Description:
Job Overview:The Senior Legal Counsel provides comprehensive legal support for Lindt & Sprüngli North America and its affiliated brands (including Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and Russell Stover Chocolates), advising on a broad range of corporate, commercial, and operational matters. This role supports multiple business divisions, including logistics, procurement, sales, IT, and operations, while serving as a trusted legal partner to senior leadership. The Senior Legal Counsel manages outside counsel, monitors legal and regulatory developments, executes legal and compliance training, and leads key legal operational initiatives. The role works closely with internal stakeholders across functions and regions to ensure legal risks are identified, managed, and aligned with business objectives, while supporting day-to-day business needs and strategic projects.
Essential Functions:
Comprehensive support in all legal matters of the following business divisions:
- Corporate Governance, incl. Risk Reporting
- Logistics & Construction
- Co-Man/Co-Pack
- Procurement
- Sales
- IT
- Retail Leases
- Insurance (notify claims adjuster, manage insurance counsel)
- Bankruptcies
Ownership and execution of legal operational topics, such as:
- Execute Legal & Compliance Trainings (per Group Legal & IP)
- Outside Counsel Management (incl. implementation and compliance of OCG)
- Monitor legal developments in areas of responsibility and inform stakeholders and business partners
- Ad hoc projects
Basic Qualifications:
- U.S. Qualified lawyer with strong academic record
- At least 5-7 years legal post-qualification experience, preferably including time spent both with a leading law firm and in-house with a large multinational corporation
- Demonstrated experience in food law and/or FDA regulations is an advantage
- “Hands-on” commercial & contract legal experience, including international experience
- Experience and success in working with senior management and international environments
- Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, along with the ability to communicate effectively with others at all levels of the organization and with outside counsel
- Strong advocacy skills, including the ability to effectively and efficiently communicate in writing and orally, an aptitude for practical negotiation with both legal and commercial issues, and the capability to think clearly and quickly under pressure
- A strong commitment to integrity and professionalism, and a passion for excellence
- Self-starter with a hands-on, entrepreneurial, solution-oriented and flexible approach
- Positive work attitude and the ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team, in a fast-paced working environment (managing numerous legal matters with changing priorities and deadlines)
Language requirements:
- English (fluency)
- Other languages are an advantage