Role Summary

The Legal Secretary provides administrative and documentary support to the Legal Department, ensuring that the Company’s legal documents are executed, recorded and safeguarded accurately, and that critical dates are never missed.

The postholder coordinates document execution, manages the stamping and physical handling of documentation and the safe custody of originals, and maintains the Company’s contract records, tracking contract expiry and renewal dates. The role also maintains the subscriptions list with its renewal dates and pricing, processes invoices and payment requests in coordination with Finance, acts as a second pair of eyes on the Legal inbox, and coordinates the dispatch of physical copies to counterparties both onshore and offshore.

This is a role built on reliability. The team depends on the postholder to know where every original is, what falls due next, and what is still outstanding.

Responsibilities

Document execution and custody

• Coordinate the execution of agreements and corporate documents end to end — preparing signature and execution versions, routing documents for signature, and chasing counterparties through to fully executed copies.

• Administer electronic signature workflows and manage wet-ink signing where originals are required, including company stamping and the physical handling of documentation.

• Arrange notarisation, attestation and legalisation of documents where required, liaising with notaries, translators, typing centres, ministries, embassies and the Company’s PRO.

• Maintain safe custody of original documents — logging originals in and out, keeping the register current, and scanning and filing executed copies to the correct location.

• Coordinate dispatch and receipt of physical documents to counterparties onshore and offshore, arranging courier, tracking delivery and confirming safe receipt.

Contract records and critical dates

• Maintain the Company’s contract records so that every agreement is registered, correctly indexed and retrievable.

• Track contract expiry, renewal, notice and option dates, and run a critical-dates diary that gives the responsible lawyer and business owner clear warning well ahead of each deadline.

• Maintain and improve the department’s filing conventions, naming standards and version control, and keep the contract management system accurate and up to date.

• Prepare periodic status reports and trackers for the Chief Legal Officer on contracts, upcoming renewals and outstanding executions.

Subscriptions, invoices and finance coordination

• Maintain the subscriptions list, including renewal dates, pricing and owners, and raise renewals in good time for a decision to be taken before they roll over.

• Process legal invoices and payment requests in coordination with Finance — raising purchase orders, checking invoices against engagement terms and estimates, and following payments through to settlement.

• Maintain records of external counsel engagements and spend, and support the Chief Legal Officer with budget tracking and reporting.

Department coordination and correspondence

• Act as a second pair of eyes on the Legal inbox — reviewing incoming correspondence, routing it to the right lawyer, acknowledging receipt and following items through to closure so nothing is left unanswered.

• Manage the department’s diary: meetings, calls across time zones, room and travel arrangements, and the preparation of papers in advance.

• Format, proofread and finalise documents, correspondence and presentations to a consistently high standard.

• Support the collation and circulation of board and committee papers, and assist with corporate housekeeping such as licence renewals, powers of attorney and corporate registers.

• Onboard and maintain records for external counsel and vendors, including engagement letters, conflicts confirmations and know-your-customer documentation.

Confidentiality and records management

• Handle legally privileged and commercially sensitive material with absolute discretion, applying the department’s confidentiality and access controls.

• Apply the Company’s document retention and disposal requirements, and support the department in responding to audit, regulatory or internal record requests.

Requirements

• A minimum of three years’ experience in a legal secretarial or legal administration role, whether in-house or in private practice.

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office — Word (including styles, tracked changes and document comparison), Outlook and Excel — and in electronic signature platforms.

• Demonstrable experience coordinating document execution and managing original documents and records.

• A high standard of professional written and spoken English. English is the working language of the team and the group.

• A track record of handling confidential and privileged information appropriately.

• Eligible to live and work in the United Arab Emirates, or willing to relocate. The group provides visa sponsorship.

• Familiarity with UAE corporate licensing, notarisation, attestation and legalisation procedures, and with mainland and free zone requirements.

• Experience in a regulated business, a financial services company or a high-growth technology company.

• Experience supporting a multi-entity group, including with corporate records and board administration.