Role overview
Our client is a diversified Dubai-based property group with a substantial and growing hospitality portfolio. They own and operate assets across multiple internationally branded hotels, serviced apartments and branded restaurants, and work with some of the biggest names in global hospitality. With new projects in the pipeline involving major international operators, they are seeking a dedicated Hospitality Lawyer to join a small, high-performing legal team in Dubai.
Key responsibilities
- Draft, review and negotiate the full suite of hospitality agreements including hotel management agreements, technical services agreements, franchise agreements, lease agreements and branded restaurant contracts
- Manage vendor, OS&E and FF&E procurement contract reviews and negotiations
- Review MoUs, joint venture documentation and development-related legal agreements for hospitality projects
- Support the acquisition, sale and lease of hospitality-related real estate and conduct legal due diligence on hotels, operators and land assets
- Advise on compliance with UAE licensing, tourism, data protection and consumer protection regulations across the hospitality portfolio
- Manage legal disputes with operators, vendors and other counterparties through negotiation, mediation or arbitration
- Develop standard contract templates and legal policies to manage recurring risks across the portfolio
- Act as the primary legal adviser to the Hospitality Development and Operations teams, working cross-functionally with Procurement, Finance, HR and Real Estate
Candidate profile
- Qualified with a minimum of 7 years' post-qualification experience
- Experienced in negotiating hotel management agreements, franchise agreements and branded restaurant contracts, acting on the owner and developer side
- A strong negotiator with real commercial awareness and the confidence to advise senior stakeholders directly
- Experienced in the Middle East, with an understanding of the UAE legal and regulatory environment for hospitality operations
About Meyssa Legal
Meyssa Legal places lawyers across private practice and in-house roles in the UAE, with deep experience in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. We work consultatively with leading firms, in-house teams, and senior counsel across banking and finance, disputes, corporate, regulatory, and TMT.
Our approach prioritises judgment over targets and discretion over volume. We brief every role in confidence, submit only candidates we genuinely believe fit, and treat every conversation as the start of a long-term relationship.
