Legal Manager

Legal Manager – Artworks

Location:
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Company Overview

With a legacy spanning over a century, the organization is a leading player in the food industry, known for the huge presence across biscuits, breads, cakes, rusks, dairy, and snacking categories. Recognized as one of India's most trusted food brands and consistently ranked as among the country's best employers. Guided by the values of inviting, igniting, creating, and respecting, the company fosters a culture of ownership, innovation, and purpose while driving towards the vision of becoming a Global Total Foods Company.

Role Overview

The Legal Manager – Artworks will play a critical role in providing strategic legal support across marketing, brand communications, and regulatory compliance. This position involves overseeing trademark, copyright, and design registration matters while ensuring alignment with business objectives. The role will also cover compliance areas such as Legal Metrology and FSSAI regulations, while managing competitor challenges, advising on contracts, and handling litigation. It is an opportunity for a proactive legal professional to partner closely with business teams and contribute to protecting and shaping the company's brand and growth journey.

Key Job Responsibilities

Marketing-Legal Exposure

• Oversees the provision of strategic legal advice to all Categories.
• Advises the Category on development projects including the legality of and support for claims, product positioning, input into preparation of support packages etc.
• Responsible for ensuring input on trademark, design registration, copyright and related issues is obtained from the relevant Trademark Counsel, including the strategic direction of trademark related issues for the Category.
• Drafts, advises on and ensures legality/business feasibility of Contracts entered into by the Category, when necessary.
• Co-ordinate / handle competitor challenges on brands. Assists in rolling out of corporate marketing policies and guidelines.
• Advises the Category on Issues Management. Inputs into the development and maintenance of the best practice database for marketing lawyers.
• Liaises with and informs the regional legal teams of the category issues and projects, obtaining or providing input where needed.
• Liaises with other Category lawyers on cross-Category issues and helps to formulate legal policy and best practice for the Category as whole.
• Provides support generally and input to the Category.

Regular support

• Vetting and approving the brand communications - Artwork, Print adds, POSM (Point of Sale material) and electronic advertisements.
• Approving the Claims and promotions made by Brands. Analysing the Risk involved in the communication/promotion/claims and taking decision along with other stakeholders.
• Make and Defend challenges made before Regulators like ASCI and Court.
• Drafting and vetting the agreements between Company and Brand Ambassadors/activity promoters including Brand Promotion Agreements and Co-Branding Agreements.
• Compliance and Regulatory Liaison.
• Strategizing way forward towards any challenge by or against its subsidiaries etc.
• Interfacing with attorney and outside counsel for litigation commencement or settlement.

Litigation knowledge

• Litigation and dispute management including civil and criminal cases (FSSAI/ PFA, Legal Metrology/Weights & Measures), money recovery, Property matters, consumer issues, Competition tracking.
• Challenging Competition's activities and moves before different forums viz Regulator, Court and marketplace.

Education Qualification

LLB/LLM with 7 to 12 years of Experience (FMCG or manufacturing sector preferred) 3-4 years' experience in Food industry

Desired competencies

• 3-4 years' experience in Food industry
• Positive attitude, and a collaborative approach towards problem solving.
• Flexible and proactive.
• Ability to communicate within a team efficiently.