How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

A guiding principle that we apply in the Property Finder Legal Team is inspired by the African teaching of Ubuntu, which means “I am, because you are”. It grounds us in the belief that a universal bond of sharing connects all humanity, and by demonstrating this humanity, empathy and kindness towards each other, combined with excellence, consistency and reliability in delivering our legal services to the business, we can overcome even the most difficult challenges.

Moreover, the culture at Property Finder, and especially in the Legal Team, is based on respect, continuous learning and innovation. Leaning into this strong culture, we have designed our legal strategy and operating model to be in lockstep with the overall vision, mission and purpose of the company. What this means is that we work cross-functionally with other business departments to gain a clear understanding of goals, challenges, and overall operations; we diligently monitor the market and external environment and use these fresh insights to effectively challenge the status quo for Property Finder to stay ahead; and we champion an entrepreneurial spirit and share lessons learned to ensure that Property Finder is benefiting from previous experiences. By actively applying this holistic approach, it gives the Legal Team structure and discipline, and as a result, our legal strategies and decision-making are data driven and help to create an environment that encourages calculated risk-taking by providing the appropriate level of support and guidance.

Of course, communication is key, and I am careful and deliberate about having regular conversations and sharing relevant information between key stakeholders in the business so that the legal aspects and risks are properly contextualised and understood. Ultimately, the main objective of the legal strategy is to build trust and consensus which, especially during times of instability and uncertainty, goes a long way towards amplifying the credibility of my team as well as my success as a legal leader.

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently?

In April 2024, Property Finder completed the successful raise of US$90 million in debt financing. This was a complex and strategically important transaction for several reasons: it marked one of the largest tech-focused financial transactions in the Middle East; it underscores Property Finder’s status as a leading growth-oriented technology company; and it reflects the confidence in the future long-term success of the MENA region’s real estate industry. Significantly, the deal also served to reinforce the strength and commitment of the UAE’s leadership for enhancing the market’s robust reputation and attracting global investors into the MENA region.

The proceeds of the debt financing were used by Property Finder to complete a company share buyback program for the entire stake held by BECO Capital, a regional venture capital firm and the first institutional investor in Property Finder – the debt financing transaction and the share buyback program were negotiated, managed and coordinated concurrently by the Property Finder Legal Team, adding to the intensity and complexity of the overall project.

The debt financing was provided by Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm with a presence in San Francisco, New York and London that specialises in partnering with technology businesses. White & Case and J.P. Morgan acted as advisors to Property Finder on the transaction.

How have you integrated technology into your legal processes, and what impact has this had on efficiency and compliance?

The Property Finder Legal Team operates in a fast-paced, dynamic ecosystem, and because the work environment is intense, the team’s active adoption of legal technology is playing a vital and increasing role in our success, allowing us to fulfil our broad ranging obligations to the business. To maintain our high-performance, high-impact approach, we have designed and established our Legal Front Door digital platform, supported by the implementation of a robust and versatile contract lifecycle management system which we have customised to serve our specific requirements. The Legal Front Door has allowed us to have a centralised system for our contracts and other legal documents with full visibility and security, which has enabled us to manage and streamline the requests from internal stakeholders more effectively, including assessments of risks, complexity, and high-priority projects. It has greatly reduced our time and effort in managing the contracts’ lifecycle, especially for expiration or renewal stages. By thoughtfully crafting, curating and investing in our legal processes, and by leaning more and more into technology as a tool to increase our efficiency and optimising the value delivered by the Legal Team, this has really allowed us to achieve more with less, and to accelerate towards creating a mutually beneficial symbiosis between our team and the broader business.