Marketing & Contracts Paralegal

El Pollo Loco•Costa Mesa, CA

About The Position

This Paralegal will support the Legal team by being point of contact for reviewing marketing initiatives, advising on promotions, menu boards, advertisements, managing trademarks, and reviewing and tracking commercial contracts. This person will act as the primary legal point of coordination for marketing and contract workflows.

Requirements

Paralegal certificate or equivalent practice experience, and similar and multi-site retail or restaurant experience strongly preferred.
Experience in food service, retail, or franchised business models.
6+ years of paralegal experience, with focus on marketing, advertising, or commercial contracts.
Exceptional communication, collaboration and presentation skills.
Confidence in execution of strategic initiatives; Risk spotting and issue escalation.
Must be decisive and able to make fact-based decisions.
Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset and skills; meticulous attention to detail
Ability to effectively communicate with internal and external business partners.
Ability to prioritize and plan work assignments and work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines.
Adept at managing and prioritizing competing time sensitive requests while working well in a team atmosphere that may be under pressure.
Ability to report to the Support Center as required for cross-collaborative work with business partners and other corporate functions.
Experience reviewing marketing materials and promotional terms.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to manage high-volume, fast-turn requests in a restaurant or consumer-facing environment.
Knowledge of state consumer protection and promotional compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

Review marketing initiatives for legal and regulatory compliance.
Advise Marketing on promotions, offers, loyalty programs, contests, and sweepstakes.
Review menu boards, in-store signage, digital content, and advertising claims.
Flag risk related to truth in advertising, pricing disclosures, nutrition statements, comparative claims, and consumer protection laws.
Coordinate approvals and maintain version control for marketing assets.
Support trademark clearance for new products, campaigns, promotions, and brand assets.
Manage trademark filings, renewals, and deadlines with outside counsel.
Maintain trademark portfolio records and usage guidelines.
Monitor and escalate potential brand or trademark infringement issues.
Review routine contracts related to marketing, vendors, agencies, influencers, and technology platforms.
Track contract terms, renewals, expirations, and notice requirements.
Maintain contract management system and organized contract repository.
Support contract intake, execution, and post-execution administration.
Serve as the legal liaison to Marketing, Supply Chain, Culinary, and Finance.
Develop and maintain playbooks, checklists, and SOPs for marketing and contracts.
Assist with legal research, reporting, and ad-hoc projects as assigned.