Senior Manager - Legal Counsel

GMG

Accountabilities

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead all labor and employment litigation and dispute resolution matters across the GCC.
• Represent the company in labor court proceedings and liaise with external counsel when required.
• Provide expert legal advice and risk assessments related to HR policies, terminations, disciplinary actions, grievances, employment contracts, and labor disputes.
• Draft legal documents, pleadings, and statements related to ongoing cases or claims.
• Develop and enforce legal strategies to defend the Group s interests across multiple jurisdictions.
• Build strong working relationships with HR, Government Affairs, and business leaders to ensure alignment and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with local labor laws and employment regulations in each operational market.
• Maintain and update legal precedents, case databases, and litigation trackers.
• Proactively monitor regulatory changes and communicate legal implications to relevant stakeholders. Conversant with court proceedings.
• Manage labor litigation at appellate and cassation levels, ensuring strong legal positioning for escalated cases. Coordinate with senior counsel on complex or high stakes matters, ensuring strategic alignment at each level of jurisdiction.
• Lead mediation and arbitration efforts to resolve labor disputes amicably and efficiently, minimizing exposure to formal litigation.
• Draft and negotiate settlement agreements in coordination with internal stakeholders and external mediators.
• Oversee legal aspects of internal investigations related to employee grievances, misconduct, or whistleblower claims to support defensible legal positions.
• Prepare litigation readiness frameworks, including evidence preservation, witness coordination, and pre-litigation documentation standards.

Job Requirements

• Strong knowledge of GCC labor laws and legal frameworks, particularly UAE, KSA, Qatar.
• Litigation strategy and case management.
• Contract drafting and legal interpretation.
• Legal risk assessment and mitigation.
• Negotiation and dispute resolution.
• Legal research and regulatory analysis.
• Proficiency in managing and coordinating with external counsel.
• Court representation and documentation management.
• Appeals and cassation procedures (experience handling higher court matters) Case law monitoring and precedent tracking
• Internal investigations related to litigation matters | Drafting settlement agreements and consent orders
• Litigation budgeting and cost control Crisis management and reputational risk mitigation during litigation
• Litigation reporting dashboards for executive leadership