Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization
The Director Legal Counsel provides and leads all legal advisory services in Japan, driving legal excellence and compliance to ensure legal compliance, increased risk awareness, and transparency. The role provides strategic and commercial legal guidance to business teams in Japan and independently coordinates and executes assigned activities while ensuring appropriate quality, documentation, and communication.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide, oversee, and facilitate legal services to adidas Japan, including counseling, contract review, drafting and negotiation, legal risk assessment, transaction structuring, and dispute avoidance.
- Provide legal support and advice on general commercial matters, privacy and data protection, promotions, HR, consumer complaints, and daily business operations.
- Identify and lead legal projects and initiatives, coordinating cross-functional and cross-border efforts.
- Develop, maintain, and facilitate updates to legal guidelines, internal policies, procedures, and templates.
- Work with the business and Global Privacy Team to identify, minimize, and address privacy and data protection risks and support global privacy initiatives.
- Provide, oversee, and facilitate global initiative rollouts in Japan.
- Manage the Japan Legal team and external counsel, including supervision and management of legal service delivery.
- Develop and conduct educational programs and materials in relevant legal and compliance areas.
- Monitor changes in the Japanese legal and regulatory environment and provide guidance to adidas Japan management.
- Act as Local Compliance Officer for Japan and manage compliance communication, education, risk assessments, controls, incidents, investigations, and related consequences.
- Collaborate with Regional Compliance Managers and Group Compliance Management to implement and continuously improve the compliance management system.
- Oversee and facilitate corporate secretarial functions.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including communication at executive level.
- Strong background in contract law, drafting, negotiation, and business counseling.
- Fluency in Japanese and English, written and spoken.
- Excellent client relationship management skills and strong commercial sense.
- Ability to evaluate risks practically, prioritize substantial and diverse workloads, analyze complex issues, and improve processes.
- Strong team player with a high degree of stakeholder orientation.
Requisite Education and Experience
- 7+ years' experience in an international law firm or in-house.
- Confidence communicating with senior and executive management.
- Experience working in complex multinational environments.
- Solid experience in general corporate work, commercial contracts, and employment law in Japan.
Key Relationships
Japan senior management, Global Legal, Japan Legal teams, Global Privacy and Compliance Department, Information Security, NTP, external counsel or consultants, and suppliers.
Culture
adidas fosters an athlete’s mindset through courage, ownership, innovation, teamplay, integrity, and respect. The company emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of its culture and talent processes.