Head of Legal
Kuwait | IPO Readiness | Regional Group | Full-time | On-site
Languages: Arabic and English
A leading Kuwait-based regional group is strengthening its leadership team.
We are looking for a senior corporate and commercial lawyer to lead the Legal function.
This is not a supporting legal role. You will be the most senior in-house lawyer, working directly with senior management and, where required, the Board and external advisers. You will have responsibility for the company’s legal agenda during IPO preparation and will continue leading the Legal function as the organization develops into a listed-company environment.
The Role
Your responsibilities will span four main areas:
Corporate & Strategic Transactions
Lead the legal work on corporate restructurings, acquisitions, joint ventures, investments, new entities, shareholder matters and other strategic transactions. Support the legal workstreams required for IPO readiness and work closely with external legal and IPO advisers.
Commercial
Own the drafting, review and negotiation of significant commercial agreements across the Group, including supplier, distribution, technology, services, partnership, logistics and other strategic arrangements.
You should be comfortable negotiating difficult commercial positions and finding solutions that protect the company without unnecessarily slowing the business down.
Corporate & Board Matters
Advise senior management on Companies Law, corporate structures, authorities, shareholder matters and Board-related legal issues. Work closely with the Governance and Compliance functions on matters relevant to IPO and listed-company readiness.
Legal Function Leadership
Lead the company’s Legal function, manage external counsel across Kuwait and other GCC markets, oversee significant disputes and litigation, establish appropriate legal processes and templates, and provide practical legal advice to senior management across the business.
Who We Are Looking For
You are likely to have 10+ years of strong corporate and commercial legal experience, gained in a respected law firm, a listed company, or a complex regional operating business.
Most importantly, you should be able to demonstrate that you have personally:
Strong knowledge of the Kuwait legal and commercial environment is essential.
Professional-level Arabic and English are required, including the ability to draft and negotiate legal documents in both languages.
Experience with listed companies, IPOs, CMA/Boursa Kuwait matters, Board matters or GCC regional operations is a significant advantage.
Previous responsibility for a Legal team is strongly preferred.
The Opportunity
This role offers something relatively uncommon in Kuwait: the opportunity to take ownership of a Legal function before a planned IPO, help shape the legal infrastructure required for that transition, and continue leading the function after listing.
For a senior in-house lawyer, it offers broader ownership, direct senior-management exposure and the opportunity to build rather than simply inherit.
For a senior law-firm lawyer considering the right move in-house, it offers immediate responsibility for significant corporate and commercial matters rather than a narrow counsel role.
