Legal Counsel, Corporate / Commercial law, Employment law, Compliance
Resume:
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Information
Name
Helena Lousada
Address
Arabian Ranches, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone number
addnm9@r.postjobfree.com
Nationality
Portuguese
Gender
Female
Summary
Education: Law Degree, Civil Law background (in line with the UAE and majority of Middle East legal systems) with Common Law training;
Postgraduation in Banking, Contracts, Stock Market and Insurance Law
Regulatory Compliance Specialisation (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Course on English Common Law: Structure and Principles (University of London, UK)
Member of the Portuguese Bar Association and Legal Consultant registered at the Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department
17 years of total legal experience, including in-house roles and private practice
Diversified experience, comprising companies law, contracts, compliance, real estate and labour law
Experience with the UAE legal system and currently living in the UAE (Dubai)
Work experience
From July 2018 to date
Lawyer at James Berry & Associates Legal Consultants (Dubai)
Rendering legal advice on Employment law, Corporate and Commercial Law.
Main activities and responsibilities:
Employment law: advising clients (companies and individuals) on both contentious and non-contentions matters. The non-contentions work includes advising on strategic matters such as business reorganisations, drafting HR policies, staff handbooks, employment contracts, NDA and confidentiality agreements, and general advice on employment matters. Contentious work is comprised of arbitrary dismissal claims, employment litigation and assisting clients with disciplinary hearings and Court cases.
Supervising and project managing the work of local law firms with respect to Court cases.
Corporate and Commercial: drafting agreements, including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), Memorandums of Understanding, incorporation documents, licenses, and contracts of different nature.
Construction: responsible for expanding the construction law department.
DIFC Academy Pro-Bono lawyer: advising on several matters on a pro-bono basis.
Business Development: Business Development Manager.
From October 2015 to July 2018
Senior Legal Counsel (Dubai)
Rendering legal advice to several companies, including companies belonging to or related with the Private Office of HH. Sheikh Saeed Bin Ahmed Al Maktoum (Vicom, Seed Group, etc), including but not limited to the following matters:
-Commercial/companies law and corporate activities: providing legal advice with respect to a wide range of commercial matters, including drafting and negotiating letters of intent, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Shareholders Agreements, sale and purchase agreements, fee sharing agreements, NDA and confidentiality agreements, establishing joint ventures, etc., always safeguarding compliance with the applicable laws and regulations;
-Contracts: drafting and negotiating agency and consultancy agreements, real estate contracts, partnership agreements, franchising agreements, etc., in the UAE and other countries.
From March 2009 to April 2011 and from January 2012 to September 2013: ACSS, I.P (Lisbon)
Senior Legal Counsel
Main activities and responsibilities: Contracts review, drafting and negotiation; support to tendering procedures, procurement, legal advice on employment law; participating in the development of the legal policies and procedures and regulatory framework in order to achieve the effectiveness of the organization and assure compliance with legal requirements.
Advice provided at the highest levels, including Companies’ Board of Directors.
From April 2011 to January 2012 – Agency for Administrative Modernisation (Lisbon) (Regulatory Authority, part of the Ministry of Finance)
Legal Counsel
Main activities and responsibilities:
Responsible for the legal support to several tendering procedures (including drafting Instructions to Tenderers / Requests for Proposals in connection with Engineering and Construction and Services contracts), contract review, drafting and negotiation.
Areas of the law: procurement, compliance, commercial/corporate, real estate, construction and employment law.
Implementation and management of legal and compliance policies and regulatory processes (ensuring total compliance of policies and procedures at all levels).
From August 2003 to March 2009 – ARSN, I.P. (Health System Regional Administration)
Legal Counsel
Main activities and responsibilities:
Contracts review, drafting and negotiation;
Providing legal opinions in the context of several subjects related to ARSN’s activity.
Development, implementation and supervision of Compliance procedures,
Managing Licensing procedures;
Author of the “Procedures Manual on compliance and licencing”.
From April 2001 to September 2002 - Lawyer at Yolanda Busse, Oehen Mendes & Associates (Oporto, Portugal)
Main activities:
Responsible for several legal procedures/lawsuits and drafting of the corresponding pleadings (advising and representing clients in courts, before government agencies, or in private legal matters; conducting research and analysis of legal problems; interpreting laws, rulings, and regulations for individuals and businesses; preparing and filing legal documents, such as lawsuits, appeals, contracts, etc.).
Specific areas of intervention: criminal, civil and commercial law, intellectual property and tax law.
From April 2001 to September 2002 –Trainee Lawyer and Lawyer (member) at the Portuguese Bar Association.
Main activities:
Responsible for several legal procedures/lawsuits and drafting of the corresponding pleadings;
Public defence counsellor in several courts, legal advisor at the Legal Advice Office of the Portuguese Bar Association;
Areas of intervention: civil and commercial law, engineering and construction law, intellectual property and tax law.
Education
School year 2019/2020 – “Regulatory Compliance Specialisation”, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
School year 2016/2017 - "Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers" Specialization, University of Minnesota, USA.
School year 2015 - Course on "English Common Law: Structure and Principles", University of London, UK.
School year 2006/2007 – Conclusion of the lecturing stage of the Master degree in Management, at University of Aveiro.
School year 2001/2002 - Postgraduate Studies in Banking, Contracts, Stock Market and Insurance Law, at the Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra.
From October 1995 to December 2000– Law Degree from the Faculty of Law, Portuguese Catholic University.
Training
Attendance at numerous courses and conferences, including the following:
October 2017 – Arabic Course, at Eton Institute, Dubai.
November/December 2014 - Arabic Course, at Eton Institute, Abu Dhabi.
From 22 November to 3 December 2010 – Course on “Law making”, at the National Institute of Administration – 56 hours.
From 29 November 2004 to 3 December 2004 – Course on “Finance for Non-Financiers” (24hs).
From April to July 2001 – Trainee Lawyer Course of the Portuguese Bar Association.
July 2001 - admission as a Lawyer by the Portuguese Bar Association.
Personal Skills and Competences
Languages
1. Portuguese (native)
2. English:
Reading Comprehension
Written Skills
Spoken Interaction
Excellent
Very good
Very good
3. French:
Reading Comprehension
Written Skills
Spoken Interaction
Good
Average
Average
4. German:
Reading Comprehension
Written Skills
Spoken Interaction
Good
Average
Average
5. Spanish:
Reading Comprehension
Written Skills
Spoken Interaction
Excellent
Very good
Very good
6. Arabic:
Reading Comprehension
Written Skills
Spoken Interaction
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
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