Job Description

What we will offer
If you require this document in an accessible format (e.g. large print), please contact hr.recruitment@stephensonharwood.com
We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can gain early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.
YOU CAN EXPECT

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies.
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family.
• We support the causes you care about, by giving you one day per year off to volunteer with any charity that you are involved with outside of work.
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.
• Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.

Team Structure
Stephenson Harwood's Commercial Disputes and International Arbitration team comprises common and civil law qualified, English and Arabic speaking lawyers who represent clients before the civil law courts, common law courts and arbitral tribunals.
Our growing practice involves representing clients in proceedings before civil law courts, applying our in-depth understanding of the local legal landscape and the interplay between the common and civil law systems within the UAE.
As a result of the team's growing profile in the market, we require a civil law qualified, general commercial litigator, familiar with the UAE court process, to support the development of our commercial disputes practice. Given the breadth of matters on which we act and our commitment to career progression, any candidate will gain experience of acting on general commercial matters before the UAE courts across a number of sectors and areas of focus.
In addition and to support continued growth, the candidate will work within the wider team, collaborating and contributing, on an ad hoc basis, to matters before the common law courts and arbitral tribunals, as well as within Stephenson Harwood network, supporting our global litigation team on international matters with a Middle East focus and/or aspect.
For that reason, the ability to draft in Arabic is a mandatory requirement supported by a minimum of four years post-qualification experience in a leading litigation team involving handling disputes before the UAE civil law courts.
Main Responsibilities

• Draft and deliver complex and bespoke documents/advice and can think creatively to propose and deliver innovative solutions.
• Developing and executing legal and procedural strategies to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients involved with civil court litigation.
• Action complex instructions directly and effectively manages relationships with clients.
• Analyses and prioritises client needs to deliver commercially focused advice.
• Builds relationships both externally and internally with existing and/or new contacts/clients.
• Lead on legal projects to deliver matters profitably.
• Able to work collaboratively with others including coaching, supervising, and developing junior colleagues.

Attributes/Skills Required

• Civil law qualified mandatory; E&W qualification beneficial but not necessary.
• English / Arabic speaking and drafting ability (mandatory).
• UAE general commercial litigation experience (non-marine or construction focus).
• Experience in taking ownership for a deal or case, particularly in relation to technical expertise.
• Understanding of client service expectations in addition to effective communication, reporting and project management whilst executing litigation matters.
• Demonstrates an aptitude and responsibility for all aspects of financial management on some matters with a business savvy and commercial approach.

About the Firm
Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we're committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex and ever-changing world.
Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade.
With more than 1,500 people, including 220+ partners, across ten offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries.
We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

• 220+ PARTNERS
• 10 OFFICES
• 45+ LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY OUR PEOPLE

Offices in Al Khobar, Athens, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Riyadh, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and associated office in Guangzhou.
Our brand strengths:
GO FAR, GO TOGETHER
EXPERTS IN MORE THAN LAW
CAN DO PERSONALITIES
ALWAYS READY

Skills Required