We are looking for a business-first legal qualified who can act as a strategic partner to the leadership team while safeguarding the company’s legal and compliance framework. This role goes beyond traditional legal support—you will enable growth by building scalable legal processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving risk-aware decision-making in a fast-paced, D2C/startup environment.

Responsibilities:

Legal – Commercial & Contracts

- Draft, review, vet and negotiate commercial agreements, including marketplace and quick-commerce agreements, distributor/super-stockist agreements, contract manufacturing and supply agreements, retail (MT/EBO) agreements, salon and B2B tie-ups, influencer and celebrity endorsement agreements, agency/vendor contracts, NDAs, leases and service agreements.
- Build and maintain standard contract templates, a clause library and a contract approval matrix.
- Maintain a central contract repository with tracking of renewals, expiry and key obligations.
- Advise business teams (Marketing, Offline Sales, Marketplace, Supply Chain, HR) on legal risk in day-to-day decisions.

Legal – Regulatory & Brand Compliance

- Ensure compliance with regulations applicable to cosmetics and personal care, including the Drugs & Cosmetics Act and Cosmetics Rules 2020 (CDSCO), Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, BIS where applicable, the Consumer Protection Act and E-Commerce Rules, and the ASCI advertising code and influencer guidelines.
- Review product labels, packaging claims, marketing content, website and app T&Cs;, and the privacy policy.
- Ensure compliance with the DPDP Act, 2023 for customer data handling across D2C and CRM platforms.

Legal – IP, Litigation & Notices

- Manage the trademark and copyright portfolio: filing, prosecution, oppositions, renewals and infringement and counterfeit action.
- Handle legal notices,



consumer complaints and consumer forum matters, recovery suits and commercial disputes.
- Manage external counsel, including briefing, cost control and tracking case outcomes.
- Maintain a litigation tracker and provide contingent liability inputs to Finance for financial statements and audit.

Company Secretarial & Governance

- Oversee Companies Act, 2013 compliance: board, committee and general meetings, minutes, statutory registers and ROC filings.
- Coordinate FEMA/RBI compliance for foreign investment (FC-GPR, FC-TRS, FLA return) along with share allotments and transfers.
- Support fundraise and investor processes, including SHA/SSA review, conditions precedent and subsequent, due diligence data requests and investor rights compliance.
- Support ESOP administration on the legal and secretarial side (grants, exercise, allotment and filings).
- Work with external PCS on secretarial compliance and maintain an annual compliance calendar.

Process & Governance

- Build a legal compliance tracker and periodic reporting to management.
- Conduct internal training for business teams on contracts, advertising claims and data privacy.

Qualifications & Experience

- 7–8 years of post-qualification experience in corporate legal and secretarial profile, with at least 4–5 years in-house at a consumer brand, FMCG, D2C, e-commerce or retail company.
- Hands-on experience in drafting and negotiating high-volume commercial contracts end to end.
- Working knowledge of cosmetics and consumer regulations (CDSCO, Legal Metrology, ASCI, Consumer Protection/E-Commerce Rules).
- Experience managing a trademark portfolio and counterfeit/infringement matters.
- Exposure to VC/PE-funded company environments, including fundraise documentation, investor due diligence and FEMA filings.
- Experience managing external law firms and PCS.
- Ability to work independently as a lean, single-point legal function.

Location

Andheri, Mumbai

📌 Senior Legal Manager (Mumbai)
🏢 Pilgrim
📍 Mumbai