authentication/POA-Power of Attorney) related to JVs, company formation, real estate etc.
• Company documents drafted included Memorandum of Understanding and Memorandum of Associations for LLC companies, establishments and chattel mortgage agreement, and local agencies agreement for foreign companies.
• Documents drafted related to commercial and residential property included, property development agreements, land sale and purchase agreements, freehold and lease hold agreements, short-term/long-term leases, partnerships and Joint Ventures between real estate investors and developers, consultancy agreements, management agreements, distribution agreement, contractor and sub-contractor agreements, franchise agreements.
Legal Representation and Coordination with Regulatory Authorities:
• Communicated with multiple external entities such as Police Dept., Public Prosecution, Rent Committee, Labour Dispute Department and others to manage external legal issues concerning the Group.
• Represent the organization before judicial bodies and government entities regarding legal matters, and check records in the Registration Office/Execution Office for obtaining status updates regarding lawsuits involving the company.
• Provided compelling arguments in favour of the company during court hearings, and followed-up with court sections for court judgments.
Key Responsibilities:
• Devised and implemented legal strategies for specific cases regarding civil, criminal and labour laws in the UAE.
• Drew -up contracts and agreements related to business operations, made necessary edits and finalized contracts, and ensured company liabilities were minimized and interests protected adequately.
• Managed any legal issues by coordinating with the Police Dept., Public Prosecution, Rent Committee, Labour Dispute Department; represented the company before government departments for dispute resolution.
• Attended court summons and submitted legal documents as required by the court, checked records in the Registration Office/Execution Office for obtaining status updates regarding lawsuits involving the company.
• Coordinated with Ministry of Justice, Foreign Embassies and Consulates, and Ministry of Economy and Finance, and ensured all company work related to patents was completed, forms submitted and patents registered in time.
• Prepared legal documents and completed other requirements for notarization to facilitate registration / authentication of documents and POA.
• Drafted Memorandum of Associations for setting-up new companies, chattel mortgage agreement, and local agencies agreement for foreign companies.
• Handled legal issues related to commercial and residential properties that included drafting and vetting agreements and documents (complex property development agreements, land sale and purchase agreements, freehold and lease hold agreements, partnership and JVs, distribution, contractor and sub-contractor agreement, franchise agreements).
• Advised landlords and tenants, managed disputes and litigation with Rent Committee, and drafted Long Term and Short terms Leases for residential, retail and commercial properties.
Highlights:
• Litigation work handled included handling criminal cases, liaising with the police and public prosecutors and filing suits and representing clients in courts and before judicial bodies.
• Liaised with trade agencies, government authorities, Ministry officials and external entities for registration of trademarks and patents.
• Handled legal matters for incorporation and commencement of operations of new companies (LLC - Limited Liability Company and FZCO - Free Zone Company) in Dubai.
Key Responsibilities:
• Prepared memos pertaining to criminal and commercial cases and submitted these to the courts, and handled several out of court settlements.
• Drafted legal documents required for court hearings and court appearances; completed all legal requirements for registering cases in courts, summons and appeals, and represented clients in civil cases.
• Completed legal procedures for criminal cases - complaint filing in police stations, arrest of accused, client representation before courts, and civil claims filing in criminal courts.
• Appeared before various government entities that included Rent Committee, Department of Economic Development, and Ministry of Economy for filing of various cases (legal and civil cases, rent committee cases).
• Prepared and submitted legal claims in rent cases, attended hearings before Rent Committee, and executed the order passed by the Committee.
• Handled assignments related to company and commercial law that included trade license and trademark renewals, filing of patents, distribution agreements, and obtained all necessary approvals for companies from government organizations.
• Completed procedure for notarization of various legal documents of the company - MOA and addendum to MOA for limited liability companies; Board resolution and various agreements (mortgage, buying and selling, transfer of shares), Power of attorney, Board Resolution, Minutes of Meeting, Declarations and Affidavit.
PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENTS
• Aug 1994 - Aug 1997 (3 Years): Legal Consultant, Gamhoria Services, Khartoum, Sudan
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS & SEMINARS: • General Correspondence Training • Real Estate Seminar, Land Department, Dubai MEMBERSHIPS: • Member, In-house Counsel Community – Middle East & Asia