We are looking for a Mid-to-Senior
Associate to join our busy Employment practice in KSA to focus on
contentious and non-contentious matters.The ideal candidate will have a
strong employment background, gained within a large-scale
international or regional top tier firm.
Key responsibilities
Advising clients on compliance
with local laws and regulations. Instructing and liaising with
correspondent law firms across the region;
Acting for regional
conglomerates, multination clients and Government owned entities,
eg PiF subsidiaries on a range of issues, including start up
employment infrastructure, corporate governance and senior
executive incentive schemes;
Advising clients on large scale
restructuring exercises including employee communications and
drafting documents;
Advising clients on workforce
nationalisation and structuring issues;
Advising on workforce conduct
issues and other internal issues including carrying out fact
finding and internal investigations on behalf of clients including
implementing recommendations;
Providing advice and support to
clients on a full range of employment issues, including
recruitment and sponsorship procedures, remuneration and benefits
packages, grievance and disciplinary procedures and issues arising
on the termination of employment
Supporting the corporate
department with employment issues arising out of transactions,
such as undertaking employment due diligence, drafting warranties
and indemnities in agreements and the transfer of employees;
Drafting and amending employment
contracts, employee handbooks, policies and procedures and other
employment related documentation;
Advising clients in the
healthcare, education, energy, insurance, construction and
aviation sectors on employment specific issues arising in these sectors;
Defending clients on large scale
and complex employment disputes in the local courts and in the
financial centres
Advising clients on settlement
of disputes and drafting settlement agreements.
Advising clients on immigration matters.
Candidate requirements
The ideal applicant will:
Have worked extensively on
employment-related matters. Regional experience would be an advantage;
Be a Saudi national (preferred)
or bilingual (Arabic & English)
Have experience of working at a
large-scale international or regional top tier law firm;
Demonstrates an ability to
interact confidently with clients and develop business pro-actively;
Have attained a degree
certificate(s) from a reputed institution, achieving a minimum
grade of 2:1 or equivalent;
Have a mature and flexible
personality and is able to work well within a team;
Be self-motivated and possesses
a very pro-active attitude towards completing jobs and developing
business; and
Has a genuine commitment to
building a career with Clyde & Co in the Middle East.
Role Competency Requirements
Technical Excellence
Technical legal expertise: the knowledge of the law and ability to
apply it
Research: the ability to conduct research effectively and apply it commercially
Managing legal processes: the ability to ensure all legal
processes are followed efficiently and effectively
People and Team
Guiding individual performance and development: develops the
skills of self and others
Teamwork and collaboration: working cooperatively and effectively
with others
Leadership: creating high performing teams
Client Relationships and Business Development
Building business relationships: establishing, maintaining and
using relationships to create and develop business opportunities
Commercial thinking: understanding the commercial drivers
Cross-selling and business development
Finance and Practice Management
Finance management and understanding of the business
Project management: ensuring projects are delivered
Knowledge sharing
Personal Effectiveness
Communication
Clarity of thinking
Personal contribution
Team Description
Our employment team has been advising clients in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia on employment matters for over a decade. Our 3 dedicated
employment partners cumulatively boast over 40 years' of local law
experience and manage the largest employment team of any international
firm in the Middle East.
We strategically guide and advise our clients on the full spectrum of
employment issues both contentious and non-contentious throughout
their business life cycle, from onboarding to restructuring and
everything in between. Complex advice has included linking
restructures of a business with Saudisation considerations, internal
employment infrastructure (delegation of authority, services
agreements, contracts, and internal work regulations), sensitive
employee relations matters involving workplace investigations, managed
employee exits and employment terminations. Our contentious work has
seen us defend clients (in a range of sectors) against a variety of
large scale and complex claims across the Kingdom at both the
Settlement Body for the resolution of disputes and the Labour Courts.
Our team advises on compliance with Saudization regulations and
resource management in light of these requirements (part time working,
hourly workers, coop traineeships and interns), including potential
off-shoring of roles, outsourcing, the use of secondments and
assignments as well as retention tools such as bonus, long term and
short-term incentive programs. We have also drafted these schemes for
clients in different sectors and with different ownership structures
(e.g. privately and government owned).
We regularly advise on the employment aspects of corporate
transactions including business restructures, mergers and acquisitions
as well as demergers as business groups are streamlined. We have
advised Government authorities on their restructures as well as PIF
owned entities which has involved advising on the need for Royal
decrees to govern the restructure as well as advising on government
regulations in this regard. For many PiF owned entities we have
advised them in their 'start up' phase assisting them in drafting and
putting in place key internal frameworks from the Board downwards,
drafting services agreements, contracts, Internal Work Regulations We
are now advising foreign companies of the Riyadh HQ regulations and
the wider requirements to have a regional headquarters in the Kingdom
to contract with government authorities as well as exemptions from the
rules. With the introduction of a new Lawyers Code, we have also
become advisors to international law firms seeking to set up in the Kingdom
Trusted employment advisors to the region's biggest players and
acting with a sector focus. We have three key client pillars,
government clients (which includes PiF subsidiaries and government
entites), regional conglomerates (family businesses) and multinational
clients. We have specialist sector knowledge in the following sectors:
energy, technology, healthcare, education, and financial services
(including insurance).
Clyde & Co, MEA
With over 30 years' experience in the region and the largest presence
of any international law firm, we pride ourselves on being able to
help clients recognise and overcome the challenges of doing business
in the Middle East and Africa.
In terms of our Middle East foot print, our more than 40 partners and
150 legal professionals work from four offices located in the region's
major commercial hubs, enabling us to support our clients across the
full spectrum of their corporate and commercial needs throughout the
GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and wider Levant.
In Africa, Clyde & Co is one of the largest international law
firms operating on the continent, with over 120 lawyers helping
clients to enter and operate in Africa.
We have been active in the region for over 20 years, advising on
complex multi-jurisdictional transactions that include some of the
continent's largest infrastructure and energy projects.
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.
