General Counsel at L'Oréal

THE ROLE

• Contributes to the creation and protection of L’Oréal's assets by advising and guiding the company's internal clients (regions, countries, business areas, etc.) in all areas of business law.

KEY JOB ACCOUNTABILTIES

• Designs, drafts, negotiates, and revises any kind of intra-Group or external legal act.
• Ensures L’Oréal's legal compliance and certainty regarding its activities, in connection with the developments of the standards in force (legislative, regulatory, jurisprudential, internal, etc.).
• Directs legal proceedings to be undertaken and conducts litigation (pre-litigation, trial and/or settlement).
• Recruits, develops, and manages his/her teams.
• Country GC ensures constant contact with the Zone and Corporate in order to respond in the most appropriate manner for Regional GC: conducts and coordinates policies and country Counsels. Strong corporate commercial law, marketing and advertising law, dispute resolution, data protection laws, property law, competition law, consumer protection laws and intellectual property laws.
• Excellent understanding of law and legal principles necessary to provide legal services to the company.
• Have experience in company secretarial work for a private company with business acumen.
• An understanding of retail property market and have a good understanding on model industry (preferably).
• Taking ownership for all corporate legal services for a factory, warehouse, academy and all brands.
• Continuously ensure that the company is protected.
• Work closely with commercial colleagues to deliver legal advice.
• Provide advise on topics as broad as product portfolio – everything from advertising, marketing and commercial contracts to compliance, giving advice on new campaigns, crisis management and intellectual property.
• You’ll tackle complex issues across the organization.
• Assist internal controls team to ensure compliance with internal control requirements and on anti-bribery and corruption.
• Give advice to factory on raw material contracts and packaging contracts with suppliers.

LABOUR LAW EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of external dispute resolution processes
• Thorough knowledge of employment law and labour legislation governing the retail industry in SA
• Knowledge of employment law and labour legislation in other African countries is advantageous
• Litigation and drafting skills essential

NEGOTIATIONS

• Commercial agreements with customers.
• Agreements with suppliers.
• Property agreements.
• Trading terms with retailers, doctors, salons, pharmacies, e-commerce partners, pure players etc.
• Contracts with influencers.
• Contracts with brand ambassadors and models.
• Leases with Landlords in retail property.
• Leases where we are the Landlord.
• Draft board resolutions.
• Manage company secretarial work.
• Work closely with regulatory team on communication of products and advertising.
• Manage complaints with Consumer Advisory Division.
• Social media issues with PR teams.
• Handle and manage all promotional competitions.
• Approve all campaigns and handle all litigation matters.
• Support marketing teams with their ideas.
• Manage the real estate portfolio and boutiques portfolio.
• Work closely with external attorneys on litigation matters.
• Mitigate legal costs.
• Give advice to regulatory team on new laws that may affect the business.
• Train staff on any laws.
• Advise business on the implementation of Protection of Personal Information.
• Advise business on competition law issues and work with competition.

COMPETENCIES

ACTS AS A PROACTIVE BUSINESS PARTNER

• Knows brands, products, markets and related issues.
• Understands his/her clients’ organizations, roles and processes to act with more efficiency.
• Develops proximity with his/her clients to facilitate awareness and appropriate reflexes on legal issues.

MANAGES LAWS AND NORMS

• Keeps continuously informed of relevant legal evolutions and internal norms to provide his/her clients with relevant advice.
• Ensures the right implementation of Law and regulations to secure the business.
• Takes part in the development of internal control initiatives, ensuring compliance of operations, making actors aware of points of vigilance.

DECODES AND INFLUENCES

• Listens actively and decodes facts/situations to qualify the right diagnosis.
• Provide alternative options/solutions to match business needs.
• Clarifies and simplifies concepts to match the point and advise efficiently to facilitate action and decision making.

PUTS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO THE SERVICE OF BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

• Takes initiatives to share his/her knowledge with the team/clients.
• Treats information as an asset to ensure the creation, conservation and transmission of the L’Oréal « know how » on legal matters.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• BCOM/ Bachelor Degree and LLB
• Admitted Attorney or Advocate with at least 10 – 15 years post qualification experience
• 10 – 15 years Labour Law experience
• Experience in a law firm or in-house legal department (preferably in a consumer goods industry or FMCG sector)