We are looking for a skilled Legal Counsel to join CHAGEE country to provide legal guidance and oversight for our growing operations. This role supports cross-functional teams and ensures the business is run in accordance with local law while aligning with regional strategies. Prior experience in F&B, retail, or franchise operations will be highly advantageous.
Key Responsibilities:
Legal Advisory: Serve as the legal point of contact for all country business units, providing advice on corporate, commercial, compliance, employment, and IP matters.
Contract Management: Draft, review, and negotiate legal agreements in local language and English, including vendor agreements, franchising contracts, lease agreements, and employment contracts.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with Japanese Commercial Code, Food Sanitation Act, Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, Labour Standards Act, and other relevant regulations.
Corporate Secretarial: Support with corporate governance matters, board meetings, and filings in accordance with Japanese law.
Employment Law: Guide HR on local labour law compliance, employee disputes, contracts, and policies.
Franchise & Retail Law: Advise on regulatory and contractual issues related to franchise expansion in country.
IP & Trademark Protection: Oversee trademark registration and enforcement in country, working with local IP firms where necessary.
Dispute Management: Lead dispute resolution efforts including negotiation, mediation, litigation, or arbitration.
Government & Regulatory Liaison: Maintain relationships with Japanese regulatory bodies, ensuring proactive compliance.
Risk & Policy Management: Identify and advise on legal risks and support internal training on legal and compliance matters.
Qualifications:
Bachelor degree in law, from a recognized university or foreign equivalent
Licensed to practice law in local country or with in-depth legal experience in corporate legal environment
Minimum 6–8 years of relevant experience in-house or at a top-tier law firm
Fluent in local country and English (written and spoken); Mandarin a plus
Self-motivated, adaptable, and solution-oriented with strong communication skills
Familiarity with franchising, retail operations, or consumer goods a strong advantage
Top Skills
What We Do
CHAGEE is a leading international tea beverage company guided by the vision to connect everyone through a good cup of tea. The brand first started in 2017 in the hometown of tea, Yunnan, China, and has since expanded to over 6,000+ stores globally.
As we embrace innovation and introduce a modern twist to traditional tea culture, we remain committed in preserving the true tea taste and only use fresh dairy and real tea leaves in all our beverages. Our teas also contain 0 creamer and 0 trans-fatty acids.
