Senior Lawyer

Role Purpose

• The Senior Lawyer provides senior-level legal support to SABAH across corporate, investment, financing, commercial and strategic matters and independently handles complex legal workstreams arising from SABAH's activities.
• The role requires a highly capable, commercially minded lawyer who can take end-to-end ownership of complex matters, work independently with limited supervision, coordinate multiple stakeholders and jurisdictions, and deliver practical legal solutions in a fast-moving and evolving business environment.
• The Senior Lawyer works closely with SABAH management and is expected to appropriately escalate material, strategic and Group-level matters.

Key Responsibilities

Corporate & Strategic Matters

• Handle complex corporate and governance matters relating to SABAH and its activities.
• Draft and review shareholder and board documentation, corporate approvals, powers of attorney and other corporate documents.
• Support corporate restructurings, establishment of new entities and changes to existing corporate structures.
• Advise on shareholder rights, corporate governance arrangements and other corporate matters.
• Coordinate corporate workstreams involving multiple entities and jurisdictions.
• Support implementation of Group governance requirements and policies at SABAH level.

Investments, Startups & Transactions

• Lead assigned legal workstreams relating to investments, startup transactions and other strategic projects.
• Draft, review and negotiate term sheets, investment agreements, subscription agreements, shareholders' agreements, SAFE/convertible instruments and other transaction documentation.
• Conduct and coordinate legal due diligence and identify material legal risks.
• Support structuring and execution of investment transactions from initial assessment through signing and closing.
• Advise on shareholder rights, governance, investor protections, exit mechanisms and other transaction terms.
• Support portfolio-related corporate and legal matters following completion of investments.

Financing & Fund-Related Matters

• Provide legal support on financing arrangements and other funding structures.
• Draft and review loan, financing, assignment and other related agreements.
• Support legal aspects of investment and funding structures involving different entities and jurisdictions.
• Coordinate with external advisers on jurisdiction-specific, regulatory or specialist matters.
• Review external legal advice and translate it into practical recommendations and actions.

Commercial & Partnership Matters

• Draft, review and negotiate complex commercial, partnership, service, technology, sponsorship and other agreements.
• Support strategic collaborations and ecosystem partnerships.
• Identify contractual risks and propose commercially workable mitigation measures.
• Support development and improvement of standard agreements and contracting approaches.

Cross-Border & Regulatory Matters

• Handle and coordinate legal matters involving multiple jurisdictions.
• Conduct initial assessments of legal and regulatory requirements relevant to new initiatives, markets and structures.
• Coordinate with foreign counsel and other external advisers where local or specialist advice is required.
• Support cross-border corporate structures, transactions and contractual arrangements.
• Monitor relevant regulatory developments and assess their impact on SABAH's activities.

Legal Advisory & Risk

• Act as a key legal partner to SABAH management and internal teams.
• Provide clear, practical and commercially oriented legal advice.
• Identify material legal risks early and propose appropriate solutions and mitigation measures.
• Support disputes, claims and other sensitive legal matters.

Execution, Delegation & Coordination

• Take end-to-end ownership of complex assigned matters and deliver them independently with limited supervision.
• Coordinate legal workstreams involving internal stakeholders, counterparties, portfolio companies and external advisers.
• Delegate appropriate tasks to the Experienced Lawyer and Junior Lawyers, provide clear guidance and review deliverables.
• Support the development of less experienced team members through knowledge sharing and constructive feedback.
• Maintain visibility over deadlines, dependencies and outstanding actions.

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree in Law from a recognized university; international education or postgraduate legal qualification would be an advantage.
• 5+ years of relevant legal experience, gained in-house and/or at a reputable law firm.
• Strong experience in corporate and commercial law.
• Practical experience in M&A, investments, venture capital, financing and/or other corporate transactions would be strongly preferred.
• Experience with shareholder arrangements and transaction documentation.
• Experience with cross-border transactions and multi-jurisdictional matters would be a strong advantage.
• Experience working with startups, investment businesses, technology companies or rapidly growing businesses would be an advantage.
• Excellent command of Azerbaijani and English; Russian would be an advantage.

Hard Skills

• Strong corporate and commercial law knowledge.
• Strong legal drafting and negotiation skills.
• Strong understanding of investment and transaction documentation.
• Ability to independently structure and execute complex legal matters.
• Strong legal research and analytical skills.
• Ability to identify, assess and clearly communicate legal and transaction risks.
• Ability to work with complex corporate structures and cross-border matters.
• Strong understanding of corporate governance and shareholder arrangements.
• Ability to translate complex legal issues into practical commercial recommendations.

Soft Skills & Competencies

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to build strong working relationships with management, founders, investors, counterparties, portfolio companies and external advisers.
• Able to explain complex legal matters clearly and confidently to non-legal stakeholders.
• Comfortable handling negotiations and difficult conversations professionally and constructively.

Ownership & Accountability

• Strong sense of responsibility and personal accountability.
• Takes end-to-end ownership of matters rather than waiting for detailed instructions.
• Follows matters through to completion and takes responsibility for quality and timelines.
• Proactively identifies and follows up on outstanding issues.

Independence & Judgment

• Able to work independently with limited supervision.
• Demonstrates strong legal and commercial judgment.
• Able to determine when a matter can be handled independently and when escalation is required.
• Solution-oriented and comfortable making reasoned recommendations.

Results Orientation & Time Management

• Strong focus on delivering results and closing matters effectively.
• Able to prioritize multiple complex workstreams and competing deadlines.
• Plans work proactively and manages time efficiently.
• Reliable under pressure and able to adapt quickly to changing priorities.

Delegation & Development

• Able to delegate work appropriately based on complexity and team capability.
• Provides clear instructions, timelines and expected outcomes.
• Reviews delegated work constructively and provides practical feedback.
• Supports the development of Experienced and Junior Lawyers.

Adaptability & Commercial Mindset

• Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial and rapidly evolving environment.
• Able to quickly understand new business models, structures and unfamiliar legal issues.
• Commercially minded and able to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• Professional, discreet and dependable.

Location: Baku, SABAH.city, Kazimagha Karimov, 221.