Description:

Exceptional Hospitality Starts with You
This role is based at our corporate office in McLean, VA

The Senior Counsel & Global Franchise Regulatory Leader serves as a key legal leader responsible for overseeing Hilton's global franchise regulatory function, including the development, maintenance, and compliance of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) and franchise registration requirements across multiple jurisdictions. This role leads a team of attorneys and paralegals and partners closely with Hilton's development, brands, and government affairs functions to support new market entries, brand launches, and complex regulatory matters. The position requires deep expertise in U.S. and international franchise law, strong project management capabilities, and the ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical business solutions in support of Hilton's global growth strategy.

What you'll do during a typical day:

Lead the planning, development, and execution of Hilton's annual global FDD production and franchise registration processes across multiple jurisdictions and brands.
Oversee the drafting, review, and approval of standard and bespoke FDDs, ensuring legal compliance, consistency, and alignment with business objectives.
Manage and prioritize a high-volume pipeline of concurrent regulatory projects across global markets, including updates, renewals, and new country entries.
Supervise, mentor, and allocate work across a team of attorneys and paralegals, ensuring efficient execution of deliverables and development of team capabilities.
Provide real-time legal guidance to development and deal teams on disclosure requirements, exemptions, holding periods, and transaction structuring.
Review and approve new disclosures arising from new programs, brand initiatives, or regulatory developments.
Coordinate global filing, registration, and compliance processes with internal stakeholders and external counsel.
Contribute to process improvement initiatives, including the development of automation tools and enhancements to the FDD production framework.

How you'll collaborate with others:

Partner closely with Hilton's development team and colleagues in the Legal Department to support active deals, structure transactions, and align disclosure strategies with business objectives.
Collaborate with internal business partners (e.g., in brands, commercial services, IT, architecture and construction,) to develop and approve disclosures for new brands, programs, and initiatives, and to ensure accurate and coordinated inputs into FDDs.
Engage with Government Affairs and external industry organizations (e.g., AHLA, IFA) on legislative and regulatory developments impacting franchising.
Direct and coordinate external counsel globally to navigate jurisdiction-specific franchise law requirements and regulatory strategies.
Interface with senior leadership (including regional and brand leaders) to obtain approvals and align on regulatory risk posture.

Projects you'll take ownership of:

Ownership of Hilton's annual global FDD lifecycle, including production schedules, content updates, and multi-country compliance requirements.
Leadership of new market entry and expansion projects, including development of FDDs and registration strategies in emerging jurisdictions (e.g., Asia-Pacific, EMEA, CALA markets).
Oversight of jurisdiction-specific regulatory initiatives, including compliance with new franchise laws and state-level requirements.
Support of new brand launches and acquisitions, including regulatory assessments and creation of disclosure frameworks.
Management of strategic partnership and alternative business model analyses to determine franchise implications and compliance approaches.
Participation in legislative and regulatory strategy, including review of proposed laws, comment letters, and coordination with government affairs.
Advancement of the FDD automation initiative and broader process improvements to enhance efficiency, scalability, and consistency.
Oversight of complex, deal-driven bespoke FDDs and high-priority transactions.

What It Takes to Make the Stay
You have these minimum qualifications:

Juris Doctor (JD)
A proven record of achievement with a minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of experience in a large law firm or corporation's franchise, hospitality or real estate practice with exposure to hotel development issues, including serving as lead attorney in substantive transactions or negotiations
Franchise regulatory law experience in the U.S. and international jurisdictions, including FDD preparation, filings and reports
A minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience
A minimum of two (2) years of supervisory experience
Admission to a U.S. state bar and eligibility for in-house practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Willingness to travel periodically in the United States, and potentially to other parts of the world as the Company's needs require
An aggressive self-starter, results and success oriented, with the ability to follow through on programs and plans

It would be useful if you have: