Leading the commercial legal team comprising of 8 legal professionals supporting various company business lines, including sports distribution and retailing (multi branded and mono branded stores), food manufacturing facilities & retailing (hypermarket), health (pharmacies) and beauty spread across the MENA region. Supporting all critical transactions including franchise, mergers and acquisitions by negotiating and drafting commercial, joint venture, leasing, licensing, and shareholder agreements. Directing organisations compliance framework including data privacy activities for MENA and South East Asia Regions.• Successfully delivered major franchise and distribution rights acquisition, maintenance and renewal of relationship with the principals, appointment of distributors for food products, co-branding activities.• Increased proficiencies in managing distribution, franchise, leasing, and M&A agreements.• Implemented Data Privacy framework across MENA and South East Asia regions.

Key Responsibilities:- Establish and maintain a Compliance Programme including the overarching Compliance Policy and individual legisative specific policies (e.g. AML, Privacy) and manuals,- Maintain an obligations register for legislative obligations,- Maintain compliance reporting against agreed metrics,- Undertake analysis of the compliance breaches and escalate as relevant,- Review the Compliance Programme framework on an annual basis,- Manage regulatory change processes,- Administer the controls self-assessment process,- Promote a culture of achieving and maintaining 100% compliance with external and internal requirements- Provide advice that the compliance systems operate effectively and ensure the ongoing compliance of the business through developing and maintaining a compliance monitoring program,- Challenge and independently test the design and operation of the company’s processes and controls using a risk based methodology, and- Specifically ensure that testing is undertaken to confirm compliance with regulatory licensing obligations.

• Drafting and Vetting of various commercial contracts including without limitation Lease and License Contracts, Service Contracts, Term Loan Facility Agreements, IT Contracts etc.• Acquisition of business and providing end to end support including drafting of NDA’s, LOI, MOU’s and Sale Purchase Agreements etc.• Joint Venture arrangements and providing end to end support including drafting of Joint Venture Agreements, Memorandum of Associations, Corporate Structuring, and Shareholders’ Agreement.• Corporate structuring involving incorporations, share transfers, liquidations etc. for companies incorporated in various jurisdictions including Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, Egypt, Jordan, British Virgin Islands, Luxembourg, Turkey, Mauritius and China.• Handling Trademark portfolio.

• Drafting and filing of Complaints under Section-138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 in the District Courts. • Drafting & Vetting of various Commercial Contracts like Promissory notes, Sevice Agreements, Lease Deeds etc.• Drafting and filing of the Police Complaints seeking Police Assistance.

• Drafting & Vetting of various Agreements/Contracts like Product Development Agreements, Distributor Agreements, Retailing Agreements, CFA Agreements etc. • Providing timely legal assistance and advising internal business functions like Marketing, Finance & Accounts, Business Development, Secretarial and Human Resource.• Supervising filing of e-forms and assisting in drafting of the Agendas for the Board Meetings and drafting of the minutes of the meetings. Liasoning with the office of ROC and Regional Director.• Drafting and filing of Complaints under Section-138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 in the District Courts.• Handling Consumer litigations, drafting replies to consumer complaints, attending court proceedings, liasoning with the lawyers and negotiating for out of court settlements.• Liasoning & Briefing Lawyers on various matters of indirect taxation pending at various forums including CESTAT and other tribunals and on other civil & criminal litigations at different courts.• Drafting and vetting of the pleadings and liasoning with the lawyers in relation to the Scheme of Amalgamation u/s 391-394 of the Companies Act, 1956

• Drafting & Vetting of various Agreements/Contracts like Collaboration Agreements, Joint Development Agreements, Agreement to Sell, Business Transfer Agreement, Operate and Manage Contracts, Service Agreements etc.• Drafting & Vetting of Trademark License Agreement, PR Agreements, Lease Deeds, Addendums, NDA, Record Management Agreements etc.• Drafting & Vetting of Term sheets, Power of Attorneys, Memorandum of Understandings, Trust Deeds etc.• Handling Arbitration cases, attending arbitral proceedings, liasoning with the lawyers and drafting & vetting of arbitral pleadings.• Drafting and Filing of objections before Land Acquisition Collector for release of Land under Land Acquisition Act, 1894.