Legal Counsel - Germany & Poland

Legal Counsel – Germany & Poland

UNIQLO is a leading brand of the Fast Retailing Group, one of the largest apparel retailers in the world. UNIQLO respects the individuality and lifestyle of all customers and takes pride in creating high quality, long-lasting, innovative clothing at an affordable price.

We are currently recruiting for a Legal Counsel to sit within the German & Poland team , based in our Berlin office. The scope of this role will focus on labour and employment matters, and also include elements of commercial, consumer protection, and data privacy. This person will work closely with many departments and colleagues across Europe and Japan.

The ideal person will have experience in working with and managing works council, offering labour and employment support, drafting and negotiation of contracts, legal risk, litigation, legal disputes, and compliance management. You will be the main point of contact for the wider business, across various departments, based on business need and offer training on legal best practice for the German and Polish market.

What you will be responsible for:

Works council legal management – Germany

• Coordinating closely with Human Resources Germany to handle legal issues related to works council
• Researching and applying works council-related laws and devise appropriate strategy together with Human Resources Germany
• Consulting external law firms as necessary in coordination with Human Resources Germany on works council related matters

Labour and employment support – Germany & Poland

• Researching labour and employment laws and adopt competitive employment agreements in coordination with Human Resources

Contract drafting, review, negotiation – Germany & Poland

• Generating initial drafts of contracts and other legal documentation
• Reviewing and editing third party drafts of contracts
• Standardising update and maintain contract templates
• Supporting business teams by negotiating contracts directly with vendors as necessary
• Offering practical yet robust solutions in time-sensitive situations
• Obtaining signatures/seals on legal documentation
• Organising and filing documents and perform related administrative tasks

Legal risk management – Germany & Poland

• Providing practical, low risk solutions to legal consultations from business
• Proactively identifying legal risks within business, propose and implement solutions
• Proactively engaging with human resources, store operations and SSC departments to facilitate understanding of issues

Litigation, legal disputes management – Germany & Poland

• Handling various litigation and disputes arising within business, including customer claims (manage deadlines, devise strategy, coordinate with internal teams and external law firms)
• Implementing low-cost and suitable solutions for obtaining external legal support, including selecting and coordinating with law firms

Compliance management – Germany & Poland

• Undertaking key role within General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) working team to design, implement, and maintain GDPR-compliant data privacy practices
• Identifying non-compliance of various matters and coordinate with relevant departments to rectify
• Constantly monitoring new and changes on relevant laws in Germany and efficiently communicate how it impacts, and solutions to, the business and relevant stakeholders

Employee education – Germany & Poland

• Educating employees on compliance matters (e.g., GDPR) including conducting training to departments and presentations at company-wide meetings
• Instilling in employees a strong legal and compliance mindset

Standardisation of processes – Germany & Poland

• Standardising and creating efficient work processes including drafting manuals

Skills, Experience and Attributes:

• Admitted to practice law in Germany
• Minimum 3 years of post-qualification experience working for the retail industry at a law firm or in-house
• Experience dealing with works council matters
• Strong transactional background with drafting and negotiation experience
• Experience dealing with data protection law and consumer protection law
• Experience dealing with litigation (labour and commercial)
• Full professional proficiency in English and German are must. Polish language would be an added bonus.
• Open to domestic and overseas travels when required
• High flexibility and adaptability in dealing with and prioritising work scope
• Ability to work under tight budget constraints and minimise spending for legal advice
• Ability to develop good relationships with colleagues across all departments

What we can offer you:

• 30 days holiday allowance
• Bi-annual bonus potential
• Profit share scheme
• Meal allowance/month
• Mobility allowance/month
• 30% Staff Discount
• Central location of stores and office
• Hybrid working potential
• Social events throughout the year
• Volunteer days – twice a year
• Employer-funded pension scheme

UNIQLO is an inclusive employer and we welcome applications from all profiles, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities or background.

We take data protection very seriously and understand the importance of protecting your privacy and Personal Information. For the recruitment process, you can find the applicable privacy policy on our site: Privacy Policy .

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