Senior Legal Counsel (Freelance)

Overview

Contract Management

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of ICT-related agreements, including but not limited to: software licenses, SaaS agreements, cloud infrastructure contracts, reseller agreements, service level agreements (SLAs), NDAs, and strategic partnership contracts
• Ensure contracts are legally robust, commercially viable, and aligned with internal governance standards and risk appetite
• Manage the end-to-end contract lifecycle, including amendments, renewals, and terminations
• Maintain contract templates and support process improvements in contract management systems

Commercial and Transactional Legal Support

• Provide legal support during the pre-sales and post-sales phases of ICT transactions
• Collaborate with business development, sales, procurement, and finance teams to structure, negotiate, and close complex commercial deals
• Lead legal aspects of negotiations with hyperscalers (e.g., AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud), partners, and enterprise customers
• Advise on regulatory considerations and risk mitigation in ICT transactions

Legal Advisory & Risk Management

• Advise on a broad range of corporate, commercial, data protection, and regulatory matters relevant to ICT operations in the GCC
• Monitor legal developments, industry trends, and emerging risks related to ICT, data governance, cybersecurity, and AI
• Support the implementation of legal policies and governance frameworks

Stakeholder Engagement & Training

• Act as a legal business partner to internal teams including sales, product, technical, and operations
• Develop and deliver internal training on key legal topics such as contract law, negotiation best practices, confidentiality, and IP management
• Manage and coordinate with external counsel for complex, jurisdiction-specific, or high-value matters

Corporate Governance & Regulatory Compliance

• Draft, review, and maintain legal documents required for the company and its affiliates, including shareholder and board resolutions, powers of attorney, and company policies
• Support the renewal and amendment of trade licenses, commercial registrations, and regulatory approvals for entities operating in the GCC, including mainland and free zone jurisdictions
• Liaise with external government relations officers (PROs) and relevant authorities to ensure timely filings, renewals, and compliance with statutory obligations
• Track and follow up on legal and regulatory deadlines (e.g., license expiries, reporting obligations, etc.) to avoid business disruption

Regulatory Monitoring & Implementation

• Stay abreast of applicable ICT-related laws and regulations across the GCC, including those related to data protection, cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI, and digital content
• Ensure regulatory requirements are appropriately reflected and implemented in customer and vendor contracts, particularly in relation to data protection
• Collaborate with compliance business teams to support the operational implementation of legal and regulatory mandates

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB or equivalent); LLM or equivalent is a plus
• 5-8 years of post-qualification experience, preferably with in-house experience in the ICT or technology sector
• Proven experience in negotiating and managing commercial contracts
• Fluency in English and Arabic is a must
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to align legal solutions with business objectives
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, cross-border environment, and deliver under pressure
• High degree of professional ethics, integrity, and sound judgment
• Proactive, solutions-oriented, and collaborative mindset