Senior Legal Advisor

LUSH; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global cosmetics company seeks a Senior Legal Advisor to provide expertise on French law for their operations in France. This role involves delivering legal advice on HR and business law, managing contract negotiations, and ensuring compliance in a fast-paced retail environment. The ideal candidate has a Master's degree in French Law, at least 5 years of experience, and fluency in French and English. This position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on the company's legal strategies in France.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of proven legal experience, preferably in an international company.
• Deep knowledge of French Employment & Labour Law.
• Strong experience in French Commercial & Contract Law.

Responsibilities

• Deliver expert legal advice on French HR-related matters.
• Counsel operational teams on French business law issues.
• Manage the full contract lifecycle for commercial agreements.

Skills

Fluent French (native/near-native)

Professional working proficiency in English

Legal analysis skills

Legal drafting

Project management skills

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in French Law

Job description

Diversity matters

We are building a brand that represents the people of the world. It's what you do that counts, and we are always looking to expand perspectives and voices to shape our future.

We see you, we celebrate you, we want you!

Who we are

You might know us as the inventors of the bath bomb, but there's more to this great-smelling, partly employee‑owned, family‑run company than pioneering cosmetics. We believe our business should put more back into the world than it takes and demonstrate that capitalism can be a force for good.

The Living Wage Foundation's statement 'a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay' is one that we are proud to commit to in the UK. As an accredited Living Wage employer, we put our people first and fight cruel practices like animal testing, promote regeneration, and show that it is what's inside that counts - whether that's an ingredient in a product, or the minerals in a smartphone.

The opportunity

Are you an experienced legal professional ready to take the lead? We are seeking a motivated Senior Legal Advisor to spearhead legal support for our extensive and established retail operations across France. Based in Paris, you will be the cornerstone of our legal expertise locally, navigating the intricate French legal landscape encompassing both HR/Labour law and Commercial law for our 39 French stores.

This is a vital role focused on ensuring compliance, managing legal risk, and providing strategic counsel to support our continued success in a fast‑paced retail environment. As an integral member of our wider international legal function, you'll also have opportunities to collaborate on matters concerning our Belgian and Luxembourg operations where relevant.

Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive an overwhelming response or our business requirements change.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver expert legal advice and guidance on all French HR related matters (employment law, labour relations, contracts, disciplinary issues, litigation).
• Serve as a key legal point of contact for external legal counsel in France and reduce Legal fees.
• Counsel operational teams and senior leadership on French business law issues (compliance, commercial contracts, consumer law, IP).
• Manage the full contract lifecycle: drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and adapting commercial agreements and Terms and Conditions for France.
• Proactively monitor French legal and regulatory changes, anticipating impacts and ensuring compliance.
• Provide expert legal advice and support to the HR Manager during interactions and consultations with French staff representative bodies (e.g., CSE).
• Contribute to the drafting, review, and validation of company legal documents and internal policies applicable to France.
• Lead or support complex contract negotiations alongside internal stakeholders to achieve compliant, commercially sound outcomes.
• Support Retail Managers when needed

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Education: Master's degree (Master 1 or Master 2) in French Law required; specialisation in Labour Law or Business/Commercial Law highly preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 5-7 years of proven legal experience (preferably acquired in an international company).
• Core legal knowledge: Deep, practical knowledge of French Employment & Labour Law; strong experience in French Commercial & Contract Law; solid grasp of French business compliance requirements.
• Languages: Essential: Fluent French (native/near-native). Required: Professional working proficiency in English.
• Highly Advantageous: GDPR knowledge; retail/cosmetics sector experience; knowledge of BE/LUX labour law; French Bar admission.
• Excellent legal analysis skills; adept at explaining complex law clearly to non-legal colleagues.
• Strong legal drafting, negotiation, and strategic advisory capabilities.
• Effective project management skills: organized, able to prioritize, manage competing demands, and meet deadlines.
• Rigorous, proactive, independent, and solutions-oriented work ethic.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills (comfortable advising senior leadership).
• Experience supporting HR with staff representative body relations.
• Collaborative team player comfortable within an international structure.
• High ethical standards and professional integrity.