Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to join our team and provide comprehensive legal support across the business, with a particular focus on food & beverage operations, commercial leasing, franchising, service-level agreements, and commercial contracts.
The successful candidate will act as a trusted legal advisor to the business, supporting commercial teams and management on day-to-day legal matters while identifying and managing legal and contractual risks. The role requires strong commercial awareness, excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills, and the ability to provide practical, business-focused legal advice in a fast-paced F&B environment.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial & General Legal Advisory
- Provide timely, practical and commercially focused legal advice and business teams on a broad range of operational and commercial matters.
- Advise on legal risks arising from day-to-day F&B operations, new business initiatives, partnerships and commercial arrangements.
- Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, ensuring the company’s interests are appropriately protected.
- Support business teams in interpreting contractual obligations, rights, liabilities and termination provisions.
- Identify potential legal and regulatory risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
- Support the development and implementation of legal policies, procedures, templates and contract standards.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders to ensure legal requirements are incorporated into business decisions and projects.
- Review and negotiation of retail, restaurant and commercial leases, including new locations, renewals, extensions, assignments and amendments.
- Advise on lease terms including rent, service charges, fit-out obligations, commencement dates, break clauses, renewal rights, exclusivity, permitted use, termination and landlord/tenant obligations.
- Review and negotiate lease-related documentation, including heads of terms, lease agreements, amendments, side letters and related agreements.
- Advise operational and development teams on legal considerations relating to new F&B locations and expansion projects.
- Provide legal support on franchise arrangements, including drafting, reviewing and negotiating franchise agreements and related documentation.
- Advise on franchisee rights and obligations, territory, fees, intellectual property, operational standards, brand protection, performance requirements and termination.
- Support the business in managing legal aspects of franchise relationships and addressing contractual breaches and disputes.
- Draft, review and negotiate Service Level Agreements and supplier/service provider agreements.
- Advise on service standards, KPIs, performance obligations, remedies, service credits, liability, indemnities, termination and dispute resolution.
- Review agreements with suppliers, consultants, contractors, technology providers, logistics providers.
- Ensure contractual arrangements appropriately allocate commercial and operational risks.
- Maintain oversight of key commercial contracts, contractual obligations, renewal dates and termination rights.
- Develop and maintain standard contract templates and playbooks.
- Support the business in managing contractual claims, disputes, breaches and negotiations.
- Work with Finance, Procurement, Operations, Development, HR and other functions on cross-functional legal matters.
- Manage external legal counsel where required and ensure legal spend is appropriately controlled.
Qualifications & Experience
- 7+ years of post-qualification legal experience, preferably gained within an F&B, hospitality, retail, consumer, real estate or similarly commercial environment.
- Qualified lawyer with a recognised legal qualification.
- Strong experience in commercial contracts, leasing and franchising.
- Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating SLAs and complex commercial agreements.
- Experience advising businesses operating across multiple locations or jurisdictions is preferred.
- Strong understanding of commercial and operational legal risks within the F&B or hospitality sector.
- Fluent written and spoken English is essential.
- Arabic language skills are an added advantage.
- Experience working with external counsel and managing multiple stakeholders is preferred.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong commercial and business-oriented mindset.
- Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills.
- Strong knowledge of leasing and commercial real estate matters.
- Strong understanding of franchising arrangements.
- Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical business advice.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail and risk awareness.
- Ability to prioritise and manage multiple matters in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
- High level of integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.
