Job purpose

To work with the Corporate Services Executive, Government Liaison Team and Company Secretaries (together, the Team) to provide administrative support to the Corporate Services Department (the Department) and help establish/implement systems, procedures and processes to facilitate a high level of customer service in delivering work to the Business.

Key responsibilities

Government Liaison Team Co-ordination

• Providing administrative support/assistance to the Department;
• Receiving and processing enquiries from fee earners;
• Co-ordinating and assigning new matters and passing enquiries to government liaison team in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as appropriate;
• Disseminating information, enquiries and feedback from government liaison team back to fee earners accurately and in a timely way by email and phone;
• Booking face-to-face appointments for government liaison team with associates;
• Informing fee earner and government liaison team of relevant fixed fees;
• Drafting routine letters and requests to effect government liaison enquiries and submissions;
• Ensuring that the Team has access to the correct up to date application forms;
• Recording and maintaining relevant up to date Know-How, including but not limited to a list of licensing activity requirements and preparing and maintaining files containing forms, fees and processes for DED and other free zones, circulars and other changes in processes;

Corporate applications, amendments and renewals (client work)

• Assisting with the submission of corporate applications to government authorities, which includes:
• preparing application forms for submission to local authorities in Arabic/English, verifying details are accurate;
• scanning and filing documents on the Filesite and filing hard copies;
• arranging copies as appropriate for submission to government authorities;

• checking that application documentation is complete with all documents before submission to government departments;

• assisting with online applications.
• Preparing company and agency search requests for submission to the relevant government departments;
• Arranging for the authentication of documents;
• Assisting with the annual licence and registration renewals for onshore, free zone and offshore jurisdictions;
• Arranging submission and timely processing of applications and facilitating the administrative aspects of all applications;
• Liaising with various government departments by phone/email;
• Ensuring all relevant licence details are added/updated on trackable dates and related databases;

General Administrative Assistance for the Department

• Assisting the Department with the Firm's licence and registration renewals;
• Reviewing billing guides and verify all fees and disbursements have been properly included on the relevant matter billing guide;
• Liaising with the finance department to ensure the fees are accurate and preparing pro-forma invoices for funds on account;
• Ensuring accurate time recording;
• Checking Arabic press for client/corporate announcements and advertisements;
• Checking Arabic press for new laws and procedures as required;
• Maintaining list of contact for team;
• Updating administrative procedures as required;
• Preparing case registration forms, conducting conflict searches, collating and submitting the necessary 'KYC' documents to Business Acceptance (BAU), completing necessary formalities with BAU to obtain matter numbers, updating BAU with any material changes of existing clients, liaising with BAU for file opening and closing;
• Managing the post for companies where we provide registered agent or registered office services. Informing the relevant partner/case-handler that post has been received and updating the relevant lists. Where necessary arranging for post to be forwarded to the client as instructed;
• Ensuring that there is adequate cover and support for the Corporate Services Coordinators;
• Managing the client and Firm Powers of Attorneys (POAs) across offices in the region and keep the POAs list up to date;
• Participating in projects and ad hoc duties as designed by the Head of Corporate Services to benefit the Department.

Candidate requirements

The ideal candidate will:

• have at least 3-5 years' administration experience gained within legal or professional services industry;
• Arabic speaker, ideal but not essential
• excellent written and spoken English
• knowledge of UAE systems and procedures
• document handling
• exposure to working in different cultures
• have a proven track record of strong organisational skills;
• be proactive and have excellent attention to detail;
• be resourceful and persistent in finding solutions;
• strong team skills;
• ability to manage tight deadline and work under pressure
• good IT skills

Clyde & Co overview

Clyde & Co is a leading, sector-focused global law firm with 440 partners, 1800 lawyers, 2500 legal professionals, and 4000 staff in over 50 offices and associated offices worldwide.

The firm specialises in the sectors that move, build and power our connected world and the insurance that underpins it, namely: transport, infrastructure, energy, trade & commodities and insurance. With a strong focus on developed and emerging markets, the firm has achieved compound average annual revenue growth of 15% over the last ten years, making it one of the fastest growing law firms in the world with ambitious plans for further growth.

Clyde & Co in the Middle East

Since opening our first office in Dubai in 1989, Clyde & Co has today the largest presence and is one of the most experienced international law firms in the Middle East with over 50 partners and 400 staff, operating in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, Doha in Qatar and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

We have accumulated nearly 30 years of deep market knowledge and experience in the sectors in which our clients operate, providing a full-service commercial offering with local specialists in commercial, corporate, dispute resolution, employment, intellectual property, international arbitration, finance & banking, insurance, projects & construction, real estate, regulatory & investigations, and technology.

International and domestic clients engage us across the full spectrum of their corporate and commercial needs, including company structuring and governance, policy setting and licensing arrangements, employment and Emiratisation issues, funding, procurement, intellectual property (IP), technology and general commercial contracts. Working with industry leaders in the region endorses our reputation for providing expert practical guidance on how to get things done in what can be a challenging market to navigate.