Legal Counsel, India

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About the role

Legal Counsel, India is the primary legal contact for Takeda’s businesses and legal entities in India. Reporting directly to the Lead Counsel, Asia Pacific (APAC), the role provides end-to-end, practical legal support across commercial, medical, regulatory, market access, manufacturing and supply, business development, finance, HR, procurement, digital and other business functions. The Legal Counsel also supports Takeda’s Innovation Capability Center (ICC) and the evolving Global Capability Model (GCM) in India.

As a core member of the Country Leadership Team, the Legal Counsel brings sound legal judgment to business decisions, translates complex requirements into clear options and recommendations, and helps the organization move with appropriate speed while protecting patients, Takeda and its reputation. 

The role has particular responsibility for legal support connected with the launch and commercialization of Takeda’s vaccine portfolio in India. It also supports business development, strategic collaborations and other partnerships with third parties. 

The role will also serve as Whole-time Company Secretary for the relevant Takeda entity or entities in India and will oversee corporate secretarial and governance compliance. 

The role combines independent ownership of complex matters with close collaboration across APAC and the wider Global Legal, Ethics & Compliance organization.

How you will contribute

• Serve as the primary legal advisor for Takeda’s businesses and legal entities in India, providing timely, practical and risk-based advice across day-to-day operations and material business matters. 
• Partner with the India Country Leadership Team and relevant APAC and global stakeholders, bringing an independent legal perspective and enabling informed, timely and accountable decision-making. 
• Lead and coordinate legal support for local manufacturing initiatives. 
• Advise on business development and third-party collaborations, including licensing, commercialization, distribution, services and other strategic arrangements. 
• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including commercial, manufacturing and supply, distribution, licensing, services, procurement, HCP/HCO, medical, market access, patient-support, digital, employment, finance and real-estate agreements. 
• Provide legal support to the India Innovation Capability Center and Takeda’s Global Capability Model
• Promote scalable and efficient legal support by developing fit-for-purpose templates, playbooks and self-service guidance, and by directing lower-risk work to the appropriate business or capability owner while retaining Legal involvement where it adds material value. 
• Perform the duties of Whole-time Company Secretary for the relevant Indian entity or entities, ensuring compliance with applicable corporate, secretarial and governance requirements. 
• Coordinate corporate secretary work with global Corporate Governance team
• Identify, assess and manage legal and regulatory risks, monitor relevant legislative developments and ensure appropriate stakeholders understand and implement required actions. 
• Advise on competition law, anti-bribery and corruption, privacy and digital matters, employment, disputes, investigations, audits, product and promotional matters, intellectual property interfaces and interactions with regulators and industry associations, in coordination with relevant subject-matter experts. 
• Manage litigation, arbitration, mediation, pre-dispute strategy and external legal matters to protect Takeda’s rights and support effective resolution. 
• Select and manage external counsel and other legal providers with disciplined scoping, quality oversight and cost management, using external support where specialist expertise or capacity is genuinely required. 
• Build legal capability across the organization through clear communication, practical training, coaching and guidance, and contribute to APAC and global Legal, Ethics & Compliance initiatives and communities of practice. 
• Continuously improve legal processes and ways of working by simplifying complexity, reducing duplication, leveraging data, digital tools and AI responsibly, and focusing resources on work with the greatest patient, business and risk impact. 
• Model Takeda’s values and expected leadership behaviors by putting patients at the center, collaborating with respect, acting with integrity, constructively challenging when needed, taking accountability and delivering priorities with urgency and quality. 

Education and professional qualifications

• Law degree from a recognized law school and qualification to practice law in India, with current good standing where applicable. 
• Current membership with the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and eligibility to be appointed as a Whole-time Company Secretary, is required. 

Experience

• At least 8 years of relevant post-qualification legal experience in a leading law firm and/or the legal department of a multinational organization, with maturity and independence expected for a senior role. 
• Strong experience advising a complex business in India across commercial, corporate, regulatory and operational matters; pharmaceutical industry experience is strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated experience with corporate secretarial work, corporate governance, Companies Act requirements, Board processes. 
• Experience supporting product launches and negotiating complex agreements.
• Experience supporting capability centers, shared-services environments, global operating models or cross-border transformation is an advantage. 

Capabilities

• Excellent legal analysis, drafting and negotiation skills, combined with strong commercial judgment and the ability to distinguish material risk from manageable operational issues. 
• Able to operate independently, prioritize competing demands and deliver clear recommendations in a fast-moving environment. 
• Pragmatic, solutions-focused and comfortable making decisions within clear accountability, while escalating material issues early. 
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and collaborate across India, APAC and global teams. 
• Able to simplify complex topics, communicate in clear business language and create practical, scalable guidance for non-lawyers. 
• Curious, adaptable and improvement-oriented, with an interest in digital tools, AI-enabled ways of working and capability building. 
• High integrity, sound judgment, cultural awareness and commitment to Takeda’s values, patient-first purpose and one-company mindset.