Legal Counsel

UNIQLO is a leading brand of the Fast Retailing Group, which is one of the largest apparel retailers in the world. We respect the individuality and lifestyle of all customers taking pride in creating high quality, long-lasting, innovative clothing at an accessible price. Our aim is to become the world’s top apparel retailer via our group’s mission and Lifewear concept: “Changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom, changing the world”.

We are currently recruiting an experienced legal professional to handle legal and compliance matters to support our expansion in Italy. The scope of this role includes commercial, consumer protection, data privacy and labour and employment matters. This person will work closely with many departments and colleagues across Europe and Japan.

This is a hybrid role with 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home. The role requires full fluency in English and Italian. Please submit your CV in English for us to assess your fluency level.

Responsibilities

Contract drafting/review and negotiation

• Draft various contracts and other legal documentation
• Review and edit third party drafts of contracts
• Standardise, update and maintain contract templates
• Negotiate contracts with vendors in coordination with business teams
• Obtain signatures/seals on legal documentation
• File documents and perform related administrative tasks
  
  
  

Legal risk assessment

• Provide practical, low risk solutions to legal consultations from business, often with short deadlines
• Proactively engage with internal stakeholders and identify legal risks within business; propose and implement solutions
  
  
  

Litigation and legal disputes management

• Handle various litigation and disputes arising within business, including customer claims (manage deadlines, devise strategies, coordinate with internal teams and external law firms)
• Implement low-cost and practical solutions for obtaining external legal support when necessary, including selecting and coordinating with law firms
  
  
  

Labour law management

• Handle legal issues related to works council and collective bargaining agreements
• Coordinate with Human Resources Italy and external lawyers on human resources matters
  
  
  

Corporate governance

• Handle all aspects of corporate governance in Italy
  
  
  

Compliance management

• Undertake key role within Europe GDPR working team to strengthen data privacy practices in Italy
• Coordinate with relevant departments to rectify non-compliances and implement sustainable solutions
• Monitor changes in Italian legislation, analyse impact and propose solutions to the business
  
  
  

Employee education

• Educate employees on compliance matters including conducting training and presentations
• Instill in employees a strong legal and compliance mindset
  
  
  

Standardisation of process

• Standardise and create efficient work processes including drafting manuals
  
  
  

Crisis management

• Update and propose solutions to management on crisis-related regulations
  
  
  

CANDIDATE'S PROFILE

Qualifications And Experience

• Admitted to practice law in Italy
• Minimum 5 years of post-qualification experience at a law firm or in-house
• Experience in transactional work, disputes and litigation in commercial, consumer protection, data privacy and labour and employment law
• Experience working for a retail company preferred
• Experience working in a global, multi-cultural environment preferred
  
  
  

Abilities

• Full professional proficiency in English and Italian
• Ability to see holistically how legal position affects business and flexibly adapt position
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with short deadlines
• High flexibility and autonomy in dealing with and prioritising work scope
• Willingness to readily respond to changing circumstances and expectations
• Ability to work under tight budget constraints and minimise spending for legal advice
• Open to domestic and overseas travels when required
  
  
  

UNIQLO is an inclusive employer and we welcome applications from all profiles, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities or background.

We take data protection very seriously and understand the importance of protecting your privacy and Personal Information. For the recruitment process, you can find the applicable privacy policy on our site: https://www.fastretailing.com/eng/privacy/eurecruitment.html