Content of the Week: 1st September 2025
Middle East Lawyers at High Risk of Redundancy
The reality of being in legal in the Middle East – you’re at a higher risk of redundancy than most. This is particularly true if you’re in a multinational, as we’ve seen from the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, and many others over the last 18 months.
Why is this? I think there are a few factors:
- Legal is still treated as a cost-centre. I met a GC last week who said he’d given up trying to convince people otherwise. We know legal saves money, and can often help create extra income for a business, but that’s not the perception
- The Middle East is a smaller hub, which can be serviced from Europe or APAC. So it’s often hit early on.
- The cost of a mid-level lawyer is expensive, and harder to justify. In this region, Heads of Legal and GCs are some of the youngest globally, so a 10PQE who is running a function is easier to cut than a junior locally or a senior in London/Singapore who brings double to years’ experience.
- Over the last 5-10 years businesses have put a lot into the Middle East, and often overhired. Some of these hires (though not all) are rebalancing rather than cutting.
- Geopolitical volatility plays a part. The region is viewed differently internationally from how we see it living here. Some businesses are nervous and make cuts because of this.
The region continues to grow dramatically, but it’s still not a global player and there is volatility in many ways, so cuts from multinationals in particular will continue to be prevalent.
The best way to counter this is continue to add value, and show that internally.
How to spot a GC-in-the-marking during interviews.
If you're hiring a Head of Legal or SLC, don't just look for someone who can do that job - think about whether that person can grow into a GC.
So many companies we speak with want 'future leaders', but they fail to assess for it in interviews. Asking questions related to the role they're hiring for now, not in 5-10 years.
Here's what to look for:
1) commercial instinct. Do they understand the intersection between legal and the business' strategy? Can they explain past work in terms of short- and long-term outcomes for the business (not just legal)? Discuss with them projects they've worked on with considerable commercial impact.
2) Board-readiness. How comfortable are they interacting with senior stakeholders? Do they have the personality to manage difficult individuals, communicate with a wide variety of people? Do they speak in plain english or are they too jargon-heavy?
3) Ownership and vision. Do they focus only on tasks, or bigger picture of building a function, improving processes etc.? Don't be afraid to ask them about their management style (even if they have little experience), and what they might do if they were GC.
4) Adaptability. GCs constantly deal with ambiguity, shifting priorities, strategic changes - how well can they adapt to this? Ask for stories on how they had to pivot mid-project, or lead through something uncertain.
Remember, they don't have to tick every box today, but they should have the potential to grow into a successful GC for your team
How to Counter Offer a Resignation
Monday morning is almost definitely the time that most people resign, and in this region I expect this and next week will be near the peak of the weeks. Lots of people coming back from holiday, using up leave pre-departure or simply seeing that the grass could be greener.
As recruiters, we know that you shouldn’t provide a counter-offer if one of your team resigns. Around 80% of employees who accept one leave within 6 months, and 90% within a year.
BUT, what about that 10% chance you have to retain top talent?
Here’s my first tip – don’t just offer them more money. It won’t address the root cause, which could be one of many things – lack of progression, poor work/life balance, culture etc.
You need to listen carefully, and quickly. Ask open-ended questions about why they’re leaving. Don’t make it accusatory, just curious and keen to help.
Then propose a tailored and meaningful solution. For example, if they lack career progression, offer personalized development with more visibility, mentorship, or stretch assignments. If they’re burning out offer some time off or increased flexibility.
And remember, you have to show how you’ll follow through with this. If it’s half-hearted, they’ll see through it. Then you need to check-in with them more frequently than normal – you might think it’s fixed, but I’m sure they don’t yet. Rebuild that trust.
Ultimately, if you can’t convince them to stay then be gracious, thankful, and supportive with their move.
Writing a Job Description
If you read yesterday’s post then you’ll know there might be lots of people writing job descriptions for upcoming replacements. So, how do you write a JD that’s not outdated, boring, and uninspiring (like most of the ones that I see!)?
Here are some easy tips:
1) The title is important. Seriously think about how it’s perceived and who it will attract to apply.
2) Start with an overview of your business. You may know it inside-out, but not everyone will. What do you do, how many people work for you, what’s the company’s mission, end goal, culture? Don’t use cliché terms like ‘fast-paced’, explain what makes it fast-paced.
3) Give a team summary – roughly how many people, where does this role sit, who are the key stakeholders?
4) When writing about the position itself, put it down as outcomes and not tasks. For example, old JDs say ‘you will be responsible for drafting and negotiating commercial contracts…’, which is frankly uninspiring. Instead, say something like “You will be responsible for increasing the quality and consistency of commercial terms across the business, helping reduce risk while accelerating deal timelines.”. This paints a picture of value and contribution, not just activity.
5) Less is more – great candidates don’t want to go through 5 pages of text. Quality over quantity.
Remember, a JD is a selling opportunity. Write it like you’re trying to convince someone to join a mission, not just fill a job.