Lawyer

Position: Legal Counsel/Lawyer

Project: Shuweihat 4 RO IWP Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

About the Role We are seeking a Legal Counsel (7+ years PQE) to support our EPC team on the Shuweihat 4 Water Project in Abu Dhabi. This role focuses on managing ongoing international arbitration proceedings, handling high-stakes EPC claims/counterclaims (involving both the Client and major subcontractors), and advising the project team under English Law and UAE Law, providing day-to-day legal support across the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Arbitration & Litigation: Lead the day-to-day legal strategy for active international arbitration; supervise external counsel, quantum experts, and delay analysts; manage evidence gathering and witness statements.
• Claims Management: Formulate, evaluate, and negotiate complex claims (EoT, prolongation, delay/performance liquidated damages, variations) against the Client/Offtaker and key subcontractors. Manage contentious issues with major subcontractors and suppliers to preserve back-to-back risk allocation against upstream obligations to the Client.
• Contract Advisory: Review, negotiate, and amend different types of agreements and ancillary legal instruments. Provide real-time legal counsel on the EPC Contract and risk mitigation strategies under both English and UAE legal frameworks.
• Settlement Negotiations: Support commercial management and project leadership in dispute escalation, mediation, and commercial settlement discussions.
• Project Communications & Day-to-Day Legal Advisory: Draft, review, and clear high-risk project correspondence and formal notices. Provide continuous legal advice to the Project team on general project matters, compliance, warranty liabilities, and dispute avoidance.

Candidate Requirements

• Qualifications: Law degree from an accredited university.
• Experience: 7+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE) handling construction disputes, international arbitration, and general contract advisory—ideally with an international EPC contractor, utility developer, or top-tier construction law firm. Previous experience in the Middle East.
• Industry Sector: Solid experience in the water/power sector (desalination, reverse osmosis, IWPP) and large-scale industrial turnkey projects.
• Legal Expertise: Strong working proficiency in both English Law and UAE Law as applied to major construction contracts and commercial dispute resolution.
• Core Competencies: Exceptional drafting and communication skills in English; keen commercial and risk awareness; ability to translate complex technical/site issues into solid legal arguments and robust formal correspondence.

Pay: AED3,500.00 - AED23,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person