In-House Insights - Freezone – Licensing and regulatory authority

Overview

Company

RAK Economic Zone Authority

Industry

Freezone - Licensing and regulatory authority

Jurisdictions (Country/Region)

United Arab Emirates

1- In one sentence: For you, what does it mean to be an in-house lawyer?

It means balancing between the legal aspects and business needs.

2- Describe the role & responsibilities of a general counsel in:

(i) Your industry

The General Counsel is responsible for the management of the legal department, providing ongoing career development and coaching for direct reports, providing advisory support to the CEO and board members, developing the legal department budget, overseeing and identifying any major legal risks cross the organization and providing strategic thinking on developing new products.

(ii) Your jurisdiction/region

As far I know, the role and responsibilities of a General Counsel are almost the same in the region. However usually the board secretary function is assigned to the general counsel in other organizations and companies.

3- How often do you work with external counsel? To what extent is a close collaboration with a law firm a necessity in your industry?