Legal Officer
Arab Bank for Investment and Foreign Trade
Total years of experience :12 years, 10 Months
• Responding to the consultations that Legal Department received on daily basis through the App4Legal and/or the email from different department, providing legal advice and opinion
• Preparing and/or reviewing necessary legal documents, which can contain contracts, policies and handling all legal communications with Business Units;
• Providing services that supplement the capabilities of a Legal Department;
• Providing excellent and professional services and support to the bank’s departments/branches and customers;
• Maintains simplicity of documentation and legal opinions to business departments;
• Develop and improve the quality of services provided by the bank to its customers;
• Give accurate and timely legal opinion in variety of legal topics (labour law, companies’ law, commercial law…… etc.);
• Research and evaluate different risk factors regarding business decisions and operations;
• Reviewing agreements, contracts, NDAs and other legal documents to ensure the bank’s full legal rights;
• Attending investigations session and preparing minutes of meeting and investigations reports;
• Maintain current knowledge of alterations in legislation, laws and circulations;
• Coordinating with the external law firms to represent the bank in claims and disputes, filed by or against the Bank before the competent judicial authorities, reconciliation and Rental Dispute Centres in respect of the Real Estate, Labour and Commercial cases;
• Drafting and reviewing contracts and agreements of which the Bank is party of, as well as representing them in negotiations relating to their contracts and agreements;
• Assisting the Head of Legal Department in handling special project and enhancing existing documentation and policies.
Achievements & Responsibilities:
• Working on and reviewing the General Terms and Conditions for Accounts Opening
received from the Central Bank in co-ordination with Shari’a, Business, Compliance and Retail Departments and drafting ADIB’s Addendum in line with this Central Bank General Terms and Conditions for Accounts Opening;
• Drafting the Legal Department Frequently Asking Questions (FAQs) through which it has been reduced the daily consultations received from Branches and Business Units through the EMC system which need a legal opinion, so the Branches and Business Units can deal with the customers’ transactions in a proper way and in a short time. This FAQs has been launched on 17/05/2016;
• Drafting the Standard Templates using by ADIB different Departments such as (1) Installments Amendment Agreement with Visa Card and (2) Installments Amendment Agreement without Visa Card which are using by Rehabilitation and Collections Units for defaulting customer, (3) Amendment to Shares Murabaha Sale Contract, (4) Amendments to SUKUK Murabaha Sale Contract and (5) Amendment to Murabaha Sale Contract (Vehicle Murabaha) for ADIB’s branches.
• Reviewing and advising about bank guarantees format received by Business Banking Division;
• Reviewing templates, application forms, promotions and marketing campaign received by Marketing Dept and Product Development Dept;
• Reviewing agreements, letters, consultations received from Human Resources Dept in co-ordination with my direct line manager;
• Reviewing agreements received from Retail Banking Units;
• Reviewing tenancy contracts, ATM lease contract received form Administration Dept;
• Follow up/ co-operate in responding the standard consultation that the legal
department receives daily on the EMC system and/ or Legal Counsel providing general legal advice on companies’ law and commercial law such as companies articles of association and memorandum of association, Free Zone Companies and establishments, companies’ board resolutions, civil liability and limited liability of shareholders, powers of attorney, authorized signatories, trade license ........etc to the Business Unit;
• To draft and review Power Of Attorneys after discussing the content with the Global Head of Corporate Governance and Compliance and the Global General Counsel, to make any further suggested changes and amendments when necessary;
• Reviewing Memorandums Of Understanding, Non Disclosing Agreements and Letter Of Guarantees received by ADIB customers;
Internally:
• A member of the team worked for the centralisation of ADIB’s Real Estate finance done previously by many of its Branches to be under the Business Banking Division (Real Estate) in 2009;
• Coordinate with relationship officers and update them with status of each customer’s case. Follow up for securities delivered to/from customer
• Review credit applications and coordinate with credit initiations to update credit approvals
• Execute all approved facilities through all related stakeholder
• Control file index
• Update status of cases in Middle Office reports.
Externally:
• Coordinate with Burooj to follow for project Management and constructions progress
• Coordinate with Burooj to receive rental payments schedule & to confirm property management
• Coordinate with CAD (Credit Administration Department) to authorize issuing FGB undertaking, and to get feeding limit, also to lodge all original securities
• Obtain Sharia approvals for any Sharia inquires
• Issue customer new contracts & amendment from legal Department
• Coordinate with WFO (wholesale Finance Operations) to insure disbursement of the facilities on the system also to follow up for any rescheduled cases or postponing of payments.