Azara Digan, Senior Business Manager in the UAE, outlines how strategic legal resourcing is helping Middle East legal teams adapt to rapid change, support local talent, and stay resilient in a fast-evolving market.
What does it take to build a world-class legal team in a market that’s evolving at speed? Having worked across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for most of my career, I’ve witnessed first-hand how emerging markets are adapting global priorities and trends to fit local priorities and visions. Nowhere is this more evident than in the UAE, where the legal landscape is transforming almost daily.
The new reality for legal leaders
Today’s general counsel (GC), both regionally and globally, face a unique set of challenges. They are expected to act as strategic advisors, manage digital transformation, be commercial, proactive and solve all business problems while also maintaining the highest-quality legal support. For many, the pressure is a constant juggle of competing priorities.
In parallel, initiatives such as Emiratization, Saudization, and Qatarization are driving the regional talent agenda meaning that many GCs are also tasked with developing the next generation of legal leaders. While these initiatives can add to an already demanding workload for GCs, they serve a broader purpose beyond compliance. At their core, they are about building sustainable talent pipelines, creating opportunities for local professionals to grow into leadership roles under the guidance of experienced legal mentors.
Bridging the gap: the power of strategic legal resourcing
So, what is the solution? How do time-poor senior GCs balance these priorities? For some of our in-house clients, the solution lies in agile, scalable resourcing. At Peerpoint, we’ve seen how legal consultants can be transformative for an organisation. Whether it’s a regulatory overhaul, a major transaction, or a temporary gap, such legal professionals bring not just technical expertise, but also commerciality and a fresh perspective.
Crucially, legal consultants do more than fill gaps. Many of the lawyers on our panel have worked across multiple jurisdictions and have developed, nurtured and grown legal talent themselves. As a result, they are uniquely placed to support GCs by mentoring junior lawyers, sharing their experience, and helping internal teams navigate complex legal terrain. Their presence gives legal leaders the bandwidth to focus on strategic priorities, while ensuring junior talent continues to receive meaningful training and support. Some of our clients have informed us that the combination of strong legal pedigree, team leadership, and commercial acumen among Peerpoint consultants gives them confidence that their junior talent is well supported and receiving high-quality training.
Staying ahead in a rapidly growing market
As the UAE continues to advance its economic diversification and technological development goals, the legal and regulatory landscape is expected to grow in complexity. In-house legal teams will need to remain agile in how they build capability, adapting quickly to shifting demands while maintaining high standards.
Strategic legal resourcing plays a key role in this. It is not just a short-term solution, but a way to futureproof legal teams, ensuring they stay responsive, resilient, and ready for what comes next. Whether supporting digital transformation, navigating new regulations, managing cross-border transactions, or assisting with training and day-to-day operations, flexible legal consultants can offer targeted support where it is needed most.
Through the right platform, they can bring a valuable combination of legal expertise, business acumen and leadership experience and can integrate swiftly into teams, work independently, and help ease the burden of competing priorities, enabling in-house teams to remain focused and effective. In a region defined by rapid growth and transformation, such talent can offer not just interim support but a strategic edge for legal teams ready to lead the future.
