Job Description

The Role


Clifford Chance Middle East is a full-service office which is completely integrated with and supported by our global network. We advise clients on major transactions in the Middle East and beyond. Our clients include public and private corporations, investment banks and financial institutions, governments and international bodies. Our lawyers specialise in providing a seamless integrated service.


The Clifford Chance Knowledge, Expertise & Thought Leadership (KETL) team has an excellent reputation in the UAE market and a well-developed internal and external profile. The team provides a service across our offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and provides support to our team in Riyadh, AS&H Clifford Chance.


Our leading Global Financial Markets team in the Middle East, advises on the most significant finance and capital market transactions in the region. Our work spans the whole of the MENA region and beyond, under both English and UAE law.


Our Debt Capital Market team is part of our Global Financial Markets team and advises on market leading structured finance and conventional and Islamic debt capital market transactions across the GCC. The team advises major market participants including leading financial institutions, corporates and governments, as well as new players in the capital markets.

The role of the KETL team includes:

• Ensuring fee-earners are kept up-to-date with regards to legal developments and local market issues
• Working on highly technical local law issues and developing deep expertise in key areas of regional law and practice
• Knowledge management including knowhow development, template updates and intranet resource development
• Thought Leadership including helping the Firm and its lawyers to remain at the forefront of legal practice and thinking
• Managing and delivering training on local law to lawyers and clients.

Key Attractions

• You will be part of an innovative and highly regarded KETL team.
• You will be exposed to a range of work across the categories outlined above, across practice areas (although mainly focussed on the Global Financial Markets team (including Debt Capital Markets)) and across jurisdictions.
• You will directly contribute to the strong relationships the team shares with both internal and external clients.
• You will have access to our award-winning global Clifford Chance Academy learning and development programme.
• The role may also include some regular external facing legal training and the opportunity for some client-facing work.
• This position offers a chance to work regular and predictable hours during the work-week but may also require the flexibility to work after regular business hours if a specific need arises.

Key responsibilities


The Knowledge Lawyer role is recognised as an important and valued one at Clifford Chance.


The role will support the Global Financial Markets teams (including the Debt Capital Markets) in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and provide support to AS&H Clifford Chance in Riyadh. The Global Financial Markets team covers general banking, debt capital markets, Islamic finance, asset and project finance, and includes our strategic Africa team. Working alongside transactional lawyers, the role will be expected to deliver on a variety of regular support activities, including:

Legal/regulatory

• Analysing forthcoming legal/regulatory developments in order to brief lawyers and clients on their impact (including preparing client briefings or client presentation materials for the client team to use) and to update internal resources e.g. templates/Topic Guides.
• Responding to fee earner queries on legal and regulatory matters, including on legal/regulatory developments including highly technical local law issues.
• Contributing to relevant legal/regulatory consultation responses.
• Preparing and presenting summaries on legal/regulatory developments at practice group meetings.

Templates

• Maintaining and updating existing templates.
• Identifying and creating new templates as required.
• Improving the accessibility and ease of use of templates, including template automation.

Thought Leadership

• Driving Thought Leadership initiatives and taking queries on this from lawyers, Partners and Business Development.
• Working with lawyers, Partners and Business Development on key strategic areas of priority for Clifford Chance including ESG initiatives.
• Working with lawyers to write briefings and deliver training on key initiatives.

Training

• Contributing to the annual internal cross-practice training programme.
• Providing practice area specific induction training for new joiners and other legal training queries.
• Acting as point of contact with for Business Development/Partners for practice area specific client training.

Knowledge sharing

• Encouraging knowledge sharing by lawyers and the submission of knowhow to a shared knowledge database.
• Facilitating post deal reviews, analysis and knowledge consolidation.
• Considering better ways in which knowledge can be shared and develop other knowledge databases e.g. Topic Guides.
• Promoting and assisting lawyer with use of AI software alongside our Best Delivery Team.

Other :


Fee earning on relevant GFM transactions when required



Qualifications Your Experience

• The ideal candidate does not need prior PSL experience but will have experience of working within a similarly high-profile international law firm and at least 6 years commercial transactional experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of local UAE laws is essential.
• Experience in general banking & finance, and debt capital markets law is essential for this position. Experience on drafting and advising in respect of Legal Opinions is also preferred.
• Candidates will have an excellent academic background. Candidates will have strong drafting skills, a good attention to detail and strong organisational skills. The candidate will also be proactive and committed to providing a first-class service to our lawyers and clients.
• All candidates should demonstrate strong presentation, analytical and communication skills, as well as good commercial awareness.
• Fluency in English (oral and written) is essential. Arabic language skills would be advantageous but are not essential.



Company Description Who we are


We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm's global standards with in-depth local expertise.


Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That's why we're so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.


You'll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they've reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that's possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you'll find across all of our teams.


Whichever area of the business you join, you'll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.



Additional Information Equal opportunities statement


At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.


We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.


We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.


Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.


Find out more about our inclusive culture here