legal Manager For Retail

Srijan Style; Kolkata District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Srijan Style in Kolkata, India seeks an experienced Legal Counsel to manage property leasing, due diligence, and retail contracts. The role covers drafting and negotiating mall leases, store agreements, and vendor contracts, along with ensuring compliance with local laws and consumer protection standards. The ideal candidate has 7–10 years of post-qualification experience in retail or CRE operations, with strong negotiation and cross-functional communication skills.

LL.B. is required; LL.M.

Qualifications

• LL.B. from a recognized university; LL.M. is a plus.
• 7–10 years of post-qualification legal experience, with at least 3+ years directly supporting retail, QSR, apparel, FMCG, or commercial real estate operations.
• Strong command over real estate leasing practices, Legal Metrology, Consumer Protection laws, Shop & Establishment Acts, and retail commercial agreements.
• Strong negotiation, rapid response time for store-level issues, cross-functional communication.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate mall leases, high-street store agreements, leave-and-license deeds, and franchisee property contracts.
• Conduct legal title checks and due diligence for new retail store acquisitions, site selection, and lease renewals.
• Resolve landlord-tenant disputes, CAM charge reviews, and lock-in period negotiations.
• Draft and structure supply chain, vendor, distribution, and visual merchandising contracts.
• Review Store agreements, brand licensing, and e-commerce/omnichannel vendor agreements.
• Establish standard contract templates (MSAs, NDAs, PO Terms) to accelerate store rollout timelines.
• Advise store managers and regional teams on local store operating laws, Legal Metrology, shop & establishment licenses, and trade regulations.
• Ensure compliance with Consumer Protection Acts, false advertising guidelines, return/refund policies, and customer data privacy standards.
• Monitor labor law compliance across retail outlets, including working hours, shifts, and employment standards.
• Handle consumer forum disputes, customer legal notices, product liability claims, and store-level regulatory notices.
• Manage external litigation, instruct local lawyers across key store territories, and track case progress and legal spend.
• Conduct periodic legal risk assessments for retail operations and implement internal compliance checklists for store managers.
• Provide prompt legal advisory during unexpected regulatory inspections at store locations.

Skills

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Legal risk assessment

Due diligence

Store operations knowledge

Education

LL.B.

LL.M. is a plus

Job description

Role & responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Property Leasing & Property Due Diligence

• Draft, review, and negotiate mall leases, high-street store agreements, leave-and-license deeds, and franchisee property contracts.
• Conduct legal title checks and due diligence for new retail store acquisitions, site selection, and lease renewals.
• Resolve ongoing landlord-tenant disputes, CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charge reviews, and lock-in period negotiations.

Commercial Contracts & Retail Partnerships

• Draft and structure supply chain, vendor, distribution, and visual merchandising contracts.
• Review Store agreements , brand licensing, and e-commerce/omnichannel marketplace vendor agreements.
• Establish standard contract templates (MSAs, NDAs, PO Terms) to accelerate store rollout timelines.

Retail Store Compliance & Advisory

• Advise store managers and regional teams on local store operating laws, Legal Metrology (packaging/labeling), shop & establishment licenses, and trade regulations.
• Ensure compliance with Consumer Protection Acts, false advertising guidelines, return/refund policies, and customer data privacy standards.
• Monitor labor law compliance across retail outlets, including working hours, shift shifts, and employment standards.

Consumer Claims & Litigation Management

• Handle consumer forum disputes, customer legal notices, product liability claims, and store-level regulatory notices.
• Manage external litigation, instruct local lawyers across key store territories, and track case progress and legal spend.

Risk Mitigation & Audit Support

• Conduct periodic legal risk assessments for retail operations and implement internal compliance checklists for store managers.
• Provide prompt legal advisory during unexpected regulatory inspections at store locations.

Preferred candidate profile

Education: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from a recognized university; LL.M. is a plus.

• Experience: 7 to 10 years of post-qualification legal experience, with at least 3+ years directly supporting retail, QSR, apparel, FMCG, or commercial real estate operations.
• Industry Expertise: Strong command over real estate leasing practices, Legal Metrology, Consumer Protection laws, Shop & Establishment Acts, and retail commercial agreements.
• Core Skills: Practical negotiation skills, rapid response time for store-level issues, commercial risk assessment, and strong cross-functional communication.