Legal Counsel

About the Company Kisawa is a multi-award-winning luxury hospitality brand founded in 2021, recognized for delivering exceptional guest experiences through a distinctive combination of world-class service, sustainability, innovation, and design excellence. As the brand enters an exciting phase of strategic growth, Kisawa continues to expand its presence and investment across luxury hospitality and related ventures. Headquartered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the group's corporate office serves as the global hub for brand operations, strategic initiatives, and a diversified portfolio of private investments and family interests spanning multiple jurisdictions. Driven by a long-term vision and commitment to excellence, Kisawa combines entrepreneurial ambition with a highly curated approach to luxury, stewardship, and global development. Role Overview We are seeking an accomplished Senior Legal Counsel to serve as the principal legal advisor to the Kisawa group, its executive leadership, and the owning family. This is a unique opportunity for a commercially minded legal professional to operate at the intersection of luxury hospitality, private investment, corporate governance, and international business. The role provides broad exposure across corporate, commercial, regulatory, tax, governance, and strategic transactions, with a particular focus on supporting the group's ongoing growth initiatives and expansion opportunities. Acting as a trusted advisor, the Senior Legal Counsel will work closely with senior executives, finance teams, and external counsel to safeguard the legal, brand and IP, structural, and compliance integrity of the group's global operations and investments. Based in the group's DIFC headquarters, this position offers the opportunity to contribute directly to the continued evolution of an internationally recognised luxury brand while supporting the wider affairs and interests of the owning family across multiple jurisdictions. The Senior Legal Counsel will work closely with other senior executives, accountants and external advisors to ensure legal, tax, and structural integrity across the family’s global interests. Key Responsibilities • Corporate, Hospitality & Real Estate Law: Advise on and oversee legal aspects of corporate structuring, investments, hotel management arrangements, brand and IP protection matters, real estate development projects, and strategic transactions across multiple jurisdictions. • Commercial Contracts: Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including hotel management agreements (HMAs), technical services agreements (TSAs), licensing and branding arrangements, service agreements, operating contracts, NDAs, partnership agreements, and other contracts supporting the Group's hospitality, investment, and operating businesses. • Governance & Corporate Administration: Oversee corporate governance frameworks, maintain statutory compliance, manage corporate authorisations and banking mandates, and ensure effective governance across the Group's entities in accordance with established policies and procedures. • Regulatory Compliance: Monitor and ensure compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, corporate, and operational requirements across all jurisdictions in which the Group operates and invests. • Dispute Resolution: Proactively manage disputes, claims, and legal risks through commercial negotiation, settlement discussions, mediation, and the effective coordination of external counsel where required. • Company Secretarial & Directorship Duties: Maintain corporate records, prepare board and shareholder resolutions, oversee statutory filings, and serve as director or officer of designated special purpose vehicles and operating entities as required. • External Counsel Management: Appoint, manage, and coordinate external legal advisors to ensure practical, commercially focused, and cost-effective legal support across multiple jurisdictions. • Strategic Advisory: Act as a trusted legal advisor to the Group's executive leadership and the owning family, supporting strategic initiatives, business expansion opportunities, investments, restructurings, and other significant transactions. Skills & Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent legal qualification; admission to at least one bar. • Advanced qualifications in Business Administration, Commercial, Finance, or a related discipline preferred. • Minimum of 7 years’ legal experience (law firm or in-house) in an international setting. • Demonstrated expertise in commercial law, including negotiation of management contracts, service agreements, and complex commercial arrangements. • Sound commercial judgment with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives. • Strong expertise in corporate, commercial, hospitality, real estate, and cross-border transactional matters. • Experience supporting family offices, private investment groups, luxury hospitality businesses is highly desirable. • Knowledge of DIFC, UAE, and international corporate governance frameworks is preferred. • Excellent drafting, analytical, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills. • Strong interpersonal communication abilities and the confidence to engage with senior executives, advising boards, shareholders, and high-net-worth principals. • Fluency in multiple languages is highly advantageous. • Strategic mindset with the ability to tailor legal solutions for family and business structures. Personal Attributes • Highest standards of integrity, discretion, and professionalism. • Commercially minded, pragmatic, and solutions-oriented. • Self-sufficient and comfortable operating within a lean, entrepreneurial environment. • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted relationships across cultures and jurisdictions. • Highly organised with sound judgment and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively. Why Join Us This is a unique opportunity to join the DIFC headquarters of an award-winning luxury hospitality brand and private investment group at an exciting stage of global growth. Working closely with senior leadership and the owning family, you will play a key role in shaping strategic initiatives across a diverse international portfolio, with significant exposure, autonomy, and impact. Show more Show less

Key Responsibilities: • Corporate, Hospitality & Real Estate Law: Advise on and oversee legal aspects of corporate structuring, investments, hotel management arrangements, brand and IP protection matters, real estate development projects, and strategic transactions across multiple jurisdictions. • Commercial Contracts: Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including hotel management agreements (HMAs), technical services agreements (TSAs), licensing and branding arrangements, service agreements, operating contracts, NDAs, partnership agreements, and other contracts supporting the Group's hospitality, investment, and operating businesses. • Governance & Corporate Administration: Oversee corporate governance frameworks, maintain statutory compliance, manage corporate authorisations and banking mandates, and ensure effective governance across the Group's entities in accordance with established policies and procedures. • Regulatory Compliance: Monitor and ensure compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, corporate, and operational requirements across all jurisdictions in which the Group operates and invests. • Dispute Resolution: Proactively manage disputes, claims, and legal risks through commercial negotiation, settlement discussions, mediation, and the effective coordination of external counsel where required. • Company Secretarial & Directorship Duties: Maintain corporate records, prepare board and shareholder resolutions, oversee statutory filings, and serve as director or officer of designated special purpose vehicles and operating entities as required. • External Counsel Management: Appoint, manage, and coordinate external legal advisors to ensure practical, commercially focused, and cost-effective legal support across multiple jurisdictions. • Strategic Advisory: Act as a trusted legal advisor to the Group's executive leadership and the owning family, supporting strategic initiatives, business expansion opportunities, investments, restructurings, and other significant transactions.