The Role

The ideal candidate will have a strong corporate background, gained within a large-scale international or regional top tier firm. Due to the varied diet of corporate work we have to offer, applicants will have a broad background encompassing mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, international commercial, employment and corporate restructuring.

The role will be based in the firms KSA office but the candidate will be part of our regional Corporate group and will be involved in matters across the GCC and broader Middle East.

In terms of remuneration, our salaries are competitive and open to negotiations. In addition, we offer a range of tailored benefits, support and wellbeing initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Excellence

• Advise clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and equity investments with minimal supervision,
• Prepare and negotiate transaction documents including share/asset purchase agreements, disclosure letters, joint venture/investment agreements and ancillary corporate documents;
• Conduct due diligence and draft due diligence reports on legal matters.
• To work as part of a regional Corporate team and support partners and senior associates where necessary.
• Prepare legal advice and opinions.
• Work on broader commercial matters as required.
• Closely work with clients, partners and maintain/develop excellent relationships with clients;
• Project manage the delivery of services to complex challenging clients.
• Identify and exploit business development opportunities through managing existing clients and targeting new ones.
• Ensure projects are executed in accordance with the firm's methodologies, guidance and professional standards.
• Adhere to budgets and ensure client's expectations are managed;
• Drafts articles and publications.
• Organised and structured approach to tasks to ensure matters are progressed People and Team.
• Advise on commercial, employment, corporate, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and transactional matters.
• Handle all corporate legal processes such as mergers, splits, capital increases and decreases, structuring and restructuring, day to day corporate procedures and approvals including drafting minutes and ratifying same, establishment, transformation and liquidation of different forms of companies under the different applicable Saudi laws and be able to deal with the relevant governmental authorities.
• The ability to do all the above with minimal partner supervision and in both Arabic and English.

People and Team

• Proactively and willingly supports team members
• Responds positively to changing working environments
• Awareness of own development needs and seeks solutions
• Proactively work with the team and train junior lawyers
• Effectively manages paralegal and secretarial resource

Finance and Practice Management

• Effectively prioritises tasks and competing demands
• Proactively manages matters to drive them forward

Personal Effectiveness

• Ability to manage own case load
• Track record of leading on transactions
• Track record of business development
• Excellent client facing and meeting skills
• Confidence and enthusiasm in interactions through a range of communication methods.
• Use of influence and persuasion positively
• Effective decision making and sound problem solving skills

Candidate Requirements

The ideal applicant will:

• be a qualified lawyer with high degree classification attained from a reputed academic institution;
• Regional experience is essential
• Bilingual (Arabic and English) proficiency (written, drafting skills and spoken) is a must.
• have a minimum of 6 years post qualification experience as a corporate lawyer gained within recognised international law firms and/or top-tier local/regional firms;
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills with a keen attention to detail;
• Experience of liaising with and co-ordinating advice from foreign correspondent counsel in the Middle East would be an advantage;
• have a demonstrated ability to think outside the box whilst assisting varied complex clients across a broad spectrum;
• excellent communication skills, a willingness to fully participate in Business Development and overall a 'can do' attitude;
• Clear and demonstrable commitment to developing your career in the Middle East;
• Confidence, initiative and drive to assume responsibility, work independently and take a pro-active and commercial approach to solving issues;
• A natural aptitude for business development and the ability to foster long term relationships;
• Experience in drafting pitches and proposal documents;
• a willingness to assume responsibility and to take a proactive and commercial approach to issues;
• have outstanding negotiation and communication skills, in Arabic and English;
• Experience in the preparation of legal training material and/or delivery of training seminars or lectures would be an advantage; and
• The ability to work both in a team and autonomously.

Description of the work group

The Corporate department has established a reputation as one of the leading corporate practices within the Middle East region. The team advises on a wide range of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private placements, foreign direct investment and the establishment of operations, reorganizations/restructurings, venture capital and private equity investments, IPOs and equity issues. Where required, the corporate team is able to leverage on the support of other specialists in, for example, employment, property, construction, IP, IT and banking.

The client base includes international household names, regional heavyweights and institutional and regional private equity and venture capital funds (and their investors).

The Middle East offices provide a broad range of corporate/commercial work and the offices of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh and Cairo operate seamlessly. The team is bolstered by 28-strong Middle East Partner corporate partner group based across the region with eleven corporate partners based in Dubai, which is the headquarters of the Middle East operations.

About the Firm

Clyde & Co is a leading global law firm, with 480 partners, 2400 lawyers, 3200 legal professionals and 5000 people in over 60 offices and associated offices worldwide.

We specialise in the sectors that underpin global trade and commercial activity, namely: energy, marine, insurance, transport, construction, trade and commodities. We are globally integrated, offering a comprehensive range of contentious and non-contentious legal services and commercially minded legal advice to businesses operating across the world.

We are committed to operating in a responsible way. This means progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and clients, using our legal skills to support our communities through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact we have on the environment.

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