Legal Manager - FMCG

Legal Manager - FMCG

Location - Mumbai

Key Responsibilities:

- Assist the Head - Legal & Compliance in :

Handling the broad spectrum of day-to-day legal affairs of the business and fire-fighting legal and compliance issues.

Providing legal advice regarding food laws/labeling/composition, franchising, and marketing, contracts, antitrust compliance, trade regulation, FCPA compliance, product liability matters, data privacy, customer or third party claims, import, exports, etc

Providing legal services, including infrastructure leasing, compliance with software technology park rules and regulations, labor and workplace legislation, and IP issues.

Drafting and negotiating agreements, including agreements with co-packers, suppliers, logistics operators, leases, warehouses, distributors and other third parties.

Coordinating regulatory compliance, including monitoring legislation and implications of new business initiatives.

Training employees on compliance initiatives and legal developments.

Developing and coordinating litigation strategies and coordinating centrally all litigation across the country, including engaging and supervising local counsel, and tracking developments and outcomes to minimize exposure.

Retaining, directing, instructing and supervising external counsel and other professional advisors as required in connection with commercial, litigation and/or M&A activities

Participating as a member of the International Legal team in projects aimed at streamlining processes, coordinating training and development for legal teams as well as Businesses, and preparing and updating template forms of agreements

Assisting in other International projects as and when required.

- As Company Secretary:

Coordinate all corporate governance work and take on the role of the Company Secretary as required under the Companies Act and associated legislations.

Knowledge Areas / Skills Required

- Generalist hands-on lawyer, with a flexible approach to work

- Experience in Company Secretarial laws and practices for public limited company

- Prior knowledge of General Commercial Law & Food Specific laws, specifically Indian Companies Act, Prevention of Food and Adulteration Act, FSSAI, Essential Commodities Act, Weights & Measures Act, Central Excise Act, Customs Act, Labor and workplace statutes, Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act, Factories Act, State and Central Sales Tax

Acts, Indian Income Tax Act, India Contract Act, Monopolies & Restrictive Trade practices Act, Shops and Establishments Act, Laws governing Foreign Investment, Software technology park regulations

- Experience and ability to deal with local regulators / local authorities

- The ability to apply business solutions to legal problems.

- Creativity, flexibility and willingness to embrace change and work in multi-functional teams

- Well organized and able to manage and prioritize changing workload and meet deadlines

- Unquestionable integrity and the ability to build trusting relationships at all levels

- Fluency (verbal and written) in English essential

- Superior written communication and drafting skills.

Key Interfaces

Internal: Finance, HR, Supply Chain, IT, Sales businesses. External: External counsel/Law Firms, regulatory authorities.

Candidate Profile

- Graduate in Law

- Qualified Company Secretary

- 8 to 10 years of experience of general corporate work in-house (preferred) or at a law firm with at least 3 to 4 years of work experience with Food Industry / FMCG

- High standards of integrity and a very strong core belief in - doing the right thing-

- Resilient and persistent in ensuring that integrity is maintained at the highest level

- Ability to address and resolve conflicts early and in an open and direct manner

- Ability to communicate candidly with bosses, peers and employees

- Able to work effectively within teams and across businesses and functions

- Excellent communication and ability to leverage networks