Senior Legal Counsel, Islamic Banking First Abu Dhabi Bank FAB

Job Purpose:

The role assists the Head of Legal Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking manage legal risk in all the geographies where FAB operates in relation to FAB Islamic Finance activities in accordance with FAB Group legal policies and procedures. The role holder should be able to work autonomously, but should seek the Head of Legal Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking s input on unusual situations, complex matters, and issues which may pose significant legal, financial and/or reputational risk to FAB Group.

Key Accountabilities:

Legal Advisory

• Provides legal advice and support to the business while keeping in mind FAB s strategic and business objectives.
• Provides direction and guidance to facilitate FAB s compliance with all applicable international and domestic laws, rules and regulations.
• Collaborates with the Head of Legal Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking to establish, disseminate and implement the FAB s Group legal policies.
• Completes legal tasks and projects in a timely manner and responds to legal queries assigned to him/her by the Head of Legal Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking.
• Supports FAB subsidiaries and international branches by providing general legal oversight on legal risks associated with FAB Global Corporate Finance products and services.

Legal Documentation and Review

• Drafts, reviews and negotiates contracts and other legal documents in order to maximise the FAB Group s legal protections whilst simultaneously minimising risks.
• Produces and regularly updates standardised legal agreements, contracts and standard terms and conditions for FAB in compliance with international best practices and applicable legal requirements.
• Assists the business in launching new products and conducts legal and regulatory due diligence on such products, including identifying risks and mitigants in all applicable geographies.

Knowledge of External Environment

• Stays abreast of new laws and regulations through continuous legal education, attending professional conferences, and participating in professional associations.
• Provides updates to the FAB Group senior business persons on new legislation and regulatory developments that may have an impact on the FAB Group and advises FAB on how to comply with such new legislation and regulations.

Knowledge Sharing

• Works closely and develops a positive professional relationship with the other members of the legal function and shares legal knowledge and best practices with legal colleagues, including providing formal and informal training sessions at the direction of the Group General Counsel and Head of Legal Global Corporate Finance & Islamic Banking.

Stakeholder Management

• Liaises with the concerned external authorities such as courts and law firms to ensure effective resolution of all legal matters affecting FAB.

Learning and Development

• Functions as a subject matter expert and provides input on learning and development initiatives including training content to ensure value addition and relevance.

MIS and Reports

• Ensures that all reports related to own area are prepared in a timely and accurately manner, and meet the FAB Group s requirements, policies, and standards.

People Management Responsibilities

• Defines goals and key performance indicators for own reports and ensures effective implementation of the FAB performance management process.
• Develops talent within the team by providing guidance and coaching to achieve the defined goals.

Job Specific Accountability

• Structure, draft, review and negotiate transaction documentation for bilateral and syndicated sharia compliant financing transactions across project finance, structured and leveraged/acquisition finance, fund finance, real estate finance and asset finance, credit restructuring and other complex lending arrangements (including all ancillary documentation thereto). Relevant experience in conventional transactional finance (LMA/APLMA) is required..
• Structure, draft, review and negotiate Islamic treasury and global markets products (IIFM/ISDA TMAs, collateralised murabaha agreements (Islamic Repos), interbank deposit agreements (murabaha and wakala) and debt capital markets products (sukuk).
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates sharia compliant consumer banking and trade and business banking-related documents (e.g. accounts, credit cards, personal finance, car finance, mortgage finance, small business loans).
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates sharia compliant global private banking related documents (sharia compliant Lombard facilities and investment services related documents etc.).
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates sharia compliant bilateral facilities on standard form documentation and terms & conditions.
• Assists the business with review of existing standard form documentation developing and rolling out new sharia compliant products within GM, corporate and trade banking, consumer & private banking products and services.
• Makes recommendations for improvements to policies and processes and streamlining the same to bring about efficiency and improve turn-around time.
• Relevant experience on the full spectrum of conventional finance (LMA syndicated loans, project finance, leveraged/acquisition finance, real estate finance and asset finance transactions, agency requirements in loan documentation, debt restructurings and other complex lending agreements) is a strong advantage.

Qualifications & Experience:

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor s degree in law
• Master s degree in law is preferred
• English law qualification

Minimum Experience

• Minimum of 8 PQE with experience in a reputed bank or law firm, with at least 3 years in a similar role