The Team

Clyde & Co has been advising on technology/media/telecoms (TMT), commercial and intellectual property (IP) matters in the Middle East for more than 20 years. The firm boasts the largest full-service IP team of any international law firm in the region and a market-leading TMT practice. Whilst largely operating out of the Dubai office, the practice has team members in our offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

The group brings together an unrivalled level of experience across all specialist areas of IP and one of the longest-established technology law practices in the Middle East. The regional team handles a range of work across the spectrum ofTMT, IP and general commercial law and contracts. This includes transactional work on a variety of contracts, advisory support on commercial, IP and technology issues (including data protection) and an IP prosecution and enforcement practice.

Dino Wilkinson leads the TMT offering and is recognised as one of the leading technology lawyers in the Middle East with a nomination in The Legal 500\'s Hall of Fame for TMT practitioners in the UAE. Dino\'s work includes advice on transformative software and outsourcing deals, as well as data protection and TMT regulatory work in the UAE and elsewhere in the region. His practice serves a broad clientele including government entities, financial institutions, and local and international technology clients.

Joycia Young manages a specialist practice in commercial advisory and IP with a focus on licensing, franchising and other commercialisation models, strategic IP advice and broader commercial and consumer regulation. Joycia has been continuously featured in the International Who\'s Who of Franchise Lawyers since 2009. From 2017 to 2021, Joycia has been named by Managing IP/IP Stars as one of the top 250 Women in IP, globally and in 2020, was named the first and only "IP Transactions Star" in the UAE.

With supporting lawyers and IP professionals from ten countries, including ten native Arabic speakers, the team produces work to the highest international standards with a strong appreciation of the cultural environment in which they operate in the Middle East. The practice prides itself on its ability to provide first class technical legal advice, which also reflects the commercial nuances of the local markets in which our clients operate. A large portion of the work is international, including support to global clients entering regional markets - particularly across the Middle East and North Africa - and advising local organisations on market expansion outside the region.

The Highlights

• Advising on large scale IT outsourcing and digital transformation projects.

• Advising an aviation client on its digital transformation project to revolutionise customer experience.

• Advising a leading insurance group on the procurement of an insurance management system, integrating and replacing legacy software.

• Advising an investment fund portfolio company on a wide range of commercial contracts, including agreements relating to distribution, manufacturing, marketing and IT outsourcing.

• Advising a regional airline on the terms of its sponsorship agreement with a well-known football club.

• Advising a retail brand on the terms of its franchising agreement in relation to an outlet at Hamad International Airport, Qatar.

• Drafting the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Data Protection Law 2020 and supporting the regulator on the creation of guidance and various public outreach initiatives.

• Advising one of the world\'s leading internet companies on product launches, commercial and regulatory issues throughout the Middle East and Africa.

• Advising a major UAE retail group on data privacy issues connected with the development and launch of an AI-enabled multi-service lifestyle concierge app.

What the directories say

Sources commend the team as "an efficient group of experts who only do quality work and really are well qualified in their field."

Chambers & Partners, 2021

Top ranked for IP in the UAE in every year since 2010

Chambers Global and Legal 500

\'A great and large team\'; and

\'Dino is great asset to Clydes in the Middle East region.\'

Legal 500, 2021

The Role

We are looking for a junior - mid level Associate to help us grow our leading TMT and commercial advisory practice. The ideal candidate will have solid experience in drafting and negotiating technology and commercial contracts and will manage a broad transactional and advisory workload.

Key responsibilities will involve:

• drafting and negotiating technology agreements (IT procurement, outsourcing, e-commerce, software licensing, professional services etc)

• drafting and negotiating commercial agreements (franchising, consultancy, distribution, procurement etc) and;

• carrying out research and advising clients on local law issues for Middle Eastern clients, in isolation or together with local counsel;

• supporting M&A and corporate transactions and other wider projects with specialist commercial/TMT due diligence, research and ancillary contracts; and

• assisting with the preparation and delivery of proposals, pitches, presentations and legal training materials.

Essential Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

• 2-4 years\' UK post qualification experience or equivalent;

• a strong academic background, training and experience gained at a well-recognised firm with an established TMT or commercial practice;

• 2:1 (or higher) degree classification (or equivalent);

• strong experience in drafting and negotiating IT and commercial agreements;

• confidence and initiative with a keenness to assume responsibility, work independently and take a pro-active and commercial approach to solving issues;

• strong inter-personal skills and a genuine interest in marketing and business development; and

• genuine interest in developing a career in the Middle East.

The following attributes would be an additional advantage:

• experience in advising on data protection compliance;
• regional legal knowledge; or
• Arabic language skills.

Experience in the Middle East would be advantageous but is not a pre-requisite for this role.

Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co is a global law firm which has quadrupled in size over the past decade.Revenues from the firm\'s 50+ offices* worldwide rose to \xc2\xa3627million for the last financial year.The firm has over 1800 fee earners, across six continents, with 4000 staff advising corporates, financial institutions, private individuals and governments.

Clyde & Co, MEA

With over 30 years\' experience in the region and the largest presence of any international law firm in the Middle East, we pride ourselves on being able to help clients recognise and overcome the challenges of doing business in the Middle East and Africa.

In the Middle East, our more than 40 partners and 150 legal professionals work from four offices located across the region. Our Dubai office acts as a central hub for our Middle East and Africa regional operations that include, in the Middle East, offices in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Doha in Qatar and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Our large regional presence enables us to support our clients across the full spectrum of their corporate and commercial needs throughout the AGCC (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) and wider Levant.

Our deep sector knowledge covers insurance, energy, transport, infrastructure, marine and trade as well as aviation, education, defense, finance, healthcare, hospitality and technology.

Clyde & Co