Legal Counsel - Investments
Job Description
IMI is a privately-owned, global media group headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with operations across 19 countries. Our portfolio includes renowned media brands such as Sky News Arabia as part of a joint venture with Sky UK, The National, Al-Ain News, CNN Business Arabic, and a minority stake in Euronews.
Additionally, through Redbird IMI, our joint venture with Redbird Capital Partners, we invest in leading media, sports, and entertainment brands worldwide. We bring the world closer by sharing stories that open minds, connect people, and enrich lives, empowering audiences with news, knowledge, and factual entertainment.
Role Summary:
The Legal Counsel Investments at IMI provides legal services to support IMIs Investments team.
This role will involve advising on deal structuring, legal due diligence, transaction execution, and portfolio management across multiple asset classes, with a particular focus on media, technology, sports and live events.
The successful candidate will have a strong background in corporate law, M&A, and investment management, an excellent understanding of private equity, and will work closely with internal stakeholders and external advisors to ensure legal and regulatory compliance across all investment activities.
Key Responsibilities:
- ead or support the legal workstream on investment transactions, including drafting and negotiating NDAs, term sheets, investment agreements, shareholder agreements, and exit documents.
- Coordinate and oversee legal due diligence processes, liaising with external counsel and the internal investment team.
- Coordinating with external counsel, monitoring legal spend and ensuring effective services delivery.
- Advise on optimal legal structures for investments and ensure alignment with internal governance, risk, and tax frameworks.
- Monitor and advise on relevant legal and regulatory developments (e.g., foreign ownership restrictions, competition law, CFIUS, anti-bribery, data protection, ESG).
- Provide legal support to manage and monitor existing investments, including consents, follow-ons, restructurings, disputes, and exits.
- Work closely with senior leadership, investment professionals, finance, tax, compliance, and external counsel.
- Develop and maintain standard documentation, internal legal guidance, and knowledge tools for the investments team.
- Support high profile investments, assets and joint ventures such as Redbird IMI.
Role Requirements:
- Strong experience in cross-border M&A, corporate law, fund investments, and joint ventures. Familiarity with capital markets or structured products is a plus.
- Knowledge of technology, delivery platforms and digital privacy is highly desirable.
- Understanding and enthusiasm for working with AI, legal technology resources and databases to deliver transparent, effective and efficient legal services.
- Knowledgeable of the regulatory framework in the UAE and wider region.
- Experience of commercial contract drafting and negotiation.
- Good understanding of media industry a plus.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Critical and commercial thinker.
- Sound judgment and planning & organization skills.
- Independently minded, proactive, committed and able to work with minimal supervision.
- Fluency in English essential, Arabic language skills a plus.
- Bachelor&aposs in law from a highly regarded university or equivalent essential.
- Experience and qualification as a lawyer in a recognised international jurisdiction.
- 4+ years post-qualification experience in a top tier law firm or in-house legal team with exposure to relevant experience and a challenging workload.