Head - Legal

Brewbay Innovations; Mumbai; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Keka Inc. is seeking a Head – Legal, Litigation, Compliance & Licensing to own the organisation’s legal, regulatory compliance and licensing framework across its growing multi-location business.

The role interfaces with Business, Operations, Real Estate, Projects, Finance and HR, while coordinating external counsel and regulatory bodies. The ideal candidate has 10–15+ years of experience and a proven ability to build risk-aware governance structures, drive strategic litigation objectives and

Qualifications

• Proven track record in leading legal teams and shaping litigation objectives.
• Strong grasp of local regulatory frameworks across multiple locations.
• Experience negotiating complex commercial contracts and licensing arrangements.

Responsibilities

• Oversee civil, criminal, commercial, labour and regulatory litigation.
• Manage external counsel, advisors and regulatory stakeholders.
• Own the end-to-end licensing and regulatory framework across all locations.
• Advise leadership on legal implications of business initiatives and expansion.
• Establish governance, dashboards and SOPs for risk management and compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Legal strategy

Litigation

Regulatory compliance

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Job description

Head – Legal, Litigation, Compliance & Licensing

Function: Legal & Compliance

Experience: 10–15+ years

Reporting to: Leadership Team

About the Role

We are looking for a Head – Legal, Litigation, Compliance & Licensing to own the organisation’s legal, litigation, regulatory compliance and licensing framework across its growing multi-location business.

The role will work closely with Business, Operations, Real Estate, Projects, Finance, HR and senior leadership, while managing external legal counsel and government/regulatory stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Litigation & Legal Matters

• Own and oversee all civil, criminal, commercial, labour and regulatory litigation involving the organisation.
• Manage external advocates, law firms and legal consultants.
• Review legal notices, claims, disputes and court/regulatory matters and drive timely resolution.
• Develop litigation strategy in consultation with senior leadership and external counsel.
• Maintain a central litigation tracker with status, risks, timelines and financial exposure.
• Identify potential legal risks and provide practical business-oriented legal advice.
• Build and oversee the organisation-wide legal and statutory compliance framework.
• Ensure compliance across corporate, labour, commercial, F&B, retail and other applicable regulations.
• Monitor changes in laws and regulations and assess their impact on business operations.
• Conduct periodic compliance reviews and identify gaps, risks and corrective actions.
• Partner with internal teams to ensure timely closure of compliance issues.
• Establish compliance trackers, SOPs and governance mechanisms across locations.

3. Licensing & Regulatory Affairs

• Own the end-to-end licensing and regulatory framework across all business locations.
• Oversee new licences, renewals, amendments, statutory approvals and regulatory submissions.
• Ensure timely renewal and validity of all location-specific licences and approvals.
• Maintain a central database of licences, approvals, validity dates and renewal timelines.
• Lead government liaison with departments including Shop & Establishment, FDA, Fire, Health/Trade, State Excise, Electrical, Registration, Police, Traffic and Labour, as applicable.
• Represent the organisation before regulatory authorities and manage inspections, notices and regulatory matters.

4. Contracts & Business Advisory

• Review and negotiate commercial agreements, vendor agreements, leases, licences, NDAs and other business contracts.
• Partner with Real Estate, Projects, Procurement, Finance and Operations on legal aspects of business expansion.
• Identify contractual risks and recommend appropriate mitigation.
• Support leadership on legal implications of new business initiatives and expansion plans.

5. Legal Governance & Risk Management

• Build a proactive legal risk-management framework for the organisation.
• Create dashboards covering litigation, licences, compliance gaps, notices and regulatory risks.
• Escalate critical legal and compliance risks to senior management.
• Develop SOPs and governance processes to minimise recurring legal and regulatory exposure.
• Ensure proper maintenance of legal records, licences, notices, agreements and regulatory correspondence.