Head Legal - General Manager

Role: Head Legal and Compliance - General Manager

Location: Mumbai

Brief Overview of the Role

The Legal Head you will lead the company's legal, compliance, governance, and regulatory functions in India. The role will be responsible for safeguarding the company's legal interests, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing litigation, protecting the brand, and providing strategic legal advice to leadership across business functions.

The Legal Head will oversee a team responsible for commercial contracts, employment law, intellectual property, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, litigation, and company secretarial matters.

Qualifications & Experience

• LLB / LLM from a recognized university
• Qualified to practice law in India
• 15+ years of legal experience, preferably in: Retail/ Consumer goods/ Multinational companies
• Experience managing legal teams and external counsel

Job Description

1. Strategic Legal Leadership

Provide strategic legal counsel to senior leadership and business teams on legal, regulatory, and compliance matters

Develop and implement legal risk mitigation strategies aligned with business objectives.

Ensure the company's operations comply with Indian laws, corporate governance standards, and global policies.

Lead the legal function in supporting business expansion, retail operations, partnerships, and licensing activities.

2. Contract Management & Commercial Legal Support

Oversee the lifecycle management of all commercial contracts including:

• Vendor and purchasing agreements
• Distribution agreements
• Retail and franchise contracts
• Service agreements

Ensure robust contract drafting, review, and negotiation processes.

Establish standardized contract templates and approval frameworks.

Provide legal oversight on employment agreements and HR-related legal matters.

3. Intellectual Property & Brand Protection

Lead legal strategy for brand protection and intellectual property enforcement.

Manage:

• Trademark protection
• Anti-counterfeiting initiatives
• Unauthorized use of brand

Work with enforcement agencies and external counsel to address IP violations and brand misuse.

4. Litigation & Dispute Management

Oversee all litigation and dispute resolution matters, including:

• Consumer disputes
• Vendor or partner disputes
• Employment-related matters

Manage and coordinate with external legal counsel.

Develop litigation strategies and maintain litigation risk assessment and reporting mechanisms.

5. Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with applicable laws including:

• Corporate law
• Consumer protection regulations
• Retail and commercial regulations
• Labour laws

Establish internal compliance frameworks and conduct periodic compliance reviews.

Support business teams in navigating regulatory requirements.

6. Corporate Governance & Secretarial Oversight

Oversee company secretarial functions to ensure compliance with statutory and corporate governance requirements.

Ensure:

• Maintenance of statutory registers and records
• Filing of regulatory documents with authorities such as the Registrar of Companies
• Compliance with board governance requirements

Provide advisory support to the Board of Directors on legal and governance matters.

7. Licensing & Regulatory Liaison

Supervise regulatory approvals, licensing, and statutory liaison activities.

Support business operations with government interactions and regulatory clearances.

Oversee matters related to labour regulations including Mathadi compliance where applicable.

Interested candidates can share their cv at [Confidential Information]