Legal Manager

About the RoleWill establish and lead the legal function for the family office, designing and implementing a robust governance framework across the family’s investment vehicles, operating companies, and personal affairs. The role includes building legal policies and processes from the ground up, managing external counsel, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance, mitigating risk, and supporting strategic and transactional initiatives across multiple jurisdictions.Key ResponsibilitiesLegal Function Set-Up & GovernanceDesign, implement, and continuously improve the family office legal function, policies, and procedures.Develop and maintain a sound governance framework for the family office and related structures (companies, trusts, foundations, funds).Establish standard contract templates, approval matrices, signing authorities, and document management practices.Coordinate board/committee meetings and ensure high standards of corporate governance and record-keeping.Structuring & Corporate MattersMaintain and optimize corporate, trust, and holding structures for assets and investments.Draft, review, and update constitutional documents, shareholder agreements, boardresolutions, and PoAs.Fulfill the role of Corporate Secretary to the Foundation Council as per Corporate Calendar.Coordinate council meetings and ensure proper record-keeping and governance standards.Contracts & TransactionsDraft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts (investment agreements, NDAs, service agreements, property contracts, employment/consultancy agreements, IP licenses, etc.).Support M&A, real estate, and private equity/VC transactions from term sheet to closing, coordinating with internal stakeholders and external advisors.Conduct legal due diligence and manage closing checklists and post-closing obligations.Compliance & Risk ManagementEnsure compliance with applicable laws and regulations (corporate, regulatory, data protection, employment, sanctions, AML/KYC where applicable).Develop and maintain internal policies, procedures, and standard templates.Identify legal risks and propose pragmatic, business-oriented solutions.Family & Personal MattersSupport succession planning, wealth transfer, and estate planning structures incoordination with tax and trust advisors.Oversee legal aspects of personal assets (real estate, art, yachts, aircraft, philanthropy,and foundations).Handle sensitive/confidential legal matters for family members with discretion.External Counsel & Stakeholder ManagementSelect, brief, and manage external legal counsel across jurisdictions and practice areas.Review and control legal budgets, fee arrangements, and invoices.Act as key legal point of contact for banks, regulators, partners, and counterparties.Qualifications & ExperienceEducation (LLB, LLM, MLS).7+ years of post-qualification experience pref. UAE/ DIFC/UK/USA, ideally with a mix oftop-tier law firm and in-house corporate or family office, PE, or investment holdingcompany.Strong background in corporate/commercial law; experience in M&A, investments, andcross-border structures.Proven experience in Corporate GovernanceFamiliarity with trust/ estate planning, real estate, and regulatory/ compliance matters isan advantage.Experience working in a confidential, private capital or UHNW family environment ishighly desirable.Proven track record of managing corporate governance complex legal projects andnegotiations.Strong analytical, communication, and negotiation skills.Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.