Senior Legal Counsel – Banking and Finance

Job Description

VP, Senior Legal Counsel – Wholesale Banking | Mashreq

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Mashreq, a prominent financial institution providing wholesale corporate, institutional, and international banking services. This position is crucial for leading and providing expert legal support on complex, high-value banking and finance transactions. The role ensures the bank navigates sophisticated financing structures and regulatory frameworks effectively, contributes to strategic initiatives, and upholds best practices in legal advice.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time

• Team: Legal Division
• Mission: Owns leading the provision of expert legal advice and support for complex wholesale banking transactions and regulatory matters.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Transactional Leadership: Lead and advise on complex banking and finance transactions, including bilateral and syndicated loans, cross-border, and multi-jurisdictional matters.
• Documentation & Negotiation: Draft, review, and negotiate financing documentation, including LMA-based agreements and security packages, in line with UAE and international banking laws.
• Risk & Regulatory Guidance: Identify legal risks, ensure compliance with applicable banking and financial laws and regulations, and implement risk mitigation strategies.
• Strategic Advisory: Provide sound legal advice on a wide range of wholesale banking financial products, services, transactions, regulatory matters, and strategic initiatives.
• Stakeholder Representation: Represent the Legal Division in senior-level meetings with clients, internal stakeholders, regulators, and industry bodies.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Law degree from a reputable university; admission to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction. Senior-level expertise in banking, finance, and financial services, including relevant legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience: Minimum 8–10 years’ post-qualification experience in Core Areas such as International Banking & Finance, Corporate Finance, Treasury and Capital Markets, or Structured Finance. Deep expertise in UAE and international banking laws and financial services regulations.
• Skills: Strong legal drafting and research, deep understanding of LMA documentation, analytical thinking and problem-solving, effective communication and people skills, strong leadership and mentoring abilities, commercial acumen.
• Bonus: Fluent in Arabic. Experience in a remote working role.