The Legal Associate will be the primary in-house legal advisor driving compliance, contract management, and risk mitigation for the e-commerce marketplace. This role partners closely with Category, Supply Chain, Marketing, Product, CX, HR, Finance, and Leadership to ensure legally compliant, commercially sound, and operationally practical decisions across the business. The role requires strong understanding of Indian e-commerce, consumer protection, tech-product regulations, and fast-paced startup environments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Contracting & Commercial Agreements

- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts:

- Vendor/supplier agreements

- Brand/merchant agreements

- Marketing & influencer contracts

- SaaS/product/tech integrations

- Logistics and warehousing contracts

- Build standardized templates (MSA, SoW, NDAs, service contracts, partnership agreements)

- Ensure risk allocation, indemnity/warranties, SLAs, and penalties are favourable and enforceable

2. Compliance & Regulatory Governance

Ensure compliance with:

- Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020

- IT Act & data privacy rules

- Drugs & Cosmetics Act (if health/vet/wellness SKUs)

- Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) guidelines

- FSSAI (if relevant)

- Labour laws, POSH, local shop & establishment laws

- Maintain compliance tracker and guide internal teams on required filings & licences

- Coordinate with external counsel for complex matters

3. Marketplace Policy & Risk Management

- Draft and update marketplace policies: return/refund policy, listing policy, seller onboarding terms, cancellations, pricing policies

- Ensure product listings comply with all labelling, claims, MRP rules, and regulatory guidelines

- Support teams on risk review for new categories, geographies, and business models

- Review product claims, marketing copies, campaigns, and disclaimers

4. Customer Disputes & Consumer Law

- Review escalated customer complaints and legal notices

- Manage responses to consumer court, legal metrology, and regulatory complaints

- Guide the Customer Support team on compliant responses and reduce legal exposure

5. Litigation & External Counsel Management

- Coordinate with external counsel on litigation, notices, IP matters, and statutory issues

- Manage documentation, case tracking, and timely responses

- Provide management updates on contingent liabilities and ongoing disputes

6. Data Protection, Privacy & Technology

- Review data sharing agreements, privacy notices, and platform terms of use

- Ensure compliance with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA)

- Partner with Tech/Product on consent, data-storage practices, cookies, and privacy UX

7. Corporate Governance & Board Support

- Maintain statutory registers, resolutions, board documents (with CS team)

- Support fundraising: due diligence, investor agreements, cap table matters

- Review ESOP documentation, SHA, SSA, and compliance filings

8. Internal Advisory & Training

- Create playbooks and SOPs for business teams (category, marketing, warehouse, CX)

- Conduct periodic training on contracts, data protection, consumer laws, POSH, and anti-bribery

- Act as a problem-solver, enabling business decisions with compliant frameworks