Assistant General Counsel - Dubai

About This Role

We are looking to bring onboard an experienced professional as Assistant General Counsel for Oliver Wyman based in our Dubai Office!

Position Summary

The IMEA Assistant General Counsel of Oliver Wyman Group (OWG) is responsible for providing general advice and support on a wide range of legal issues to the OWG businesses in the India, Middle East and Africa Region. Responsibilities include drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a high volume of client and third-party agreements, including client services agreements, master services agreements, statements of work, confidentiality agreements, release letters, licensing agreements, vendor agreements, data processing addenda, collaboration agreements and other legal documents. The candidate will be expected to be solution orientated and able to provide practical advice to both manage risk and support growth. The ability to prioritize work and to work efficiently and independently is a must. This role will report to the Chief Counsel and will be based in Dubai.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior legal advisor to Oliver Wyman Group businesses across the India, Middle East, and Africa region, providing strategic, commercially focused legal advice on a broad range of corporate, commercial, regulatory, and risk matters.
• Act as a trusted legal partner to regional and practice leadership, supporting business growth initiatives while balancing risk management, regulatory compliance, and firm values.
• Lead and oversee the full contract lifecycle for complex consulting engagements, including structuring, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating client, vendor, alliance, and subcontractor agreements, with a focus on professional services risk, liability management, and revenue protection.
• Provide expert advice on regulatory compliance matters relevant to the GCC, including but not limited to financial services regulations, data protection laws and sector-specific regulatory frameworks
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues impacting consulting engagements, including independence and conflicts, client acceptance, cross‑border service delivery, use of affiliates, and regulatory licensing considerations.
• Partner closely with HR and business leadership on workforce‑related legal matters, including employment law, employee relations, mobility and secondments, disciplinary actions, investigations, and compliance with local labor and immigration laws.
• Identify, assess, and proactively manage legal, contractual, and operational risks, developing pragmatic and commercially viable solutions to mitigate liability exposure while supporting client delivery.
• Lead negotiations with sophisticated external counterparties, including major corporate clients, government entities, financial institutions, and strategic partners, escalating material or novel issues to regional or global legal leadership as appropriate.
• Manage and coordinate outside counsel across multiple jurisdictions, including scoping, budgeting, and oversight of legal advice to ensure quality, consistency, and cost‑effectiveness.
• Support business development activities, including advising on legal and risk aspects of RFPs, tenders, framework agreements, and government or regulated‑client procurements. Interpret and explain contract terms and legal issues to internal business colleagues.
• Manage workload and priorities independently in a high volume, deadline driven environment, demonstrating sound judgment, responsiveness, and attention to detail.
• Collaborate closely with global Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Ethics teams across Oliver Wyman Group and Marsh McLennan to ensure alignment with enterprise standards and best practices.

Requirements:

Education

• Qualified and licensed to practice law, preferably in a common law jurisdiction relevant to the IMEA region.
• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university is required; an advanced law degree (LLM or equivalent) is required.
• Professional certifications or continuous legal education in relevant areas such as compliance, employment, data privacy, or corporate law are desirable.

Experience

• We seek a seasoned attorney with 12+ years of experience in top-tier law firms and/or in-house legal roles, ideally within professional services or consulting. The candidate must have a proven ability to independently negotiate complex commercial agreements and manage contractual risk, with desirable expertise in Employment Law, Data Privacy, and M&A. Strong business acumen and the ability to provide practical, commercially focused legal advice in a fast-paced environment are essential.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong judgment and financial acumen with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives.
• Proven expertise in regulatory compliance, employment and labor law, and commercial contracting within the GCC and IMEA region.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize multiple tasks, and deliver under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Solid business understanding to develop pragmatic legal solutions aligned with client and Oliver Wyman priorities.
• Keen attention to detail in drafting and reviewing legal documents to ensure accuracy, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Proficiency in Arabic (reading, writing, and speaking) is essential for regional engagement.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage complex workflows and coordinate with global legal teams.