Legal Counsel

Position Overview:

Following a recent acquisition, this Legal Counsel role is a pivotal member of our legal team, responsible for comprehensively leading and managing all legal affairs for our French operations. This includes providing dedicated support for key strategic initiatives in France and championing Group-level compliance within the French entity. The role will also extend to supporting new company establishment, business rollout, daily contract review, and compliance support for other French-speaking European countries. This position requires strong independent project-managing abilities, robust legal research and analytical skills, and excellent communication abilities to effectively collaborate with internal teams, group headquarters, and external stakeholders including governmental departments.

Work Place: France

Responsibilities:

Comprehensive France Legal Operations:

• Draft, review, negotiate, and finalize a wide range of contracts, agreements, and other legal documents essential for the company's business operations in France, including but not limited to commercial agreements, vendor contracts, partnership agreements, and potentially, commercial leases and construction agreements as relevant to the business.
• Organize and manage the contract approval matrix and ensure systematic archiving of legal documents for the French entity.
• Provide dedicated and specialized legal support for key strategic projects and initiatives within France, advising on all related legal and regulatory aspects from inception to completion.

Legal Risk Management & Compliance (France Focus):

• Conduct legal research and manage legal risks in relation to the company's operations in France (both offline and online, if applicable).
• Independently manage and handle comprehensive legal projects and advisory related to French regulatory requirements, including but not limited to importation/exportation compliance, product labeling/marking (if applicable), advertising compliance, data protection (GDPR), employment law, and consumer protection requirements.
• Develop, implement, and monitor compliance programs and policies for the French entity, ensuring adherence to local laws (e.g., French Commercial Code, GDPR, anti-bribery laws) and Group-level compliance standards.
• Manage corporate secretarial matters for the French entity, ensuring good corporate governance.

European French-Speaking Countries Support:

• Act as a key legal partner supporting the Group's expansion strategies into new markets within French-speaking European countries.
• Provide legal due diligence, risk assessment, and strategic advice for market entry, new business setups, and potential M&A activities in these regions, coordinating with HQ and external counsel as needed.
• Provide daily contract review and compliance support for entities and operations in French-speaking European countries.

Intellectual Property Protection:

• Oversee the protection of the company's intellectual property rights (trademarks, copyrights, patents, etc.) in France and support regional IP strategies.
• Review and negotiate IP licensing and related contracts and agreements to ensure compliance with applicable laws and in the best interest of the company.

Stakeholder & External Counsel Management:

• Liaise effectively with external legal counsel in France, other relevant French-speaking European jurisdictions, and government agencies to ensure smooth operations and compliance with legal obligations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (local, regional, and Group) to understand business needs and provide practical, commercially-sound legal solutions.

Headquarters & Group Legal Liaison:

• Assist the headquarters (HQ) legal team with legal affairs in relation to auditor's reviews, adjustments of shareholding structure (if applicable to France or French-speaking European countries), M&A activities affecting France or the region, and other legal matters as assigned by the HQ legal team from time to time.

Knowledge Sharing & Development:

• Participate in and, where appropriate, conduct legal training sessions to enhance the legal knowledge and compliance awareness of internal teams in France.

Qualifications:

• Excellent command of English and French (both written and spoken) is a must. Proficiency in other European languages and/or Chinese is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree or above in Law (LLB, LLM, or JD) from a recognized university.
• Eligibility to practice law in France; alternatively, qualification in another civil law jurisdiction with substantial experience in French law.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant legal experience, ideally with a combination of law firm and in-house counsel experience, preferably within a multinational corporation. Experience in mention specific industry if relevant, e.g., tech, retail, manufacturing is a plus.
• Strong legal research and analytical skills, with the ability to independently manage projects, interpret, and apply complex legal provisions relevant to France and French-speaking European countries.
• Solid understanding of French contract law, commercial law, corporate law, data privacy (GDPR), and relevant industry regulations.

Desired Skills:

• Experience working in a transnational corporation and familiarity with navigating matrix organizations.
• Proven ability to work independently, take ownership of assigned tasks, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Creative and pragmatic thinker with the ability to provide innovative yet practical legal solutions to complex business challenges.
• Positive attitude, commercially astute, and results-oriented approach, with a strong commitment to the company's values and mission.
• Proficient in legal software and technology tools, as well as Microsoft Office suite.